The Struggle for Enough

How does God See Me?

2013-04-19T12:38:00.002-05:00

John 1:12

I am a child of God

1 Peter 2:9

I am a part of a royal lineage

Romans 8:35-39

I am loved by God and nothing can separate me from His love

I am a conqueror

Ephesians 1:4

I am chosen by God

Colossians 2:13-14

I am forgiven and my sin/debt has been paid in full

Philippians 4:13

I am strengthened for all tasks to which God calls me

John 14:16

I have the Holy Spirit in me

Romans 5:1

I have peace with God through Jesus

Hebrew 13:5

I am never alone; God will not leave me

Romans 5:1

I am justified

Romans 8:1

I am free from condemnation

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

I am established, anointed, sealed by God

Philippians 1:6

I am confident that God will complete a good work in me

John 4:24

I am a truth worshiper

2 Corinthians 5:17

I am a new creation!

Mark 16:17-18

I have the ability to perform miracles

Ephesians 3:12

I have the ability to approach God with freedom and confidence

Ephesians 1:11-12

I am blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven

Colossians 1:13

I am delivered from dark powers

Hebrews 13:6

I am safe

1 Peter 5:10

I am strong

Song of Solomon 4:10

I am beautiful

1 Peter 2:24

I am healed

What other identity promises can we claim?

“I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun- Not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else.” -CS Lewis

As a little exercise, look up these verses and take some quiet time to pray and ask God what He wants to reveal to you about yourself. Write down 10 or so things that He loves about you. Then do the same with the ways He would use to describe you. You will be surprised at what He tells you compared to how you actually feel.

This week, I sent a video out to the members of my business (I own a fitness club) and told them they just had to watch it. While I'm normally against any sort of forward or stupid youtube video, I felt pretty overwhelmed with the emotion of this one. So while this has nothing to do with our identity in Christ, it makes a very valid point about perspective and how often, the way we see ourselves is not our true identity:

Dove Real Beauty Sketches

We are human BEINGS

2013-04-17T08:15:00.000-05:00

I've been working on leading a discussion with my young adults group on identity. Why is it so important for us to understand who we are; especially at our stage in life?

The purpose of realizing your identity is to help you understand who God created you to be. You will be better equipped to step into your calling and recognize your dreams. You will be able to launch well into the next season of your life (marriage, career, education, etc). But it also helps us build the Kingdom and not the church...let me explain that one briefly:

So many people think that our sole mission is to grow the church. But as Pastor Jamey oh-so-eloquently put it last Sunday, "churches are just sheep shacks." They are simply buildings meant to build us up and equip us to go out, not caves we are meant to dwell in. God has already built the church and has given us the keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:18), so now it's time to go out! We are meant to set people free in their identity in Christ. So isn't it so very important for us to be solid in who we are? Back to identity...

What does it mean to have your identity in Christ?

It's not just a matter of claiming Bible verses for yourself. To have your identity in Christ means that you're placing your confidence for life and eternity in the Lord. It means that you're learning to do all that you do with and for Jesus. It means that people will see Jesus when they look at you. To have your identity in Christ means that you are being formed more and more into the image of the Lord.

Identity revolves around who we are, not what we do. Your calling is not your identity. Your commission is not your identity. Business owner, pastor, burger flipper, school teacher, evangelist, etc are descriptions of things you do, they are not who you are fundamentally. Your vocation is an expression of who you are, not the root. (Ever meet a workaholic who lost their job and lost motivation in life?) Have our priorities as Americans helped us or hindered us in this way? In eternity, it's your character and identity that will remain, not the life you built for yourself.

Who are we in Christ? Did you know...“In Christ” is referenced 160x in the Bible!

Romans 8:14-17
-We are sons of God

-Closest form of intimacy with Father

-Fellow heirs with Christ

1 Corinthians 3:21-23

- As co-heirs with Christ, we literally have been given all things because Christ was given all things. Think about that...if it was given to Christ, miracles and signs and wonders, WE GET TO DO IT TOO!

Ephesians 5:22-33

Revelation 19:7

- Bride of Christ

- Closest form of intimacy with the Son

- We have all of Him

1 Corinthians 6:19

- Temple of the Holy Spirit

- Closest form of intimacy with the Spirit

- He dwells within us in intimate communion

In all instances we have the closest relationship to God possible without becoming part of His Godhead. We lack nothing and the outflow of our identity should be to "enjoy God and be enjoyed by Him" (John Piper). Oh, and you don't have to do anything to "be" these things. It wouldn't be identity if you did. We are human beings not human doings.

Ask God to surprise you with who He created you to be, not with what He created you to do. You won't be able to fully come into your calling without first understanding who you are.

To be continued...

Trust.

