Beauty from Ashes

By Johnna Leach

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FAVORITE NO BAKE HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

October 2, 2016

When my husband and started eating clean and healthy, (cutting out processed foods that were packed with preservatives, chemicals and YUKKY stuff), it became a game for me to find recipes that were healthy AND tasty.  I live a fast paced life where I am constantly on the run so I like to have healthy things prepared ahead of time that I can grab and go!

When I came across this recipe on:

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I just HAD to make them!

 

This recipe is so easy to make with only 5 simple ingredients. They are a healthy snack that you can store in your refrigerator or freezer; you’re gonna LOVE these bars I promise!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Optional: salt and cinnamon, to taste

Directions:

  • Combine the oats, almond butter, almonds, chocolate chips and honey in a medium size bowl. Stir until well combined. Add more honey if needed and salt and cinnamon, to taste.
  • Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to fall over the edges. Press the oat mixture into the pan.
  • Place in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm. Remove paper from pan and then cut the large square in half. Then cut each half into 6 rectangles. Wrap bars individually with parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

iheartnaptime_granolabars

Check out I Heart Nap Time at:

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/granola-bars/

Filed Under: Food Stuff, Johnna

Simplifying Your Life

July 22, 2016

My husband and I have spent the last year on a faith journey with the Lord and I am happy to say that I’m baaack!

A year ago my husband and I found ourselves in a discussion about simplifying our life. Our home that was once filled with kiddos and a lot of action was now filled with just us!  Our kiddos are no longer kids, they are adults now with lives and homes of their own.  We realized that we were actually living in about a fourth of our home; do we really need 3 living spaces for 2 people? And what about that horrible drive to and from work that my husband was driving each day? 100 miles round trip, who needs that? What happened to the simpler life of the Fun Fifties where you s l o w down and take life a little easier? We were perplexed! What are we doing wrong Lord? The more I thought about it I realized that simplifying our life wasn’t going to *poof* just happen, we were going to have to make some changes.

To simplify implies that it is simple!  But simplifying your life involves the C word, CHANGE! And change can be challenging, it can be scary, and depending on how great the change, it can be extremely stressful.  For me, moving 50 miles West brought all of the above, for my husband it was easy!  Women are emotional, men are fixers…there ya have it!

And so change began…Moving 1 - U-Haul

There was a house to pack up and sell, a house to buy (one that was smaller and more practical for the two of us), a job I was going to have to leave, and a new job I was going to have to find. We had a new grandbaby and children we would be moving further away from; oh my heart was in panic mode. HELP!

Interestingly, in the midst of all of the crazy emotions, I knew this was the right thing to do. I began to feel a peace deep inside my spirit, my heart just needed to get with the program! I knew we were making this move for all the right reasons and we had to trust the Lord to lead us and bring it all together for us.  Another faith walk!

So, that’s what we did. We prayed for God to take charge, to protect us from wrong decisions, to lead us to our new home and to lead that perfect couple to the home we were selling. Together we trusted God with all of the details, which were many!  And then we walked it out one day at a time.

One day at a time… 

“So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.” (Matthew 6:34 TLB) Boy that is surly easier said than done for many of us, especially if you’re like me! When I make a decision I jump in with both feet and its full speed ahead to completion! Well simplifying our life was going to take time, it was not going to be an overnight transition and there were going to be many things out of my control.

A year later I find myself sitting here in a house that has now become our home, it is perfect! The town we moved to is 6 miles from my husband’s office, he barely drinks a sip of his coffee and he’s at work. Our neighbors are like Mayberry R.F.D 🙂 Everyone is so neighborly, kind and friendly! Our son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby are 40 minutes away from us now. I was heartbroken at the thought of being so far, but they have been amazing!  They send us pictures and videos almost daily and we see them at least once a week. A few months before we moved, our daughter and her fiancé moved to the West side to be closer to their jobs, they are only 3 miles from us!

