A while back as I was in my quiet time and the big move was on my mind, I asked the Lord to just show me how to know Him more. Not come to Him with requests, venting or anything else (nothing wrong with presenting prayers and requests, though!)...just how to KNOW Him better. I realized that the toughest part about moving was leaving the people in our community of friends and neighbors....because we knew our friends and they knew us. That's what makes a relationship a relationship. It's not just an exchange of goods and services (though I LOVE taste testing chocolate chip cookies!), but it's knowing others and being known. And so I wanted to figure out how to know God better. To love Him more as I knew Him more. More of Him.
And today it started to come together.... In Romans 4:20, it says of Abraham "..but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." That verse is in the middle of the passage describing how Abraham trusted God, believed in His word and how that all added up to righteousness. It's a passage that always makes me slow down when I read it....it's a lot to chew on because I'm so not there...yet. I read that on September 11th.
And today I read in Luke 11:33-36 "Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness." Some might interpret this as the whole idea of how we see life in terms of 'glass half full or glass half empty'. I want to take it a step further... it's 'having an eye' to see God in everything. Some of my friends are gifted with 'an eye for fashion/interior design'...they see a space, a piece, a color...and they can put it all together to create beautiful spaces. Just the same, when this passage in Luke talks about your eye being healthy, I think it means to have an eye that sees God and His faithfulness in everything.
And here it comes full circle...when our 'eye is healthy' and we see the hand of God at work in everything around us, we can't help but give Glory to God and just like Abraham, our faith will grow strong. And that, I believe, is how we are to know Him better. I'm pretty confident that our heart's desire to just know Him and actually doing it make Him smile. I'm confident because that is what I'm missing most right now... to be known by folks where we are now living. We're surrounded by plenty of people - Richmond is a big place! But to be surrounded by folks and to be known by folks/friends is so different. If our desires and the way we crave to be in relationship with others is a semblance of how our God designed us to be in relationship with Him, then I'm going to keep my eye open to see more of Him.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Our first DITY move.....
I had no thoughts of continuing a blog after Whole 30, but since our arrival in Virginia there has been so much that I wanted to give thanks to God for and so many folks to share it with so here goes....
First off, I would not recommend a DITY move as the least stressful method of moving a family of four kids and two dogs. Just sayin'. That said... we had so much help from friends and if there was ever a time for our family to do a DITY, this was it!
From watching our kiddos, providing meals, packing boxes, loading boxes and furniture, cleaning out our garage, praying for our sanity, and throwing a farewell ice cream partay, our friends were there EVERY step of the way. Truly, this was a team effort. Did I mention we are a family of six (that's a lot of food to make and four extra kids to watch!)?? And our friends aren't exactly in what you a call a 'slow' season of life. Classes had just kicked off and yet our friends provided in every way.
If I had known what the day of our drive was going to be like I would have just crawled back under the covers.... isn't God good in NOT letting us know the future?? :) I'll just say we had loose ends that took up more time than we allowed for and our drive was way slower than what we had in mind (our max speed with the trailer was about 55 mph), hence our arrival to our new home at 1:15 a.m. and finally getting to bed after 3 a.m. The only way I stayed awake for the drive was the prayers of many, drive thru starbucks and perfect snacks from friends. Seriously, I was t.i.r.e.d.
Homesickness (for friends, neighbors that I know, playground for the kids, familiarity with streets, etc) has hit me several times a day since our arrival....but I am reminded constantly that God has plans for us here as well.
The day after our arrival I went to the grocery store with the kids while Rich unpacked....and my first stop was another drive thru starbucks. Twice in two days - that's a record for me. I almost cried on the way there because I had no idea where I was and took a wrong turn within 3 minutes of leaving the house and I was plain 'ol tired. But the gal at the window, who was at least 15 years younger than me, called me 'darlin' and I had to smile. She also told me which grocery store was the best... and I ended up agreeing because as I was parking, I found a special spot for us. :)
This is what I found at the end of our grocery trip.... BLUE BELL!!!!! I have been craving this for YEARS. I made a commitment and a promise to the kids right then and there: we will try EVERY flavor before we move! :)
First off, I would not recommend a DITY move as the least stressful method of moving a family of four kids and two dogs. Just sayin'. That said... we had so much help from friends and if there was ever a time for our family to do a DITY, this was it!
