Healthy Brownies and Positive Changes in your life

I was driving home today after work and I was reflecting on my life and the lives of people that I know, and the decisions that we have all made for our lives and our futures.  I was thinking that some people have a really hard time making good decisions for their lives ...why does this happen?  I mean the way I see it is that there is good and then there is bad...this line is very stark and all this mumbo jumbo about the grey area is total crap.

For example:  Killing a baby at 2,3, or 8.5 months in the womb is seen as acceptable and okay by some (this is the grey area), but then killing a baby at 9 months outside the womb is seen as unacceptable by all.  Yeah - no grey area there or anywhere- murder is murder no matter the circumstance, no matter the situation, no matter the story, no matter the location - inside or outside the womb.

I was thinking about why some people have an easier time distinguishing between the good and the evil, and why some people can't seem to see that line at all.  I think this line of thought came about after I read this reflection yesterday in a daily devotional I occasionally read.

"Because of all of the following that we do, a lot of mixed messages can buzz around us.  Still, Jesus wants to be the main one we follow, and we need to tune into His voice.  God speaks to us a lot; messages may come through nature, Scripture, dreams, our sacramental and communal lives and in the whispers deep in our hearts.  We are invited to transform and trust.  Ultimately, we must have a habit of listening to Jesus so that we can discern what is of God and what is not.  We are called to be people who know Jesus so well that we can recognize his voice and follow Him above all else."
Sr. Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A

As I look back on my life and the decisions that I have made (I'm not saying they have all been good - because they have definitely not been), but I see that I was able to make the bigger and more important life changing decisions and the little ones with confidence and peace because I was trying to listen to what God had planned for me.  As I look around me and see so many people struggling and making poor life decisions it seems clear that the root of their being stuck in the grey area is due to the fact that they can't hear the voice of Jesus and see His plan for their lives.  Oh how beautiful it would be if everyone could hear the voice of Jesus in their lives and see how much He loves them and wants them to be happy.  I pray for a lot for people in my life who struggle with making good decisions, usually I pray for an exact thing or an exact problem they are facing...I think it is time I also start praying that they can tune out the world around them and instead hear the clear and commanding voice of Jesus telling them that they are loved and pointing them in the right direction.

It is never too late to make a positive change in your life...no matter how big or small it is never too late.

Speaking of positive changes...really this is connected, I swear :)

Today I went through a few boxes of "too big for me now, but one day I will surely fit back into them clothes" from 3 years ago.  Got rid of them all.

I was feeling guilty for eating to many cookies recently...they are truly my arch nemesis...then I tried on a pair of my pants from 3 years ago and they almost fell off they were so big and baggy on me.  I guess it has never really registered with me how much weight I have lost in the last 3 years.  Seeing clothes that are 3 sizes too big on me now was such a shock and the encouragement I needed...I went and threw the plate of cookies away immediately.

This was a positive change in my life.  Eating healthier, working out more intentionally, and feeling better about everything in my life.

Make a change.  A big one or a small one.  We all need to change somehow...trust me I know...I have so much to work on!  Ask God what needs to change in your life and listen for His instructions.

Gluten/Refined Sugar Free Brownies 
adapted slightly from the Deliciously Ella blog
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa (I used raw cacao)
1/4 tsp. baking soda 
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix honey, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth.  Add almond flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir to blend. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until center no longer jiggles and top feels cakey.

Cool on a wire rack before cutting.  Yum.