Everyting Natural

Juice Bar and Eatery        

Location: 111 N. Wall Street,
Calhoun Georgia

Owner: Shawn A. Wray

Phone: 706.506.6863

Hours:

Monday - Thursday  9:00-7:30

Fridays 9:00 - 2:00

Saturdays - Sundays Closed

Serving: Fruit and Vegetable Juices, Wheatgrass Juices, Bottled Beverages, Spicy Baked Patties

Check them out:

http://everytingnatural.com/

https://www.instagram.com/everytingnatural/

https://www.facebook.com/iriejuices/

We have so many eat-out options in Calhoun.  Unfortunately, we often find ourselves sitting down to a large, calorie packed meal, which isn’t always the friendliest option for our bodies.  There were many, many days when I found myself wishing for a healthier snack or meal option, away from home.

Luckily for the Calhoun area, we now have a Juice Bar.  And luckily for me, it’s only a two block walk from my morning workout over at Crossfit Trackside.

There are several difference juice options on the menu, it was difficult to choose... so I'll be going back to try another one soon.

I walked in around 9:30am, and had my freshly made juice shortly after.  I decided on the My Sweet Darling, with apple, pineapple, and ginger; I enjoyed the fresh, gingery taste.

I was also lucky enough to grab a spinach spicy baked patty; the delicious smell hit me when I walked in the door and I was not disappointed. It was crispy and the temperature was perfectly hot, unlike so many luke-warm convenience foods. I know I will be craving these especially when the cooler weather hits. If you are a vegetarian, be aware they serve 2 spicy baked patty options for you: the spinach or the soya (tofu).  

We stood and visited with the owner Shawn for awhile; he’s a great guy who is easy to converse with.  It’s exciting to meet someone who is living out their dream, so stop by the next time you are in old Calhoun, say hello, and try out some menu items.

Interested in knowing more about what types of juices and food they serve? Visit their webpage at http://everytingnatural.com  to check out the menu options.

Check out some more reviews here.

   

When You Don't Know the Plan

You’ve heard it before: God works in mysterious ways.  We’ve all heard our fair share of amazing stories of God’s works from friends and family; and thanks to social media, we get to hear the stories of total strangers!  

The thing is, we often have trouble following along with how God works, and what His plans for us are.  Especially when things don’t go the way we expect, or we experience a significant change in our lives: a life-altering change.

Our family has experienced one of those life-altering changes recently, and it’s affecting the way we view our future days.  From my own experiences, I know that too much comfort can draw us away from God.  When we know we have good health, that we are financially secure, that there is a roof over our head and food in the kitchen, and life is moving along without any major dilemmas, we kind of let God fall to the side.  I’m guilty of this. Even worse, I see it as it’s happening, but I still don’t put nearly as much effort into my quiet time with Him as I want to or should.  We become so comfortable and sure of ourselves and we get so wrapped up in the daily noise that we forget how much we need Him!

Right now, I’m thankful to Him for this reminder of my need for Him.  Two weeks ago, let’s just say I was not feeling so thankful.  I was hurt and confused.  Even as recent as the past few days, I’ve been sad, depressed, short tempered, and impatient. Not exactly the “light” God calls us to be.  With this life-change, this shifting of our future view, came many new questions and concerns.  So much uncertainty.  Me asking over and over again: “God, what is your plan here?”

This morning I woke up, in a similar mood as mentioned above.  My husband and I got the children up, dressed, fed, lunches packed, and off to school.  He headed off to the gym with our youngest, but today I stayed behind.  It was time for me to stop asking questions, and start trusting God with our situation.  I grabbed my bible and my notebook where I record my prayers, thoughts, verses and notes from Sunday messages and small group meetings.  Before I opened my bible, I said the little prayer I always say: “Lord, show me what you need me to know today.  Help me read these words you’ve left for me and give me the wisdom to understand you.” As I opened up my bible, the pages slipped away, leaving the cover open.  There, tucked away and forgotten in my troubles, lay this card:

The words printed on the front spoke to my heart this morning.  

“Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, don’t lean on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

                          - Proverbs 3:5-6

ALL your heart, not your head, not just a piece of your heart, but ALL of it!  Acknowlege Him in ALL your ways; not just when you are happy, but when you are sad, disappointed, angry, joyful, or even devoid of emotion. Whether you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, busy or bored, acknowledge Him!

This card was sent to me from a dear group of bible study friends in Pennsylvania that I spent a short time with. I hardly knew them but love them greatly and still pray for them.  Last August, my family moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia for my husbands work, not knowing anyone in Georgia.  After we moved to Georgia, I received this note from the study group, filled with encouragement and love.  Their words picked up my homesick heart, and I tucked the card away in my bible, not knowing the much needed encouragement it would bring me many months later.

I read this verse several times, letting its meaning wash over me.  

It doesn’t matter what the future holds, let alone next week.  God tells us to trust in Him.  

Need a clean bill of health? Trust Him.  