From watching our kiddos, providing meals, packing boxes, loading boxes and furniture, cleaning out our garage, praying for our sanity, and throwing a farewell ice cream partay, our friends were there EVERY step of the way. Truly, this was a team effort. Did I mention we are a family of six (that's a lot of food to make and four extra kids to watch!)?? And our friends aren't exactly in what you a call a 'slow' season of life. Classes had just kicked off and yet our friends provided in every way.
If I had known what the day of our drive was going to be like I would have just crawled back under the covers.... isn't God good in NOT letting us know the future?? :) I'll just say we had loose ends that took up more time than we allowed for and our drive was way slower than what we had in mind (our max speed with the trailer was about 55 mph), hence our arrival to our new home at 1:15 a.m. and finally getting to bed after 3 a.m. The only way I stayed awake for the drive was the prayers of many, drive thru starbucks and perfect snacks from friends. Seriously, I was t.i.r.e.d.
The day after our arrival I went to the grocery store with the kids while Rich unpacked....and my first stop was another drive thru starbucks. Twice in two days - that's a record for me. I almost cried on the way there because I had no idea where I was and took a wrong turn within 3 minutes of leaving the house and I was plain 'ol tired. But the gal at the window, who was at least 15 years younger than me, called me 'darlin' and I had to smile. She also told me which grocery store was the best... and I ended up agreeing because as I was parking, I found a special spot for us. :)
And as I left the grocery store, the kind gentleman who was bagging our groceries helped me to the car with them and then proceeded to tell me that I'm not allowed to tip! say what?!?
Today we went to a church that Rich researched on line and I was kind of nervous about going.... we only have a few months here so I was really praying that it would be one we could plug into right away... and one where our kids would feel comfortable. As we registered our kids for their classes, they were each handed a stuff animal to help them find their classrooms....and guess what Ada Jo got? A Zebra!!!!! For some reason, she loves zebras and if you ask her what they say, she says 'zeeb, zeeb'. Thank you, Lord.
I'm missing our friends like crazy, but am encouraged with all the ways God reminds us that He is with us....no matter where we go. Psalm 139:5 "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me."
We're working on making this place our new home for however long God chooses for us to be here. Many, many humble thanks to all our friends and family.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
In the end
I can say that Whole 30 was overall a valuable experience.
It's been a while since my last post because I've been busy not being busy. :) Actually, it was spring break, my oldest's 5th birthday, and we've had some projects to work on around here...there's always a project in progress!
So, some of my final thoughts on Whole 30. I now realize that I am indeed very 'addictable' ( I'm not sure if that's an actual word, but I'm making it an actual word for now). I should have realized this when my husband bought me a tv DVD series intended to last for a few months and we finished it in one night. Just as I am easily addicted to tv drama series, I am indeed a little addicted to sugar... or just the taste of 'sweet'.
Whole 30 has at least adjusted my palate for sweetness and now I don't require so much 'sweet' to satiate my sweet tooth. Ok, enough 'sweets'.
Something else more significant I've noted: when I don't have to eat a certain way because I'm not on Whole 30 I actually enjoy eating Whole 30 compliant. Does that make sense? In the past few days since Whole 30 has been over, I've actually made some dinners that were Whole 30 compliant without really intending to...it's just how they turned out. And for some reason I thought they tasted even better than they probably would have just six days ago.
Lastly, I know that I have certain 'triggers' that can set off a foul mood... I still can't say that having more sugar is necessarily one of those triggers, but going to bed too late, not getting enough sleep, not waking up early enough to read my Bible and be ahead of my kids, not exercising and not having a creative outlet are some of my personal triggers. In lieu of maintaining a strict Whole 30 diet, I've realized that maintaining these personal disciplines are more important for my daily routine.
I hope some of these observations have been helpful or at least entertaining for anyone reading this....I'm glad for the experience of Whole 30 and even more glad to have enjoyed my bowl of ice cream tonight!
It's been a while since my last post because I've been busy not being busy. :) Actually, it was spring break, my oldest's 5th birthday, and we've had some projects to work on around here...there's always a project in progress!