What did I learn?

Once again, I was reminded that He’s got our back. When you ask God to lead, you’ve got to get out of the way and you’ve got to trust Him. He is the Boss and He knows what’s best for us. He has a plan for your life and mine that He has personally and meticulously handcrafted! The Bible says, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:16 NLT)

As we began to submit to His perfect will for our life the pieces started falling into place. Faith is grown out of the times in our lives when we are most vulnerable. Our faith is able to grow greater than our fears when we take His hand and walk with Him through the uncertainties of this life.

Welcome to our simplified life and home!

Home 1Breakfast Nook AfterLiving Room After 1Courtyard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

Hello and Goodbye!

September 30, 2015

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…

That is the beginning of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 of the Holy Bible and one of my favorite passages. Tomorrow I celebrate my 55th birthday but tonight I sit here pondering and my mind is suddenly filled with visions of my Mom.

A little over 55 years ago Virginia Lee Hill said YES. Virginia, known to all who loved her as Ginny but to me she was Mom. Me and my mom

I see a young woman with dark hair who has just found out she is pregnant. She smiles and says YES, I am going to be a Mommy and the days turn into months as her belly grows and grows.

Finally the day arrives, its time to go to the hospital. In a matter of hours she is holding her brand new baby girl in her arms, YES! Tears run down her cheeks and joy fills her heart.

As the years go by she watches her little girl learn to crawl, walk, talk. She tries her best to be everything her heart wished she had when she was a little girl.  She battles. She struggles. She overcomes. Life isn’t always easy, but she faces each day fresh and anew. She starts the day with a smile, I can see it as I sit here typing.

And so it was with me and my Mom. We battled, we struggled, we overcame and in the end the love we felt for each other was raw and real.

What a parallel when I think about the joy through tears my mom felt as she watched me take my first breath and the joy through tears I felt as I watched her take her last. Like I said at her funeral, There’s a joy in my heart but it’s hard to keep the tears from my eyes. I didn’t want to say good-bye, but there was, and is, peace in knowing she is with the Lord.

Birthdays are special days that call for reflection and celebration. They are the beginning of a new year, a new season and new experiences. Birthdays offer a time of reflection of time passed. They allow us to say goodbye and hello all at the same time.

Yes, there is a time for everything and seasons change; 55 is the start of a new season and I’m ready!

Heavenly Father thank you for the blessing of life and thank you for new beginnings. Thank you for always revealing the beauty in the ashes of my life. What peace and joy fills our hearts as we hand over the hard stuff to You.

Today I am celebrating my Mom, I am her YES! What a great feeling 🙂

 

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

The Power of Your Presence

September 28, 2015

I had an opportunity to spend a couple of hours with some pretty special people recently. Jean, Mary, Neil, Joyce and Wilma are all residents at a care facility for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Here is my story…

While playing a fiercely competitive card game called War, or as Joyce called it, Battle, a gal walked past our table and sat down on the sofa. She was hunched over and holding her stomach, I thought maybe she didn’t feel well or was disabled. I excused myself and walked over to her, maybe she’d like to play cards with us.

Her name was Wilma. As I sat down next to her, she very proudly letme and Wilma me know that she was a Bridge player! And so our conversation began…

Wilma told me wonderful stories about her husband Angelo; what an amazing husband he was. Oh, how they enjoyed playing Bridge with all of their friends. She reminded me several times, “We’re Bridge players!” I learned that she had been married a very long time to her husband Angelo and that they had several children, she couldn’t remember exactly how many, but she loved family, and she loved her family.

Wilma talked about being positive and staying away from negative people because like she said, “Who needs that!”

She wanted to know if I was married, how many children I had and where I worked. Wilma was very interested to know if I was happy! I shared my story and showed her pictures, oh how she loved seeing my pictures.

