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When God Says Pause: Why I Took a 5-Year Break from My Online Business

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Goodness gracious, it has been a long time, my friends. About 5 years to be exact and there have been some major changes that have happened in my little neck of the woods (which aren’t so woody anymore).

Life definitely brought me to some very unexpected seasons of quiet and stepping away. And I’m so grateful that I listened to that call. But, I’m mostly so grateful for all of you – those of you who have followed along my journey or by just sending me an email and asking me where I am. I feel that I am now able to return to writing from a slower, simpler, more intentional place.

So, why did I take a 5-year break from this blog?

I could not adequately homeschool my kids while writing and managing social media. My children’s needs shifted, and homeschooling became more than just an academic decision – it was about disciplining hearts, cultivating character in my two kids, and creating a family culture rooted in our faith.

Homeschooling is a calling and it required my full, undivided attention. I have NEVER been able to multi-task. Ask my closest friends and family. I can do ONE thing at a time – but I give that one thing my all. This left little room for outside pursuits like blogging.

This wasn’t a loss, but a trade — and one that I’m so grateful I made.

Most importantly, God asked me to step away from this space. I sensed the Father leading me to lay down my business for a season. I resisted that quiet request from Him for several months, until one day I just laid it down. I knew He was asking me to step out of the public, online spaces and desiring me to go deeper into the unseen work of my heart and my home. Peace came once I obeyed and a mental stillness followed when I stopped striving and simply listened to Him.

It was impossible for me to find balance as a mother and a working mom. We had a 10-acre farm to manage, homeschooling, home keeping, motherhood, and my business. I struggled to “do it all” and I failed miserably. My life was constantly unbalanced. I was always exhausted and filled with guilt over the time I was sitting in front of a computer when my kids needed me the most. I felt like I was giving half-heartedly to everything and no one was getting the best of me.

Stepping away allowed me to rebuild healthier rhythms, boundaries, and priorities.

Technology was robbing me of the important things. I began to notice the subtle ways technology – even good, productive things like writing and running my business – was stealing time, peace, and presence.

The constant notifications, deadlines and online pressures pulled my heart and mind away from my family, home, and time with God. This was devastating my spirit. My attention was scattered, I was always in a hurry, and I was missing the small, sacred moments happening right in front of me.

Stepping away from screens and platforms allowed me to reclaim simplicity and create a deeper connection with my children, my husband, and my quiet time with God.

This season changed my relationship with technology – I’m now returning with firmer boundaries and a clearer sense of what truly matters.

I no longer find my identity and value in who I am online. Over time, I started measuring my worth by likes, comments, followers, and productivity. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in chasing affirmation and finding my identity through my online presence, even though my heart knew better.

Stepping away revealed the quiet idolatry of seeking significance in digital spaces instead of in God’s presence. God slowly, and gently, stripped those false measures away and reminded me that my identity is as His beloved daughter, not a content creator, influencer, or entrepreneur. This refining season has reshaped my priorities and how I create from a place of rest and obedience, not striving for applause.

My dear reader, it’s okay, even necessary, to pause, to recalibrate, to realign and to step away when something good starts stealing from what’s best or when it starts becoming an idol.

I’m so happy to be returning to this space with the intention of writing slowly with a new heart posture. I’m not out to prove my worth or chase numbers, but to glorify God and share from a place of peace.

I invite you to follow along with me and I pray for anyone reading who feels stretched thin, overwhelmed, or lost in their sense of worth. I ask God to give you clarity, peace, and a renewed identity rooted in the Father’s love.

    How to Quit Facebook but Keep Your Business Profile

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    Do you ache to quit Facebook but you aren’t sure how to keep your business pages and groups thriving if you leave? I’ve got a 10-step plan for you follow so that you can regain your freedom!

    Last year decided that it was time for me to break-up with Facebook for good. I’ve been battling issues with social media for a LOOOOONNNNGGGG time now. I would go on a Facebook fast, and then shortly later, I would find myself consumed with it once again.