So, some of my final thoughts on Whole 30. I now realize that I am indeed very 'addictable' ( I'm not sure if that's an actual word, but I'm making it an actual word for now). I should have realized this when my husband bought me a tv DVD series intended to last for a few months and we finished it in one night. Just as I am easily addicted to tv drama series, I am indeed a little addicted to sugar... or just the taste of 'sweet'.
Whole 30 has at least adjusted my palate for sweetness and now I don't require so much 'sweet' to satiate my sweet tooth. Ok, enough 'sweets'.
Something else more significant I've noted: when I don't have to eat a certain way because I'm not on Whole 30 I actually enjoy eating Whole 30 compliant. Does that make sense? In the past few days since Whole 30 has been over, I've actually made some dinners that were Whole 30 compliant without really intending to...it's just how they turned out. And for some reason I thought they tasted even better than they probably would have just six days ago.
Lastly, I know that I have certain 'triggers' that can set off a foul mood... I still can't say that having more sugar is necessarily one of those triggers, but going to bed too late, not getting enough sleep, not waking up early enough to read my Bible and be ahead of my kids, not exercising and not having a creative outlet are some of my personal triggers. In lieu of maintaining a strict Whole 30 diet, I've realized that maintaining these personal disciplines are more important for my daily routine.
I hope some of these observations have been helpful or at least entertaining for anyone reading this....I'm glad for the experience of Whole 30 and even more glad to have enjoyed my bowl of ice cream tonight!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Day 27 - cost and balance
Can I get a whoop whoop for tomorrow being my last day?!?!? I'm pretty excited....and even more excited to celebrate my oldest's birthday!
I read an article earlier today about an extreme successful businesswoman who, in reflection, talks about how her success in the business world came at a cost that was not worth it. The cost was her personal life...or rather lack of.
And it got me thinking about how everything has a cost.....not just in dollars, but in time, mental and emotional energy, personal relationships, etc. And we often struggle to keep the costs in balance.
Speaking in terms of Whole 30 - regarding monetary cost: it certainly costs a bit more for a diet in mostly meat and produce...BUT I did become more aware of how much I had previously spent on alcohol, dairy, and baked goods. And of course, I became much more aware of how much time I spent in the kitchen during Whole 30...and the cost of it.
And the same applies to the cost we're willing to pay for entertainment, clothes, furniture, exercise, etc. The same goes for saving money: what am I willing to pay to save money? my time, energy, etc. For me, it all boils down to my priorities. What do I consider important enough to spend my time and energy on? See, you can't have it all. Everything costs something.
With Whole 30 I've seen just how much healthier I can eat...and now I know firsthand the costs associated with it. Same goes with the job I used to have....I know how much fulfillment, enjoyment, satisfaction, identity, security, significance, etc I can find in a job, but having been a stay at home mom for almost five years now I know the cost is more than I am willing to pay.
Just as I am grateful for the time I had working, I'm grateful for the chance to do Whole 30, but I am ready to rebalance my priorities for what I consider to be an acceptable price.
I read an article earlier today about an extreme successful businesswoman who, in reflection, talks about how her success in the business world came at a cost that was not worth it. The cost was her personal life...or rather lack of.
And it got me thinking about how everything has a cost.....not just in dollars, but in time, mental and emotional energy, personal relationships, etc. And we often struggle to keep the costs in balance.
Speaking in terms of Whole 30 - regarding monetary cost: it certainly costs a bit more for a diet in mostly meat and produce...BUT I did become more aware of how much I had previously spent on alcohol, dairy, and baked goods. And of course, I became much more aware of how much time I spent in the kitchen during Whole 30...and the cost of it.
And the same applies to the cost we're willing to pay for entertainment, clothes, furniture, exercise, etc. The same goes for saving money: what am I willing to pay to save money? my time, energy, etc. For me, it all boils down to my priorities. What do I consider important enough to spend my time and energy on? See, you can't have it all. Everything costs something.
With Whole 30 I've seen just how much healthier I can eat...and now I know firsthand the costs associated with it. Same goes with the job I used to have....I know how much fulfillment, enjoyment, satisfaction, identity, security, significance, etc I can find in a job, but having been a stay at home mom for almost five years now I know the cost is more than I am willing to pay.