And then we’d start the entire conversation all over again! For about 30 minutes we shared her story and my story over and over again. And with each re-start I was taken in by her smile, her enthusiasm and her genuine interest in every word I had to say.

Sure, some of the details changed with each rendition. For example she had been married a very long time, and then she had been married about 12 years and another time she and Angelo never married; they were happy and didn’t feel the need to! HA!

That’s what Alzheimer’s and Dementia does to people; it scrambles the information in their memories and it deletes memories all together.

Wilma was a hoot!   She had a wonderful sense of humor, a great outlook on life and was so appreciative of the time I spent talking with her.

The power of your presence…

I went into this experience thinking about what I was giving these sweet people by spending time with them.  But as I walked away I realized what they had given me. 

Never underestimate the power of a caring heart. The sacrifice of your time may reap larger rewards than you can imagine.

Oh…I almost forgot! Remember I said Wilma was hunched over and holding her stomach? When I sat down with her I offered her a cup of water. She thanked me and told me she had a cup but wasn’t thirsty. Then she reached into the front of her pants, pulled out a little plastic water cup and said, “I’ve got my cup, they charge you for everything you know, nothing’s for free!” And then she put her cup back into the front of her pants! 🙂

 

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cookies!

August 26, 2015

I am always looking for healthy recipes that are tasty, quick and easy!

So when my daughter’s boyfriend Chris walked through the door with a plate of homemade 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies I was intrigued!

Then I tasted one, it was AMAZING! 

Now I’m not saying that he’s calculating BUT…peanut butter cookies are my husband’s favorite and the fact that they’re made without sugar and flour, well needless to say he gained some major boyfriend points with his girlfriend’s mom and dad!

Here is the recipe that is sure to become a favorite of yours too 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup organic peanut butter

1/3 cup organic honey

1 organic, cage-free egg

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together. Scoop about a tablespoon of batter for each cookie onto a greased cookie sheet (I use coconut oil cooking spray). Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes, or until cookies start to brown along the edges.

Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Makes about 18-24 delicious peanut butter cookies!

peanut butter cookies

Filed Under: Food Stuff, Johnna

The Blessing of Enduring

July 30, 2015

Mom and Grandma Mildred 2“Our Father loves us too much to let us pass through life without learning to endure.”

When I read that this morning I thought about my Grandma Mildred (pictured here with my Mom).

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines endure as dealing with or accepting something unpleasant. 

My Grandma Mildred was cold, unfriendly and not a fan of children. She seemed to tolerate me, my sister and brother, I remember her discomfort well. It would be accurate to say that she was unpleasant.

We visited my Grandma about once a month; my parents drove us to her home where we spent a few hours with her. My parents and Grandma visited while my sister, brother and I sat on the floor in front of the television.

My Grandma Mildred never played with me, held me in her lap, or read me a book.  In fact, there were many things she never did with me. She had no patience for children and it didn’t take much to annoy her.

I didn’t understand my Grandma but I accepted the fact that I had no choice but to endure the time spent with her.

What was it about this woman that caused her to be like she was? I was intrigued by her nonetheless, so when I became an adult I reached out to her and made a date to spend one-on-one time together. After that I made another date, and another, and so on.

As I did this, God began to show me things about her, things that were lost in my young mind but stood out now that I was an adult. I realized that she was at the center of many of my wonderful childhood memories.

For example, she was at every holiday celebration with her yellow ceramic bowl filled with homemade Creamed Corn and a batch of homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies! (LOVED the cookies, hated the corn!). She never missed a holiday and she never came without these 2 staples!

Those monthly visits that seemed like torture at the time? Well, God began to reveal the sweetness of the things my Grandma did during those visits. For example, about an hour before it was time to leave she would call us into the kitchen and give us each a bowl of spumoni ice-cream!

It was at one of those monthly visits that I saw The Wizard of OZ for the first time. I remember sitting on the floor with my sister and brother as we watched with AMAZEMENT at the wonder of it all!