    Just so you know. I have an all-or-nothing personality. I am either obsessed with someone and devote all my time and energy to it, or I hate something and don’t want anything to do with it. Those who speak Enneagram language…I’m a 7. So, maybe that all makes sense to you…

    Either way, Facebook consumes me. I scroll, tap, join groups, post, comment, and get lost in it’s web. There is no balance for me and when I finally admitted this to myself, I was able to see the joy and time Facebook was sucking out of me.

    But….what about my Paleo Mama Facebook page that I’ve built? What about my groups that I admin? What about keeping in touch with people? What about this and that???

    I’m going to share with you my plan that I executed back in December to get rid of Facebook, but still use it SOLELY for business. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and by-golly I am going to find it!

    Step One for Getting Rid of Facebook (but keeping your business pages/groups)

    Create another profile. Yes, you are going to re-join Facebook with a new email address and start completely over. It’s up to you if you want any friends on this profile. Once again, I’m an all-or-nothing type of girl so when I quit Facebook for fun, I quit it for good.

    As you are setting up your new profile, you might want to make ONE POST, similar to the one I did in the image below.

    Step Two: Friend request your old account

    You will want to send your old Facebook account a friend request from your new account and then log into your old account and accept. You need to make sure both these accounts are friends so that you can follow through with some of the next steps.

    Step Three (optional): Make an announcement when you are deleting

    How do you want to keep in touch with friends on Facebook? On your old account, make sure you make an announcement if you want to stay in touch with certain people.

    Honestly, I didn’t do this because I was so eager to get off Facebook, that I forgot to trade phone numbers with some people.

    Step Four: Add New Facebook Profile as Admin on All Business Pages and Groups

    You will need to be logged in to your old account to do this. And you need to make sure both your accounts are friends, so don’t skip step two. Make sure you designate your new Facebook profile as the admin on EVERYTHING. Double-check a million times because once you cancel your old account, you will not be able to get back into it!

    Step Five: Log into Old Account and Save Important Photos

    Here’s the thing. You can do this one-by-one, or you can wait for the pop-up during activation that says that Facebook will send you an email with all the data and pictures. I did that and, honestly, I didn’t really use Facebook to save photos. But if you do, you got your work cut out for you…remember, it’ll be worth it!

    Step Six: Instagram Integration

    Remember Instagram is owned by Facebook and is connected with your Facebook profile through your OLD account. Make sure you log out of Instagram and then log back in using your new Facebook account. Just make sure Instagram all works well before moving onto the next step.

    Step Seven: Are you ready? DELETE Facebook!!!! OMG

    Yes, you’ve reached the scariest part. You are going to go into your old Facebook account “settings” — “general” — “manage account” and click on “Deactivate your account”. It’s okay…you’ve got this and you are gonna feel like you are leaving something huge behind, but I promise you, you aren’t. If you have reached this point, you have already convinced yourself of the reasons why you need to leave Facebook behind. It’s time to pull the plug and finish it! Watch how much time it frees up for you!

    Step Eight: Download All Data

    During the deletion process, Facebook will ask you if you would like to keep all data and photos. It takes up to 24 hours to receive them. I suggest making sure you have already downloaded the important photos that you want to keep.

    Step Nine: Ignore Facebooks Pleas for You to Stay

    Facebook begs for you to stay! They will give you a few options of just ghosting it for awhile. They will make it sound super scary and you will miss out on everything! Keep on with your mission, sister, and keep the processing moving! You will have 30 days to change your mind. After 30 days your page will be deleted forever. Hallelujah!

    Step Ten: Enjoy the Freedom

    In the past 3 months since I’ve deleted my Facebook account, I’ve taken up a few hobbies, started my YouTube channel back up again, connected more with people in real-life (I don’t have the false sense of community anymore that Facebook gave me), and spend way more time with my kids. My screentime has dropped dramatically! I use Facebook for business only and I run it…not it running me.

    Conclusion…

    I hope this helps you take the big step of deleting Facebook if that is something that you want to do. If you do decide to do this, and you found my article helpful, I’d love to know! Would you comment below and tell me that you joined the club?!

    Leaving the City for the Country

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    More and more people are dissatisfied with their lives and are leaving the city for the country.

    This is what I did 6 years ago. I had a deep longing for land of my own and a more slow-paced lifestyle.

