"7" Foods

I am blessed to be a part of a wonderful book group made up of some of the best ladies I could have asked the Lord to bless me with during this stage of my life - they are amazing. We decided to tackle Jen Hatmaker's book, "7" together and follow along with her on a 7 month journey of experimental mutiny! Just like in the book we started with food. Jen takes her experiment with food down to 7 items - if you would like the details of her experience, buy the book, it's excellent!


We toyed with ways we would make the experiment with 7 foods work best for each of us. As everyone has different circumstances and life styles we were of course very gracious with one another. Some chose 7 vices to give up, some chose to stick with 7 foods (only allowed to eat 7 food items for an entire month), some chose to limit the type of food, no dining out, fasting, rice & lentils for a day's worth of meals, etc.


I was totally on board to do 7 foods for the month of February. I had them selected, I had meals in mind, I was excited (well, kind of)...however, my husband was NOT on board with this - I coined the phrase "big poop stick" to define his attitude toward the whole thing! So we decided to not eat out for the month, only eat healthy, homemade meals, cut out CRAP like refined sugars, starches, and processed foods, fast every Monday for the month, and eat rice & only RICE for a day several times during the month.


Why, one might ask, does this matter? What are you doing to help anyone, how is this positively affecting your life, what are you doing to glorify God? Well my friends, this book is an EYE OPENER! Talk about getting a spiritual slap in the face! I haven't felt this close to God in a long time. Do you know how many people in this world are starving, how many mothers have to soothe their hungry baby to sleep because she has no way to feed him? How many people are sustained on one meal a day, how many people eat rice at every meal, with every meal or for every meal? Do you know how people in your own community wonder where their next meal is going to come from? A LOT. Do you know how many people have the luxury of a fully stocked refrigerator and pantry, a grocery store across the street and a restaurant on every corner (and can afford it)? NOT MANY.


I fasted 7 times this month (I added some days, obviously there aren't 7 Monday's in February). It was NOT fun, in fact, it stunk - the big one! I am a munchy eater. I love pecans, almonds, peanut butter sandwiches...and cookies. Ok, I'm not proud that I can down a box of Oreos in 2-3 days, but not because they aren't "healthy" (please people let's not add that guilt to the mix), it's because I take for granted the simple truth that I CAN eat Oreos any time I want. I can go to the store and buy them. They aren't a rare treat, they aren't a high commodity, they aren't even that special to me. They are an over indulgence that I have taken for granted for a long time. And when I think about the fact that we are "rich" enough to take food for granted I burst into tears.


I fasted this month as a sacrifice to God for so many who go through the day feeling hungry. I fasted this month so I would take extra time to pray for those who go without. I fasted this month so I would stop taking for granted my refrigerator full of food and the local commissary I frequent. I CHOSE to fast, so many people don't make that choice. So many of God's people are hungry.
I ate rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner a few times...let's talk about how much fun that was. Rice, brown rice in particular, is about the dullest food I have ever consumed. I didn't smother it in gravy or sauce or butter or ANYTHING. It was plain, dry rice. It was nasty. However, it kept me full. At least I had food in my stomach, and the next day when I ate an apple OH how I cherished the sweet flavor! I let God fill my moments of weakness, guilt, sorrow, ignorance, selfishness...I spent more time with Him during this little experiment than I regularly do, and it was glorious.


We refrained from dining out during this month of experimenting. We don't really eat out that often anyway, but making it a no-no makes you very aware of not eating out! There are definitely more nights than I thought that I have the attitude, "Let's just go to chipotle!" This little luxury of dining out is totally foreign to a large chunk of the world's population and we completely take it for granted. It sucks money from our budget and fills us with fatty, processed food that we probably shouldn't be eating anyway! All in all - it wasn't a great sacrifice for us. We much prefer to eat our home made meals in our warm, comfy house around our little kitchen table and enjoy the silly banter from our children. And hey, if they fling food, spill the milk, or pitch a fit, no one is there to give you the stink eye! AND we were able to take the money we budget for eating out and donate it to a wonderful family's adoption fundraiser - I call this a win-win situation!


What's the take away? Are we going to never eat out again, live on brown rice, stop buying Oreos, and go hungry once or twice a week...NO. But I can say this, we are spending less on groceries, we have drastically cut crap food out of our diet, we are budgeting far less for eating out each month, and most importantly we are hyper aware of God's constant blessings. We aren't hungry, our children aren't hungry, heck - even our dog is not hungry. We are also constantly aware of those who are hungry and have taken measures to help those we can. We don't just thank the Lord for our blessings anymore, we pray for those who aren't quite so lucky - we pray for them at every meal, and you would be surprised how much they are on my mind.


Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for the lot I have been given in this life. I in no way deserved this life over someone else. I pray for all of your children in this world who are hungry. I pray that they are taken care of by their brother's and sister's in Christ while on this earth. I pray they are full and sustained by your wonderful love and that they will be blessed in the eternal life you have waiting for them. Amen.

Germaphobe - sure I'll take that label!

