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Gracie’s Garden _ THP _ 1055

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I’m an unlikely gardener. My grandfather could g

I’m an unlikely gardener. My grandfather could grow tomatoes with his eyes closed, but I never seemed to get it. For most of my life, I craved instant results and quick fixes. I wanted flourishing and full bloom right from the start. I preferred to skip the in-between part. The sometimes-awkward waiting, tending, and growing part. So it’s no surprise that I’ve killed a lot of plants in my life.

Little by little, out in the dirt, God invited me to experience new life in my brokenness and undeserved forgiveness in my mess. Just like my plants, it took little by little growth and pulling a lot of weeds! He transformed my marriage, my well-being, and my soul—exchanging my fruitless striving for His power, my weakness for His strength, and darkness for light. God grew me over time, primarily through the last year of grief and change.

People often ask me how I stay so motivated and energized. I could tell you I try to eat healthy foods and sleep well at night, but the answer is grace. His grace took two people who were going nowhere and set us on a path to somewhere. That motivates me more than any coffee or sleep ever could. Grace gives me the freedom to cultivate—embracing little-by-little, imperfect progress because I know I don’t have to be perfect to grow what matters alongside Him. Grace spurs me on to try, plant, grow, and take leaps of faith, not because I have to but because I want to now. Grace made me a cultivator, right where I am, flaws and all—in every season
 Tomorrow marks the official start of fall. Wishing you a season of grace, friends. Get out there and get your hands dirty. 🌱

Wait for it… 💨👨🏻‍⚕️🙌 We had t

Wait for it… 💨👨🏻‍⚕️🙌

We had too much fun making this - inspired by Ari’s funny rhymes at the dinner table one night about our air purifier. We take ~20,000 breaths a day and we LOVE our @airdoctorpro.

Their big affiliate sale-on-sale is live and only available through the link in my bio - not available through the regular site link. This is the sale I took advantage of to get our first AirDoctor and I’m grateful to be an affiliate now. If you’ve been waiting to get one, I hope this discount is helpful. No code needed - click the link to activate.

Enjoy!

🔗 LaraCasey.com/links

Well, friends, we’ve changed! Our health has had

Well, friends, we’ve changed! Our health has had an overhaul in the last seven months, with results that have surprised us. Progress came from old-fashioned hard work, researched-backed science, and focusing on the big picture. In this series, we share what we’ve learned: what worked, what didn’t, and what we would change if we did it all over again.

Maybe you want your health and fitness to improve, but you can’t get motivated. Or, like us, you’ve experienced chronic pain or health challenges. Perhaps, also like us, you’ve reached a certain age, and your body has…um… over-reached beyond your age? You feel like some things are falling apart. Perhaps you don’t know where to start; you just know, deep inside, that something needs to change.
 We had those questions and fears: What if it’s too late to heal our bodies after all this damage? What if we waste money or time? What are the right changes to make exactly? We didn’t know where to start and felt very behind.

You’ll learn that Ari and I do many different things. His nutrition, for instance, is vastly different than mine because we know now what his body prefers for fuel. We take unique supplements and have different genetic makeups, blood panel results, and individual goals.

And you’ll also learn the core truths of health that work for both of us—and likely you as well. While there are no one-size-fits-all programs, there are things that we have found beneficial for most humans. 
The most significant thing we’ve learned is that true health is about living for something bigger than anything we see or feel. It’s not about getting the youth back that we had in our 20s, fixing all of our ailments, or finding the perfect nutrition plan or supplement. Our physical health is of some value, but our emotional and spiritual health are all knit together. Everything is connected, and my body was trying to tell me things for so long. This year, the best thing that happened was I learned to listen.

Read Part 1 of Fit Together: A Journey to Health and Well-being on the blog now. Linked in my stories - we hope it encourages you! LaraCasey.com/blog

Making my French-chef mom proud with a super simpl

Making my French-chef mom proud with a super simple recipe video, as requested by many of you! 💛 I’m not sure if they taught this at the Cordon Bleu, but it tastes delicious!

My favorite fall breakfast:

🍂 1/2 a butternut squash with cinnamon, salt and a little sweetness, if needed
💚 Whatever green veggies we have in the fridge with olive oil and apple cider vinegar
🥚 Two whole organic eggs with @redmondrealsalt
🍫 An @equipfoods Prime Protein shake with collagen (use code LARA for 15% off - #affiliate)

Butternut squash is high in antioxidants and fiber. It’s also easy on the stomach—gut friendly. This recipe is so simple. You can bake them instead of microwave, if you like. I do that the night before sometimes. This is quick and simple, though. Enjoy!

It’s been quite a journey these 7 months! What I

It’s been quite a journey these 7 months! What I eat for breakfast now and what I used to eat 🥣🍦plus a LABOR DAY SALE on one of Ari and my favorite foods. (No junk and it tastes like dessert.) I’m grateful for small business that make clean products to help me live out what matters. We love this protein so much I reached out to them to be an affiliate so you and I can get discounts and the behind-the-scenes research. Use code LARAGFC25 and the link equipfoods.com/LARA FOR 25% off collagen now through Tuesday, September 5th. The chocolate is our favorite.

We grew rainbow corn! 🌽😍🎉 Each ear is a w

One year ago today, at 2:30 p.m., I walked my dad

One year ago today, at 2:30 p.m., I walked my dad Home.

I never imagined how the last year would grow my soul (code for break me into pieces and get me to see God) or how challenging the last couple of weeks would be, missing Dad's joy. Like a seed, growth requires us to be buried in the dark soil, to let go of our outer shell, and to choose Life (Deut 30:19) as we press toward the Light.

“Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close." ― F. Weller

I miss him terribly and want to live as he lived, not growing weary in doing good but having faith in a harvest to come.

We had a free flower stand yesterday in honor of dad—the kids helped me pick hundreds of garden blooms for neighbors to enjoy. Dad loved giving flowers to special people in his life. 💐

Ari lit a memorial candle early this morning. I called Mom to tell her what a champ she's been this year. I told my brother how much I love him. I thanked my kids for walking through this most challenging year of transformation with me. I thanked close friends for selflessly being there. And I praised God for His mercy. I let the Holy Spirit lead me today through some tears, contemplation, and silence. I painted (Dad always wanted me to be a painter) and listened to his favorites—Ella, Louis, Dave, and Miles. I went through my box of photos and his many newspaper clippings. He searched for God intently - much later in life, in his late 70s - with a repentant and childlike faith.

THANK YOU to many of you who have encouraged me through this year. Your words and love have been a very real help. My faith has grown in ways I never imagined.

Love you, Dad. Here's to a new year of living out what matters—in full color and joy.

"Bye, bye, blues!"

This one’s for you, Dad. ❤️ As we inch towar

This one’s for you, Dad. ❤️ As we inch toward one year without him here, this time in Iceland together was a gift. Time to process, to grieve, to honor, to see things anew. Grief changes you. It takes ahold of you and doesn’t let go till you do. Climbing a volcano on an island of puffins, I had my hardest grief experience yet. My brother and Ari helped me walk right into it with courage and love. Very thankful for this time and God’s gifts in grief. In it, we find our true selves. Also thankful for wild chamomile, bramble berries, watching my brother climb mountains and this beautiful country!

There is no fear in love...

1 John 4:18

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