Need a financial income? Trust Him.

Need peace in a world that cannot promise you peace? TRUST HIM!

I’m working through a Kasey Van Norman study with my Monday night ladies group and last night, Kasey talked about how it’s during the times of ease and prosperity that we tend to “drift” from God. It’s not God who moved, it’s us.  We still have our moments of thankfulness and recognizing blessings. But blessings are temporary and we take them for granted.  God gives and he takes away. And when the rough times come, we learn to lean on Him and spend more of our day thinking on Him and spending more time with Him.  When we are troubled, there is no better way to find peace than in His presence.  

I’m discovering that it’s often during times of trouble that God shows us the greatest blessings, and that’s the people around us.  He’s given us a family here in Georgia, where a year ago we knew no one.  During a time of uncertainty, we’ve been blessed with encouragement, prayers, meals, fellowship, and ways to continue our everyday activities to alleviate stress and keep our bodies healthy and active.  So many blessings to be truly thankful for.  

“God is good, and He cannot be anything else.”  -Joyce Meyer

Blessings to you.

Reflections on the Past Year

Taking time to reflect is beneficial for us all.

We tend to see things in a different light, or perspective, once time has been allowed to pass between events.  We might observe changes that have happened for the better, or we might catch ourselves falling into bad habits that we need to address.  Reflecting gives us the opportunity to see how far we have (or in some cases haven’t) come.  I enjoyed looking over past posts on this blog, as it reminds me of who I was in the past and some ways that I have changed.  I hope to pick up blogging once more in the next few weeks.

Our family is coming up on the one year anniversary of our moving from Pennsylvania to Georgia.  One year since our finances were drained and we weren’t sure where the next paycheck was coming from and how we would pay the next round of bills. A year since my husband received notice that he’d be flying down to Atlanta for an interview. A year since he was offered that position; that he moved down and found us a perfectly suited home so we might join him three weeks later.  Perfectly suited in that we were able to lease-to-own, that it was within a thirty minute drive from my husbands work, and that we were allowed our dog Toby.  Looking back, I see finding this home as nothing short of a miracle.  Some may not think it a big deal, but have them try to find a place for lease/rent that will allow for a 70lb american bull terrier.  Leaving our Toby behind was not an option I was willing to consider.  

At that time, the most affordable option to move our stuff from Pennsylvania to Georgia was for us to hold a moving truck packing party (love to our family and church family for loving on us this way) and for my husband to drive the truck down to Georgia, while I followed with our children in the family van.  

In the year prior to our move, I began pursuing the idea of minimalism and what that meant for a family of five. So I like to think that we had a significantly less amount of “stuff” to pack up and move, thereby making the whole affair easier than it would have been.  We also  made several donation runs to the local thrift shop and filled a dumpster in the weeks prior to our movel.  Spoiler: we still had a ton of stuff to pack up and move.  

Upon our arrival in Georgia, as with the packing, the unpacking was pretty much my responsibility.  Some things were unpacked and popped directly into our donation box.  Other stuff not placed for use within our home was  immediately shuffled up to the attic.  I’m currently mentally preparing for a good decluttering session of the attic storage. I’m continuing to pursue what minimalism looks like for a family with five children.

Having made the move to a slightly smaller home, and having less stuff, has contributed to the ease in maintaining this home, when compared to the last.  I find I have to spend very little time cleaning due to the setup and layout of the home.  As it’s said: a place for everything, and everything in its place.  I feel more at peace and able to relax when everything is in order. I have more time to do the things that bring me joy: play with the children, read, write, walk Toby, and spend quiet time with my Heavenly Father.

We found a church where we feel connected.  Ironicallly, it was the first church we attended down here as a family. We attended a few more services in other churches, but felt ourselves being pulled back to the first church we visited. The childrens programming is wonderful, and the messages - I don’t know how - often feel like they were meant specifically for me to hear (note: sometimes the truth can hurt, but we can make the choice to learn and grow).  I found a ladies group that meets weekly, where I can go and connect with other women and support each other and learn about God’s plan for us. We found a small group that meets weekly, where my husband and I go to connect with other couples and discuss God.

 

My husband and I joined a Crossfit gym, and we love everything about it.  Everyone needs an environment where they are able to encourage and find encouragement in others. Other benefits: new muscles!! more energy!! doing cool things (like running for longer than one minute, push ups, and pull ups!) that I couldn’t do a year ago!!  

My husband and I completed our state training in January, and submitted the last of the application paperwork to become foster parents. In March, we welcomed two brothers into our home.  It continues to be an adjustment for everyone involved, but we are very thankful to have the support of friends and our church family; particularly of those involved in the Fostering Hope program at our church. This was a new program to our church and as new foster parents, we didn’t know what a huge blessing it would be to our growing family.  God’s timing is the best timing.

This past year has brought many changes for us: many blessings, many struggles, some of those struggles resulted in blessing!  I’m excited to think of what the Lord might have in store for us all in the upcoming year.  

Blessings to you.