    My name is Jackie Ritz. I’m a mom, wife, blogger, farmer, herbalist, and author. Leaving the city for the country was a very difficult decision that my husband and I made in 2013…a decision that has transformed our lives and enriched us greatly.

    We moved to this place, our farm, nestled away in the gorgeous region of Appalachia in North Carolina. When we started this homesteading lifestyle, we had no idea what we were doing! Through trial and error, this lifestyle has awakened something deep within me and brought out my creativity in many different ways.

    I homeschool my children, write books, share content on my website, and craft various things from the materials our land and animals give me.

    I’ve learned so much from this land, but most of all, I am incredibly grateful for all the I have. I have no other desires than to live out my life right here with my family, my farm animals, and my gardens.

    As I crossed over into 2020, I really started to wonder how I could share this beautiful farm, my animals, and my lifestyle with the world in a more meaningful way.

    And my thoughts kept coming back to YouTube. I could type all the descriptive words to share with you how beautiful my life is, but seeing it, is completely different.

    So, here is my first relaunch video. I’ll be releasing a new video every week and I would love for you to share this journey with me. Next week I’ll be publishing a How to Make Elderberry Syrup video so make sure you are subscribed to see it!

    Natural Way to Heart Health

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    Wow!  I am honored that my wife, Jackie, has given me the opportunity to talk about my experience with taking charge of my healthcare and finding my natural way to heart health!

    Well, she didn’t need to persuade me much, I am a sucker for her and will do most anything she asks.

    My Story of Genetic High Cholesterol:

    So, let’s first start the story about my family, because this plays a HUGE role in your health.  I am not talking about how you were raised or even what you ate.  (Although, those are important!).  What I am saying is that your GENETICS play a huge role in your health.

    For me, I am from Mediterranean descent, mainly Italy and other areas (according to 23andme).  With that being said, I discovered my capability to have high cholesterol.  

    My father passed away from a myocardial infarction (MI), aka heart attack at the age of 56!  Yes, you read that right, 56!  Well, I was still in college at the time – actually playing a video game when I got the call from my next-door neighbor.  Found out, my father was rushed to the hospital where they tried multiple times for at least 20 minutes to resuscitate him.  Unfortunately, his time drew near.

    It seemed that the drive home, which was only about 1 and a half hours away, took years to get there.  Once there, I saw my father’s body and I realized I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

    But, he did leave me with some wisdom: that although there are footsteps to follow with him, my health was a footstep that I would avoid in how he lived.

    Overcoming Genetic High Cholesterol Naturally with the Paleo Diet

    So, fast-forward a decade later.  I am a Paleo eating, essential oil witchcraft using, herbal remedy taking, correct supplement using follower of natural health.  Oh yeah, I am also a certified Physician Assistant, although I say that because I have had the opportunity to learn and practice medicine which has validated all of the personal decisions I have made regarding my health.

    If you are a person struggling from cholesterol issues or other cardiovascular issues: THERE IS HOPE!  What I need you to do is realize that time is not on our side.  What I mean is that it is imperative that you change for the better NOW, not later, because we do not want to change when it is too late.  That was the case for my father; he went years not paying attention to his diet, staying active, or other positive choices.  He did start losing weight, but within 6 months, he was deceased.

    That is the sobering truth.

    Where to Start:

    So, where to start?  Well, your nutrition is foundational.  We really are the old mantra of “we are what we eat.”  It is true now more than ever.  We put “foods” into our bodies with little understanding of how that food was raised or practices in place to get it to the marketplace.  Additionally, the pesticide generation of farmers are finding out the hardline costs of their own practices the hard way: by paying out money for lawsuits.

    But – what else did I do?

    Enter, The Paleo Cardiologist, Dr. Jack Wolfson.  He is the author of The Paleo Cardiologist: The Natural Way to Heart Health.  He is also a board-certified Cardiologist and half of the team, The Drs. Wolfson.  Yes, you read that right: he has a partner in his journey.  That partner is his wife, a practicing Chiropractor that helped Dr. Jack realize the importance of natural and preventative health.

