Trusting in God's Plan

Are you ready to meet a woman who embodies resilience, faith, and determination? Join us as we welcome Amanda from Daily Bread and Co., with a powerful narrative that has been molded by her unwavering belief in God, and a spirit of entrepreneurship. You'll be drawn in by her recounting of the journey she and her husband undertook to establish their business – a tale filled with sacrifices, the unexpected twists and turns of life, and an unshakable commitment to their dreams and faith.

There's no doubt you'll be inspired by Amanda's testament to trust in God, her compelling advice for young women stepping into the world, and her reflections on the subtle seasonal shifts in their lives. Tune in!

Chapters

• 1:05 3 Pillars
• 2:40 The Power of a Praying Wife
• 3:49 Daily Bread and Co: The Start
• 4:34 Advice for a Young Woman
• 5:33 Pray for a Partner
• 6:00 Career Advice
• 6:50 Endometriosis
• 8:30 Faith Changes Everything
• 9:03 Sourdough
• 10:59 God is there
• 11:44 Faith, Hope, Prayer, Contentment
• 12:43 Shop the kit: Daily Bread & Co

Transcript

Amanda: 0:10

All right welcome everyone.

Cicily: 0:12

We have Amanda today from Daily Bread and Co. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for having me. Yeah, no problem. What's been going on in your life?

Amanda: 0:24

There's been a lot. I started Daily Bread and Co recently. My husband and I are coming up on 10 years. We're going to be celebrating our anniversary. And we're actually going to Denver, colorado, being in your neck of the woods, we're very excited. We've lived in Florida our whole life, so every year we try to take one trip to go and see the snow, so we're hoping we'll see some and you have the short sleeve because you're in Florida and I am rocking a long sleeve hour 31, because it's cold here in Colorado already, which is nuts.

Cicily: 0:57

You have a great social media presence. What are three of the things that you focus on the most?

Amanda: 1:05

So my three pillars for my business are definitely my faith in Christ, slow, intentional living, and I firmly believe that everyone can just get started with what they have. For so long my husband and I wanted our homestead and we wanted land and you know, we just thought it was so unapproachable to have the lifestyle that we wanted in Florida. And eventually we just started inching forward and learning all the skills that we wanted for the life that we would have eventually and we have found so much fulfillment in that.

Cicily: 1:36

So let's dive into that a little deeper. How did your husband start his new job, and what sacrifices did you guys have to make so you could start your business?

Amanda: 1:47

Sure. So a few years ago, you know, covid started and everyone's lives were just uprooted. No one really knew what the future was going to look like. So we both were always just working two jobs. My husband was doing construction, like selling precious metals and serving tables at night. I was a district manager in a doctor's office and I was serving tables at night and we were making good money, especially here in Florida.

Amanda: 2:14

We had a decent lifestyle, but we just weren't happy and my husband was not happy. So he started feeling a call on his heart to go work for the sheriff's office and initially it was something that scared me completely and that I did not want him doing. I steered him away from it and for two years that's like all he could speak about. That's every single day. All he talked about was being a police officer, and I wound up buying the book the Power of Praying Life and I read it and it just like changed my life and I realized that, you know, if my husband is strong enough to do this and he truly does feel that God is calling him to do this, who am I to get in the way, you know? So I have to trust my husband to make good decisions, and I did, and so we wound up we had like a two bedroom townhouse. We sold everything that we owned, we moved in with family and I kept working while he was going through the academy. And it was a very difficult process but it was so worth it.

Amanda: 3:15

So during that process he wound up getting picked up by the sheriff's office and so financially things were easier, because then they started paying him and he paid off his student debt. I was still working a lot and then I went to the doctors and I was diagnosed with endometriosis. And the first question the doctor asked me was are you under a lot of stress? And it forced me to reevaluate my life, because, you know me, taking on all of this work was no longer worth it financially. And that is when my husband encouraged me to start Daily Bread and Co and I left the doctor's office and I wound up just getting a little part time job. And here we are, a few years later my husband is very happy and thriving in his environment and Daily Bread is doing better than I could have ever imagined. So we made the sacrifices, we trusted God and we moved forward, and here we are, both happier and healthier and everything's going really well.