I’ll never forget the Easter she showed up at our home with Chocolate Easter Baskets from See’s Candies Store, one for each of us kids. The basket itself was made out of chocolate and the chocolate basket was filled with chocolates, it was heaven! Every time I go into a See’s Candies Store I think of her.

My Grandma Mildred was always impeccably dressed, with painted fingernails and hair perfectly coiffed, she had this movie star quality about her. She loved her cats and the singer Engelbert Humperdink! There were alligator knick-knacks all over her house and she couldn’t pass up a bargain. She is the only person I’ve ever known who ate her meals without taking a drink until after she’d finish eating.

Yes, Grandma Mildred had a cold exterior but as I got to know her I realized that her interior was quite the opposite. I believe she loved family and actually yearned to be part of the whole.  For reasons unknown to me she was not comfortable expressing emotions of warmth and love but as we spent time together I was able to give these things to her.

I believe that enduring her throughout the years taught me that what you see on the outside isn’t always an accurate indicator of things on the inside.

Yes, God loves me and you too much to let us simply pass through this life without learning to endure.

Romans 5:3-4 says, Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…

I am proud of the relationship I shared with my Grandma Mildred and every special memory we made together. She knew my husband and my children. The last visit I had with her was unlike any other; we laughed so hard and shared so much.

It would have been easy to let go of this relationship, I am thankful that I didn’t. God surely blessed both me and my Grandma as I endured with her.

Do you have a Grandma Mildred in your life? What are you learning as you endure this relationship?

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

When Hope Dies

July 1, 2015

Me and Mom2The dictionary defines the word hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

For me, hope was what I felt when I thought about me and my mom. I had a feeling of expectation and a desire for us to have the mother/daughter relationship I’d dreamed of having with her from the time I was a little girl.

One phone call would change the course of that expectation and desire forever.

My journey through hopefulness to hopelessness drove me to the darkest depths of despair.  It was in the darkness I learned that truly, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 NKJ)

In 2011, Rita Schulte of Heartline Radio invited me to share my story with her and her listeners; today I am sharing it with you.

Click on the arrow below…

https://johnnaleach.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JohnnaLeach.mp3

Rita Schulte

Rita Schulte is a Certified Counselor, Author and Radio Host. You can connect with her through email, Facebook or Twitter. (click on links below)

“I am a licensed professional board certified counselor. I received my B.S. in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.”

http://www.ritaschulte.com

[email protected]

http://www.facebook.com/RitaASchulte

@heartlinepod

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

Watermelon Juice – The Summertime Treat!!!

June 11, 2015

watermelon juiceWho doesn’t LOVE watermelon, not to mention that the health benefits are amazing!

I introduced you to my dear friend, Health Coach, Author and Speaker Wendi Michelle in past blogs and now she’s done it again with this super tasty summertime treat!

On her Facebook page, The Kitchen Approach you will find this fun recipe along with many others that I know you will want to try.

Wendi says, “Did you know that 1 cup of watermelon has more lycopene than 1 cup of raw tomatoes?  Lycopene has been found to activate cancer-preventative liver enzymes and promotes heart health!”

Here is the simple recipe:

  • 1 cup cubed Watermelon
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp. fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup crushed ice

Directions:  In a blender blend watermelon.  Add in ice, ginger and basil leaves.  Blend until slushy and enjoy!

Do you have a fun, easy and healthful summertime refreshment that you’d like to share?  I’d love to try it!

Visit The Kitchen Approach at:

http://www.facebook.com/thekitchenapproach/

http://www.thekitchenapproach.com/

Filed Under: Food Stuff, Johnna

The $35 Blessing

May 28, 2015

This is a story about God meeting our needs.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

In the early 1990’s we were in an economic recession and times were tough for a lot of people, including us.  My husband’s salary had been cut and I was running a home day care to help make ends meet.