Let's enter my special realm of crazy - shall we?! I am what our society calls a "germaphobe", well at least the nice part of our society. I have been called strange, odd, crazy, silly, compulsive...whatever, I'm healthier than you are.
I would say I have a slight issue with germs. Not to be confused as having a problem with dirt, I don't mind dirt, I actually quite prefer mud puddles and hiking trails to the public library or a jump house - talk about a nightmare!


I come from a clean family. My German grandmother cleans outlets and light switches with a q-tip - and she enjoys it! I have always been a clean and tidy person but I think the real issue with germs came along sometime in late adolescence. I cried tears of joy when little bottles of hand sanitizer and shopping cart wipes became a part of main stream society - even though I've carried wet wipes around with me for more than a decade. They have proven their usefulness if many situations - bathroom doors, any and every door handle that exists, gas pumps, communal pens and clip boards, electronic signing devices, restaurant tables and chairs, library books (the library in general), cell phones, keys, high chairs (those covers sure are nice!), and the play area at the mall - which I have taken the time to completely wipe down before I let my kids play - you are very welcome, Cheyenne.


I always find it so funny (funny odd, not funny HAHA) that people balk at this little issue I have with germs. I'm sorry I don't want fecal, flu, or salmonella germs - you can have mine if you'd like! And even funnier that people insist on children "needing" the exposure to said germs...yes because the faucet of snot, booger picking, pooing yourself, and sticking everything God created in your mouth isn't enough "exposure" - I think so.


I have to say I have actually lightened up since having 2 children - colds happen - but if you see me at the library or the mall (which I don't frequent) or any other general area that children congregate, don't be offended if I'm wiping something off or dousing my party in sanitizer. It's not you, it's me ;)

Valentine's Day

I have to confess, I've never been the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. One random day (ok not totally random, yes, I know the history of Saint Valentine) in the middle of a cold, dreary month, not quite 2 months after Christmas that stamps millions of people around the world with a label - SINGLE, IN LOVE, MARRIED, IN A RELATIONSHIP, HAPPY, NOT HAPPY, LONELY, BITTER, WAY TOO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SILLY HOLIDAY, and the list goes on & on. Like anyone needs one more label!

I was at the store looking at V-Day cards and call me cynical or cheap but $5.69 for a piece of paper with a poem written by someone else doesn't exactly scream true love or romance to me - I'm just sayin. I came home and got out the $0.99 pack of construction paper and made crafts with the kids and a card for my husband - with my own words on it (and believe you me poetry doesn't just flow from my fingertips). 

But with that said - cynicism and all - I thought I would cheese it up for the special day and share just how much I love my one and only Valentine.

My husband is the definition of Love. He is kind, he is compassionate, he is generous. He is hard working, he is selfless, he is loving. My husband is sweet and romantic (in his very own special way), he is supportive, he is forgiving. He is accepting of me for who I am - a crazy-control freak-germaphobe with a smart mouth and a sassy attitude (toot toot!) My husband loves God, his wife, his children, his family, his friends. My husband is passionate about his hobbies and sharing it with others. My husband brings me flowers for no reason, leaves me sticky notes before he goes to work, and always gets a second helping of dinner - even if I messed it up. My husband tells me I'm beautiful every single day, at least 5 times a day. He is smart, he is funny, he is the worst singer in the world - but manages to make our baby girl smile by singing her a song. On this Valentine's Day - this over commercialized holiday that doesn't really hold much true value in the grand scheme of things - I just wanted you all to know that: My husband is wonderful.

Thank you Lord for my partner in life. May everyone be as blessed as I am to find their one and only Valentine.

They call me, mommy

Mommy is the most common yet most versatile name one can have. "Momma" as my sweet, rotten little babies call me has included, but is not limited to:
Caregiver (the one and only!)
Nurse
Teacher
Maid
Chef
Chauffer
Entertainment
Narrator
Author
Artist
Handyman
Dentist
Personal shopper
Snuggle bug extraordinaire
Ghost hunter/monster exterminator
Secret keeper
Body guard
Referee
and, oh...about a MILLION other things! I love my children more than I could have ever imagined possible. Like seriously, LOVE them, it's an obsessive problem I have, don't judge me, I'm working on it.
As I clearly do just about anything and everything for my babies I find it SO difficult to keep my identity in tact. Who am I? I am so many things for so many different reasons, I often struggle with who I am these days. Life is an ever-changing event. When I think about who I was 10 years ago I feel like I'm picturing someone else, someone who certainly doesn't exist these days!
But before I let this get overwhelming or depressing (I was pretty fun 10 years ago!) I think about who I am now...who God has made for this moment in my life. This season has called for ME, who I have become through the years of being single, being married, teaching, doing missions, straying from God's word but finding my way back, becoming a mommy, becoming a mommy of 2, accepting my pitfalls, and realizing that my life is not my own.
My life is HIS. My children are HIS. My heart is HIS. I don't need to walk through this life with an identity struggle, I need to walk through this life with the realization that my identity is in God. He created me for a reason and with purpose. Though that reason gets fuzzy at times - am I supposed to be spending my days in sweat pants, cutting up hotdogs, singing the alphabet 100 times and changing dirty diapers?! - I guess so. This is my season - they call me, mommy.