Cicily: 4:15

Beautiful testament to faith. This is in your hands. This is in your hands, my husband. This is in your hands, God, and we will move from that place. It's such a beautiful testament of faith moving from rest and faith in action. What advice would you give a young woman graduating high school or graduating college?

Amanda: 4:39

in your experience, Well, definitely if you're looking for a husband, I would. I was always raised that dating is for marriage. So I would say, you know, don't waste your time just dating around or thinking that marriage is an essential. I heard something recently and it said that a man's future matters to a woman and a woman's past matters to a man. So you know, when you're young and you're dealing with young men, everything can feel very difficult. But once you, once you move forward and you're dealing with grown men, they're going to appreciate that you preserved yourself and respected yourself. So I think that is one thing that's really important. That's something that I'm constantly telling my younger sisters. And then also, like, when you are looking for a partner, definitely just pray for your partner, trust in God and try to find someone that's equally yoked with you, because ultimately, if you have similar values, you're going to have a life of ease. You know every every marriage has struggles, but if you have similar values, everything will be much easier in the long run. So that's my marriage advice.

Cicily: 5:54

Any career advice I would say.

Amanda: 5:58

I mean so I was raised like my whole life. I just always thought I was going to be a stay at home mom and that may be in the cards for me, but, like my husband, I've been together for 10 years. It didn't happen as soon as I expected. So I always kind of just put in my put my career on the back burner. And if I could go back and do it differently, I definitely would have prioritized a career for myself, because I think in this world like, yes, it's important for us to be home, but you also, there are positions where you can work from home or work part time. And then there's positions where you're put in like like me, like it didn't happen as soon as I thought I would. So still prioritize yourself, still put your career, hold it as important, and I would say, like you can, you can have both. You can be a stay at home mom one day and still have a career that you can look back on, that that you enjoyed.

Cicily: 6:51

You mentioned your diagnosis. Can you tell me a little bit about your journey with Endometriosis?

Amanda: 6:56

Yes. So when I was diagnosed with Endometriosis, I just turned 26 and my doctor was very harsh with me. He's like one of the only Endometriosis specialists in the county, so it took a lot to find him and when I finally went to him he was very good at what he did but very harsh. So he wound up looking at me and telling me you know, if you had already had a baby, you wouldn't have this issue. And then he told me, which was hurtful. And then he told me you know, if you don't get a move on now and you don't have kids by 32, you won't have any. And it brought me into this very dark place. I've always had God in my life. I was relied on.

Amanda: 7:45

God and believed in God so strongly, but just by this doctor telling me this, it brought me into this dark place where I almost just forgot that God can do all things and God has full control over my life. And I, you know I went through this, this, you know sadness, for about a year. And here we are now. And recently I was at church and I was speaking to the pastor's wife and she reminded me about first Samuel, when Hannah wasn't able to conceive, and she asked God to remember her, and so that has been my prayer lately. But also, just, I had to check myself and make sure that, you know, I am putting all of my faith in God and not in this doctor. You know he may not even have all the right answers, like I may have to find a follow up or something, but ultimately the greatest thing I can do is have faith in God and what he can do and the control he has over my life, because his plan is always going to be greater than mine. And then also, when I got the diagnosis, you know I had always eaten really clean.

Amanda: 8:54

I used to do like hit workouts and run at the park all the time and I would work out very intensely and I had to reevaluate every part of my life. I quit my stressful job, I stopped buying so bright bread, started making sourdough. I really cook almost all of our meals at home. I spend more time at home, you know. I've made our home like a little sanctuary and it's our safe place and it's just filled with peace and I don't push myself in the gym like I used to, and I mean I before I would have been so hard on myself about my weight. I think, like I'm still a healthy weight, but I just don't obsess over it anymore because ultimately, my health long term is way more important than you know being a certain size, and so that all those things collectively have helped me eliminate majority of my endometriosis pain and symptoms. So yeah, which is crazy to think that just you know, those little changes can so drastically affect your health.

Cicily: 9:54

Absolutely, and I know we talked about looking at what God has done in the past.