This particular day I received a call from friends of ours letting me know that the husband had lost his job. They had two children and the wife was working part-time so I knew this was going to be difficult for them. I wanted to help, but what could I do?

The first thing I did was pray and asked God to bless them. Suddenly I got a notion to go through my pantry and donate from what I had, what a great idea! I grabbed food items and paper products along with laundry detergent, etc.

Then my mind started to think bigger thoughts. “What about the neighbors on my street? Why not give them the opportunity to bless this couple.”

To be blessed by others is great, but we also need to be a blessing to others when we are able.

So I got in my minivan and drove house to house, knocking on doors and inviting my neighbors to help this family. I was overwhelmed with their responses; they could not have been more generous. They gave me bags of food, cleaning products, and bath and laundry items. My neighbors were so willing to help this family out; a family that they didn’t even know! It warmed my heart.

Finally I was at the last house. I knocked on the door and an elderly woman answered.  I introduced myself and explained what I was doing.  She told me that she didn’t have any items to donate but wanted to know if it would be alright to give the family a check.  I told her I was sure they could use it to purchase whatever they didn’t receive from the other donations; she seemed so happy to be able to participate.

The elderly woman handed me a check for $35.00.

By now my minivan was packed with grocery bags busting at the seams so I drove over to our friend’s home.  I knocked on their door and asked them to come out and help me unload some things.  I wish you could have seen their faces when I slid open the side door of my minivan, they were amazed! I explained that my neighbors and I had gone shopping for them in our pantries; they were really moved by the outpouring of generosity.

The three of us gathered all of the items and took them into their home.  Then I handed the wife the check for $35.00 and she began to cry.  She explained that her checkbook had gone into the negative that day for…$35.00!

God is so faithful and amazing!

It’s real life experiences like this one that build my faith and reveal the truth of God’s word.  He keeps his promises.  He said he would meet our needs and he does, every time.

Do you have a story to share about God meeting your needs?  I would love to hear it! philippians_4_19

Filed Under: Johnna, Ministry

Skinny Chicken Pot Pies

May 14, 2015

I LOVE Pot Pies, I think they are one of the greatest food inventions ever!  Think about it, an entire meal under a yummy, fluffy crust 🙂

In my quest for recipes/meals that are tasty, healthy, and require minimal time slaving away in my kitchen, I came across a website called Eat Yourself Skinny (see link below).  Their pot pie recipe simply MUST be shared!

This pot pie will leave you feeling happy, satisfied and guilt free!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fat-free half and half
  • 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 2 cups roasted skinless chicken breast, cubed
  • 1 (10 oz) package frozen mixed veggies, thawed
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 can (7.5 oz) refrigerated reduced-fat biscuits

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together half and half, chicken broth, flour, poultry seasoning and thyme.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, continuing to whisk for about 4 minutes. Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and stir in chicken, mixed veggies, green onions, salt and pepper.

Cover to keep warm and set aside.

Coat 5 (6 oz) ramekins (bowl) with nonstick cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 2 biscuits per ramekin into a 4-inch round. Evenly fill ramekins with chicken mixture and top each with a rolled out biscuit, make sure dough covers the entire chicken mixture.

Pierce 4 holes in the top of the biscuits to vent and place in oven.

Bake pies for about 12 minutes, until filling is bubbly and biscuits are golden. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 ramekin • Calories: Approx. 286 • Fat: 4 g • Carbs: 36 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 24 g • WW Points+: 7 pts

pot pie

 

 

Eat Yourself Skinny – Click here

Filed Under: Food Stuff, Johnna

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Johnna is passionate about Jesus, Family and Healing. She describes her life in 3 words, Beauty from Ashes. In Isaiah Chapter 61 verse 3 the Bible says “…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…”

Johnna is passionate about Jesus, Family and Healing.

She describes her life in 3 words, Beauty from Ashes. In Isaiah Chapter 61 verse 3 the Bible says “…to  bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…”

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