Just as I am grateful for the time I had working, I'm grateful for the chance to do Whole 30, but I am ready to rebalance my priorities for what I consider to be an acceptable price.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Day 25 & 26 - recalibrate
Our pastor has often talked about how sometimes we need a little bit of 'recalibration' in our relationship with God. In other words, sometimes, we're walking in step with Him...then along come distractions, bitterness, busyness, indifference, ingratitude.... all things that get us out of sync with Him and then we need to 'recalibrate' to get back in step with Him.
We talked a bit last night about what we'll do after Whole 30. There are definitely some benefits gained from Whole 30....but it's not a regimen that is sustainable for this season of our lives. So, do we totally ditch what we've gleaned and go back to all our old habits or is there a medium?
For me, now that I've experienced it, I can use this to recalibrate my diet. If I know that I've been indulging in a little bit too much of this or that, or feeling like my insides could use a good 'clean' the guidelines of Whole 30 will be a good place to start. It certainly can't be a bad thing to strip my diet down to the basics of vegetables, meats and fruits.... for a limited time, at least.
And back to the question from Friday.... to eat or not to eat. cake. Well, I think I've made up my decision. I will be doing the Whole 28. :) I'm happy with the decision. And being very honest with myself I have absolutely no heartache over the decision. And now I will finish out the last two days and be ready to share some ice cream and cake with my son, who is soooooo excited to turn 5! 5 years is the mark of us being parents for half the time that we've been married....seems significant to me. :)
We talked a bit last night about what we'll do after Whole 30. There are definitely some benefits gained from Whole 30....but it's not a regimen that is sustainable for this season of our lives. So, do we totally ditch what we've gleaned and go back to all our old habits or is there a medium?
For me, now that I've experienced it, I can use this to recalibrate my diet. If I know that I've been indulging in a little bit too much of this or that, or feeling like my insides could use a good 'clean' the guidelines of Whole 30 will be a good place to start. It certainly can't be a bad thing to strip my diet down to the basics of vegetables, meats and fruits.... for a limited time, at least.
And back to the question from Friday.... to eat or not to eat. cake. Well, I think I've made up my decision. I will be doing the Whole 28. :) I'm happy with the decision. And being very honest with myself I have absolutely no heartache over the decision. And now I will finish out the last two days and be ready to share some ice cream and cake with my son, who is soooooo excited to turn 5! 5 years is the mark of us being parents for half the time that we've been married....seems significant to me. :)
Day 24 - my dilemma
So, after I wrote yesterday's blog I realized that I had miscalculated day 30. For whatever reason, I had in mind that day 31 was my oldest's 5th birthday......but after I wrote that yesterday was the one week mark I realized that my son's birthday is actually Day 28! :( Yep, it's kind of embarrassing that I miscalculated the dates, but I can blame it on February being a short month.... or just that I did bad math! :(
So, here is my dilemma. Do I finish out the 30 days like I had intended or will I just call it and partake of ice cream and birthday cake??? It's not so much that not eating ice cream or cake would ruin the birthday party (my son probably wouldn't even notice), but it's what I would remember. I don't want to remember his 5th birthday party (which is extra special just because he is sssooooo excited about it!) and always have the 'yep, but I didn't have any ice cream with him because I was doing that whole 30 thing' as part of it.
And so far I haven't felt any extraordinary effects as a result of Whole 30 so I don't think two less days would be notable.... and just like the exclusion of regular white potatoes is somewhat arbitrary, I wonder if the '30' versus '28' days is arbitrary.
Then again, I'd be ssoooo close to doing the whole Whole 30! It may be my pride that gets me in the end....
As for today's recordings: it was a long day....and today we were snowed in so that always makes for what seems like even longer days. Which leads me to more of a 'getting by' standard of eating....which means I ate a LOT of brussel sprouts today! I've been trying out new recipes and I'm a bit addicted (I know, I know...isn't the whole point of Whole 30 to break me of food addictions???) to the savory taste of roasted brussel sprouts. Seriously. I. ate. a. lot. of. brussel. sprouts. Probably the equivalent of a month's worth.