Cicily: 10:00

Hey, I stood on faith in that moment and moved me into this time of peace and the next remulchrous period comes up and you can say hey, the last time I stood with God in peace, this came of it. And thank you for sharing, because the more we hear, the more we're encouraged and inspired in our own lives. When difficulties come up or when we receive a diagnosis or receive heartache or you know news of grief in our families I was just reading my devotional this morning Do not grieve as the Gentiles do, because you have faith in God. You know that that's a different kind of hope. You have hope in the future, that you'll see them in the future.

Cicily: 10:48

You have hope in this diagnosis. You know that you'll be able to step away from that pain and make the necessary changes to do so. So again, faith in action, absolutely.

Amanda: 10:59

Yeah, that was a really big thing. That helped me as well. Like that was a great. There was a great sermon at my church and the pastor was talking about when you're going through difficult times and you feel that you may be alone or you feel that you know, maybe God isn't going to show up for you. He said you need to learn to take inventory of every time that God has shown up in the past. And it's so true. Like when have I ever gone through anything difficult and God wasn't there to carry me through it? That's, he's always been there.

Amanda: 11:26

And then he also went into explaining you know the difference between faith and hope. And he said faith is you know. He says we can firmly have faith in all of the promises that God has given us in the Bible and we can have hope by knowing God's heart and you know. So faith, we can pray for these things 100%. We can say, god, I have faith that you will do this and I can pray and I can boldly ask for it because you've promised you'll do it in the Bible. And then, by knowing the condition of God's heart, we can have hope and say I know that you're a loving God, and I know that through you, know, with Jesus and you, all things are possible. Will you do this for me? But then ultimately I'm content with the outcome either way, because God's plan is always better.

Amanda: 12:06

But that was a great like sometimes you're just sitting in church and your pastor's talking and you're like this is just meant for me, you know, you just feel it, and so that one sermon really stuck out to me and it really helped me because, you know, here I am thinking, okay, well, I'm sad, I'm sad like I haven't had, you know, children yet. This isn't this. But then I look back at my life and look at where I am now and I have a beautiful life, I'm happy and God's always been there and he will continue to be there for me. So that helps me a lot.

Cicily: 12:38

I do want to jump into a little bit on your brand. I ordered my Elderberry Kit. Could you explain a little bit what our listeners could find on your website and how they can improve their life by doing so?

Amanda: 12:51

Yes, so in the link of my Instagram. You can click the link in my bio and I give a link to my Etsy page. You also can just go on Etsy and type in daily bread and co and my storefront will come up. But as of right now, I have three products. I just sell my wet sourdough starter, which a lot of people aren't doing right now. So I ship my wet starter directly to you and then you can have it up and running within a few days and you can be baking.

Amanda: 13:18

I sell my dried sourdough starter, which is what most people are selling right now. It's like a non-perishable version. So if you don't have the convenience of feeding it right away when you get it or you want to give it as a Christmas gift or a stocking stuffer, you can just order the dried sourdough starter and it just takes a few days longer to revive, but it's just as healthy. And then I do my elderberry kit too. So that is just because we're so into health and wellness. One of my girlfriends last year showed me her elderberry syrup and I was just so taken by it that I decided we need to share this with people. So we revised her recipe a little bit to do dried ingredients so that I can ship it. And people really love it and it's shelf stable for six months and it's just a great thing to have on your shelf during flu season and makes you feel good.

Cicily: 14:09

And then, upon receiving your kit, what are the steps, what can you expect and what would you use it for?

Amanda: 14:15

So for the elderberry syrup kit, it has everything you need. You'll just have to have honey and four cups of water on hand.

Amanda: 14:23

So you'll bring four cups of water to a boil, add in the contents of your kit and then boil it or simmer it for 45 minutes. You can simmer it covered if you want more of a juice, and you can simmer it uncovered if you want it to be like a thicker syrup. And then, once it's cooled and you strain it, you add your honey, you put in a nice mason jar and it's good in your fridge for six months and you can have like a tablespoon to two tablespoons a day. Kids should have like a half a tablespoon, but it's really good. It keeps you healthy. It had filled with antioxidants and vitamins and it's like nature's multi-vitamins, so it's very good for you.

Cicily: 15:05

And change of season. We're in fall, heading into winter. Me more quickly in Colorado than you in Florida. So, I am super happy to have this on hand. You can get this link online in our show notes as well. Thank you so much, Amanda. You're welcome. Thank you for online Daily Bread and Co and Etsy as well.