    Dr. Wolfson’s book changed me.  It is 17 chapters of great value, providing the real rationales about common misconceptions about heart health and management here in the United States.  Ultimately, we pay too much money for medications and unnecessary procedures.  He finishes his book with a list of great supplements to consider for health and his recommendations for blood labs to consider as well.

    I took notes during ALL 17 chapters.  I spoke with my physician and started looking really hard into my health.  And after 3-5 years, I can tell you that I have never felt better.  At 40, I feel like I am in my teens again (yes, Jackie will still tell you how immature I can be).  My focus is vastly improved, I have trimmed in weight, and most importantly, I don’t get winded playing with my children!

    If you are interested in listening to a podcast I did with Dr. Wolfson, then click here!

    Let me share with you 5 changes that I made starting in my journey:

    • Get your lab numbers and dive into what they mean (highest priority)
    • Then, start some supplements and practices that will benefit your health!
    • Eat clean foods and healthy meats (buy organic whenever possible or from a local farmer – ask them what they’re practices are!)
    • Get outside, get plenty of sun and great sleep!
    • Drink clean, fresh water daily
    • Have an accountability partner!

    I highly recommend getting your mind wrapped around natural health and taking charge to improve it!

    You have nothing to lose, everything to gain.  Your family, friends, and others are depending on you: live the live that you have always desired!

    Here’s to your best health,

    Frank

    Keto Peppermint Smoothie

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    I’m a smoothie girl. I love my smoothies, however since I’ve been following more of a Keto diet, I’ve struggled to find smoothie recipes that aren’t loaded with fruit and sugars. So, instead of throwing a fit about not having delicious smoothies anymore, I created some of my own. I’ll have a green smoothie recipe coming out soon, but first, let’s talk about this delicious Keto Peppermint Smoothie

    My husband and I have had a lot of success since we started eating Keto in November of 2018. I’ve carried the same baby weight around for 10 years and I’m just over it. I’ve struggled to lose it and to keep it off, even though I eat super healthy.

    Download my Kickstart Your Keto Diet Guide Here!

    Weight has always been a struggle for me. I have to really be mindful of what I eat, and combine exercise to lose any weight. Always, Keto is working! And to really increase my chances of losing weight, I’ve been 90% dairy free. Yes, Keto dairy free is a thing and I’m really enjoying it!

    Keto Peppermint Smoothie

    Prep time: 5 minutes, Serves 1

    Ingredients:

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the cauliflower, milk, water, sweetener and peppermint in your blender and blend on high until smooth. Lower the power and add in the collagen peptides until dissolved.
    2. Serve and garnish with cacao nibs. Enjoy!

    Sheet Pan Brunch

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    Sheet pan. It’s one pot meals on crack! Throw some meat, veggies and a drizzle of fat or oil and you are done mama! Sheet pan meals make clean up easier and don’t require any fancy equipment. Also, I’m a sucker for a one pot meal, because, let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than being hungry and having nothing to eat. So, why not have some ingredients on hand that you can whip up a quick

    This past spring we raise two pigs for meat. Y’all — if you have never tasted homemade bacon, then you are missing out! We took the side meat and smoked it for a awhile and then sliced it into bacon-sized slices and it’s so dang good. 

    Pork has been at the center at most our meals for the last few months and I had to, just had to, share a fast and easy sheet pan brunch idea that you can make for breakfast or brinner! 

    Sheet Pan Brunch

    Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves 4

    Ingredients: 

    Directions: 

    1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
    2. Slice your acorn squash into ¼ inch rounds, remove the seeds. Line up 4 the rounds on a sheet pan. Put your vine ripe tomatoes next to them. Leave space for the bacon. Drizzle everything with avocado oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of each of the seasonings.
    3. Set in the oven, middle rack and roast for 10 minutes. Then open the oven and add the bacon, lining up the slices next to each other. Close the oven, roast for another 10 minutes.
    4. Open the oven and carefully crack an egg into the center of each squash round.
    5. Sprinkle the eggs with the remaining seasonings, and the parsley.
    6. Bake for 5 minutes or until the eggs whites are cooked.
    7. Add avocado to the sheet pan if you like or fresh herbs! Serve right away, share and enjoy!