More to follow this weekend on my decision about 28 vs 30!
So, here is my dilemma. Do I finish out the 30 days like I had intended or will I just call it and partake of ice cream and birthday cake??? It's not so much that not eating ice cream or cake would ruin the birthday party (my son probably wouldn't even notice), but it's what I would remember. I don't want to remember his 5th birthday party (which is extra special just because he is sssooooo excited about it!) and always have the 'yep, but I didn't have any ice cream with him because I was doing that whole 30 thing' as part of it.
And so far I haven't felt any extraordinary effects as a result of Whole 30 so I don't think two less days would be notable.... and just like the exclusion of regular white potatoes is somewhat arbitrary, I wonder if the '30' versus '28' days is arbitrary.
Then again, I'd be ssoooo close to doing the whole Whole 30! It may be my pride that gets me in the end....
As for today's recordings: it was a long day....and today we were snowed in so that always makes for what seems like even longer days. Which leads me to more of a 'getting by' standard of eating....which means I ate a LOT of brussel sprouts today! I've been trying out new recipes and I'm a bit addicted (I know, I know...isn't the whole point of Whole 30 to break me of food addictions???) to the savory taste of roasted brussel sprouts. Seriously. I. ate. a. lot. of. brussel. sprouts. Probably the equivalent of a month's worth.
More to follow this weekend on my decision about 28 vs 30!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Day 23 - one week left!
Can I get a big whoop whoop???
Homestretch...... then I canraid slowly start enjoying all the little goodies that i've stashed away in the freezer. :) Delayed gratification will taste soooo good!
I think the biggest thing I realized today is that just in the same way that I like variety in all things ( clothes, color, sports, hairstyles, etc), I like variety in my foods/tastes. It's what I miss the most while doing Whole 30. I've mentioned before that I like to end meals on a sweet note (a mint, or dessert!)...and I think it's because it rounds out the variety of flavors I crave. I like savory and sweet. One isn't quite so good without the other.
On Whole 30 it's mostly been a palate of savory.... and I get tired of just one thing pretty easily. Sweet isn't such a bad thing - sweet and sour, sweet and salty, etc. Just like you can't appreciate the light without the dark, you can't fully appreciate the savory without the sweet (or at least I can't). And so I find that my appetite is not quite satiated at the day's end because I haven't had that 'sweet' variety. I keep trying to make up for it with a different flavor/seasoning on my meat, different veggies, different way of preparing veggies, different types of nuts, etc, but you just can't use a counterfeit for the real deal.
I think that can apply to many areas of life...trying to fill our soul's real need for a Savior with so many other 'shiny' things. Our souls , deep down, know the difference and my taste buds do, too! Ain't no chicken rub/sautee/veggie wrap/roast/whatever gonna fulfill the yearning for a lick of some sweet, creamy ice cream!
So, what's my conclusion? Everything in moderation. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Moderation.
Homestretch...... then I can
I think the biggest thing I realized today is that just in the same way that I like variety in all things ( clothes, color, sports, hairstyles, etc), I like variety in my foods/tastes. It's what I miss the most while doing Whole 30. I've mentioned before that I like to end meals on a sweet note (a mint, or dessert!)...and I think it's because it rounds out the variety of flavors I crave. I like savory and sweet. One isn't quite so good without the other.
On Whole 30 it's mostly been a palate of savory.... and I get tired of just one thing pretty easily. Sweet isn't such a bad thing - sweet and sour, sweet and salty, etc. Just like you can't appreciate the light without the dark, you can't fully appreciate the savory without the sweet (or at least I can't). And so I find that my appetite is not quite satiated at the day's end because I haven't had that 'sweet' variety. I keep trying to make up for it with a different flavor/seasoning on my meat, different veggies, different way of preparing veggies, different types of nuts, etc, but you just can't use a counterfeit for the real deal.
I think that can apply to many areas of life...trying to fill our soul's real need for a Savior with so many other 'shiny' things. Our souls , deep down, know the difference and my taste buds do, too! Ain't no chicken rub/sautee/veggie wrap/roast/whatever gonna fulfill the yearning for a lick of some sweet, creamy ice cream!
So, what's my conclusion? Everything in moderation. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Moderation.
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