25 evident life lessons being 25

"The people that you encounter daily are the most important part of your legacy! <3 This truth is my faviorite."

1.) Friends are more important than money: 

I am talking about the real friendships that are healthy and helping foster growth in your life especially those that you can completely be yourself around.

I worked for Lululemon at such a perfect time in my late adolescence and early adulthood development and I was fortunate enough to learn this truth about 6 years ago and each year it has proven to have a deeper meaning to me than the previous year. I find it interesting that this was the first thought that came to my mind when I started to type this list. This year I have learned and am still learning how to evaluate and set healthy boundaries for myself in my friendships/ relationships and thus is one of my greatest and most challenging works in progress.

2.) Be yourself: So often people want you to become like the way they think you should be rather than just accepting you for who you already are. This year I have became better at identyfying when people are not appreciating me for me.

3.) You don't need much when you know your importance.

4.) God first and everything else second.

5.) Your thoughts can be your worst enemy.

6.) Depression is to common in our society and in our social circles and is really a product of the thoughts that we allow to fester. Catch it before it catches you!

7.) Finances: Use money, don't let money use you.

8.) Mentors are one of the greatest blessings.

9.) Arguing is counter productive to who I am.

10.) The world is your oyster but there is no place that compares to home and home is where your family and friends are.

11.) Don't take life to seriously.

12.) Health insurance, what a mess.

13.) The people that you encounter daily are the most important part of your legacy! <3 This truth is my faviorite.

14.) Contentment: nothing lasts forever.

15.) Not owning much feels good! I love that I don't have a house or car payment and I seriously don't desire either at this point in my life.

16.) Patience pays off. Waiting on God's timing is not always easy but I hope that when I look back five years from now I will see how perfect his timing truly is and praise him for his brilliant work. I know his plans are good and he is teaching me to trust in him more and to lean on him more than ever before in my lifetime. For me this year there has seemed to be more valleys then there has been peaks and I have an inkling that next year is going to have more peaks than valleys :)!

17.) God answers prayers as my current job is evidence!

18.) Responsibility can be a blessing and a curse.

19.) How vital and important my church family is to me.

20.) How important it is to like where you work and what you do, thank God I like both!! It feels amazing!

21.) Don't internalize other people's stress. Continue to focus only on what you can control and leave the rest up to God. #Easiersaidthandone

22.) Spend less time dwelling on the future and spend more time being present with your reality that you are living.

23.) Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself. Another great reminder that came to my mind from the good ole days at Lulu and it helps that this bright pink quote is staring at me from up top in my closet oosing out from my craft box. So, I went with typing it. ;)

24.) The 5 people you surround yourself with, you become like. This has been something that I have been trying to become more aware of as experience and experiment has proven this statement to be true in my life.

25.) Actions speak louder than words.  

The autonomy of Love-

According to Google love is defined as, "an intense feeling of deep affection."

What does love mean to you?

As for myself, each day I learn and grow in a new aspect of love that has never been understood in the exact same way as I have understood it before. Love is the very reason of our and of all existence! Our very own faith, hope and salvation is symbitotic to love. Love is indeed a choice, so my question for you is why would you choose not love? God is love! 1 John 4:19, We love because he first loved us. 

Chicken Noodle Soup (with healing powers ;-))

This is my Aunt Lue's recipe, it is to die for...

Chicken Noodle Soup:

- Purchase an already roasted chicken from Costco or your local grocery store... or if you would like to roast your own. (non added growth hormones, organic/ farm raised is better...) OR... you can of course skip adding the chicken which is the best choice but, I can't promise it is as good w/out it.

- 2 boxes of Organic Chicken Broth (Trader Joe's/ Henry's)

- 1 onion chopped (red onions have more benefits vs. white)

- 3 large carrots chopped

- 2 eggs (organic)

- 3 quarters flour (non bleached)

- 1 half gallon Almond Milk

- Grape Seed Oil (Trader Joe's, Henry's) (olive oil is not meant for frying, it actually can have negative effects on the body when frying google it...)

- Aluminum Free Baking Soda  and Himalayan Salt (H. Salt is the pink salt, it is the best form of salt if you are going to cook with it, again you can find both of these products at your nearest health food store)

- 1 Box of Pita Chips (Trader Joes)

- 2 Apples

- A Block of your favorite Plain White Cheese... if you want to be bad... ;)

* What is sooo amazing about this chicken noodle soup is that besides its healing abilities it has miniature dumplings added to it that's why the recipe has called for flour and eggs etc... She calls the little dumplings rivals or something like that... I don't know how to say it or spell it lol, I'll have to phone her to be reminded.

Let's Start!

- First, bring to boil your Broth. While your broth is heating dice up your chicken, pour a little grape seed oil in a frying skillet and start sauteing your meat, then in your skillet add your chopped onions and carrots. While your savory flavors are coming together in the skillet, you can now move on to creating the dumpling mixture. In a bowl scramble your two eggs, then add a little almond milk a pinch of baking soda and salt and then add flour mix together until the mixture is gooey, may need to add a little more almond milk if you are having a hard time with reaching the gooey consistency.

- Now, all your ingredients are ready to jump in the boiling broth together (ahhh, someone save them! ;)). First, take a spoon add some grape seed oil on it so the mixture doesn't stick to the spoon, and now just mindlessly dip your spoon in your dumpling mixture get a spoon full and drop it in the boiling broth and continue to repeat until all your dumpling mix is added let boil in broth for 20 minutes. During the 20 minutes you can make sure that your skillet mixture is still nicely sauteing and not burning, don't be shy lower the heat if need may be. Now take out your favorite plate surround the plate with your pita chips and add your crisp cup apples, no need to peal the skin it's good for you if they are organic and have been rinsed ;) and also add your sliced cheese. Set that out on the table, have the others garb their drink choice and tell them that lunch/dinner will be ready in 2 min.

- Lastly, after the 20 minutes has passed add your skillet mix into the broth and dumpling, stir it up, add another pinch of salt and if your want to spice it up a bit add a dash of cayenne pepper (but, this may be advised to let the individual do... and tell them to try it without the spice first because it is soooo good and really doesn't call for any spice.)

Enjoy!!! Happy Holidays and be crazy go dance in the rain with your loved ones! It's not like the opportunity comes often.

Love to all,
Kara Lucas