2013-03-24T21:53:00.000-06:00

There's a tall ladder. At the top of it is your destination; the deepest desire of your heart. But where are we on that ladder? How long until you get to the top of it? What happens when God seems to be illuminating only the next couple of rungs?

Psalm 37 has been coming to mind all week, and then Pastor Jamey went ahead and did a mini sermon on it this morning! I love how God will confirm the direction He gives us.

Psalm 37:3-9
Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath, do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

The message is clear. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Just as He has provided for us thus far in life, and gives us encouragement through fellowship with other Christians, we should be releasing control, listening for His voice to give direction, and then walk in confidence in the direction He gave.

You know what Christian circles say about asking God for patience? Jokingly we're always reminded NOT to do that! Why? Because God will give us circumstances that will test our patience. He is really good at never giving up on us by always giving us situations that will test our trust in Him. Even when we fail, His grace and mercy remains. He picks us back up and provides another chance. We will never reach full potential on this side of Heaven, so this message is true in all seasons of life.

This is all easier said than done, I know, but it doesn't matter if we can't see past what is in front of us. God said the fulfillment of promise will come to those who trust in Him and wait patiently.

We release control and give Him our trust.

Life is an Adventure

2013-03-18T20:47:00.000-06:00

I'm in love with places I've never been and people I've never met.

I went on a business trip last week to train the new owner of a club. My friend Kevin (check out his blog here) gave me this encouragement before I left on my trip: "Remember Who you represent and look for opportunities to be blessed by sharing His love with those you meet ."

I met an old man staring at the moon.

With binoculars in hand, he was staring at the moon like it was his long lost love. I smiled as I stood next to him and looked at the crescent moon, trying so hard to see what he was seeing. Without talking, he handed me his binoculars. I took a peek. They must have been strong binoculars because you could see everything. Even though most of the moon was dark, you could still make out the craters and shadows. He whispered "beautiful, isn't it?" and I agreed. He took his binoculars and I wished him a good night as he simply smiled and walked away.

As I was driving home the next day, I was thinking about it: "Look for opportunities to be blessed by sharing His love." God uses our experiences with the people around us to bring US as much joy as we bring them hope. As we are obedient and walk in His direction, He puts situations that we can both minister to another, but that also will minister to us. God doesn't ask us to tirelessly work for Him. He loves us; He wants to bring us joy. As I thought about my friend in the parking lot of the hotel, I prayed that God would bless him and meet him wherever he was that day. However far away from home he was, that he would find himself not alone.

Life is an adventure, it is never the same two days in a row. There are always new and different circumstances and the people you meet can bring you either closer to God or pull you further away. I want to be the kind of person, even if it's just planting a seed of kindness, to draw people closer to God.

I'm in love with places I've never been and people I've never met. When I do go there and meet them, I am blessed.

Humility Begets Wisdom

2013-03-12T08:49:00.001-06:00

Wisdom.

As I've been reading in Proverbs, it is more and more apparent to me that there is true value in seeking wisdom. Not that I don't value wisdom, I have a very high standard for truth and wisdom, but I've been realizing that there are areas where I am lacking and there is no excuse.

Proverbs 1:32-33 "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

The police don't buy it when you say you didn't see the speed limit posted anywhere...why should we expect it that, when we come face-to-face with the Creator, He would say, "it's ok, you didn't know" and there not be any consequences? He's attempting to grab hold of our hearts in this life, so that we can be prepared for eternity with Him.

1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Maybe I'm not as prepared as I think I am. Maybe I lack the confidence to share the wisdom that I have. Either way, I'm hungry for more of it. We can’t do, create, or mimic wisdom, but we can create a conducive environment for wisdom to mature.

So that begs the question, why should I fast? (thanks for letting me steal this Heidi)
-Because Jesus fasted
-God calls us
-Training to be Christ-like involves fasting
-To unleash AWESOME blessings from God, to break wickedness, lift heavy burdens, for loved ones to be saved, to break strong holds (Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?)

It's not about me and what I can accomplish; it's about God and what HE can accomplish through me.

Psalm 107:9 God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry he fills with good things.

So this is it. With one year of experiences behind me, there are no closed doors, only new beginnings.

Friends, Fellowship and Forgiveness

2013-03-10T20:46:00.003-06:00

Wow. It's been just a little over a year since I began this crazy journey. It's amazing how life never ends up the way you imagined it would. So here we are, a year later, and a completely abandoned plan. The first thing I thought when my blog crossed my mind today was that no one has questioned me, no one has encouraged me to keep going, and basically, no one would know.

Overcoming difficult circumstances seems to have become the trend in my life. I spent the majority of 2012 living with my aunt and getting upset about things out of my control. I began 2012 with the yearning to humble myself by ridding my life of excess in order to become more Christ-like and gain a better understanding of who He is. Two months in, I quit when I was suddenly without anywhere to live...but God kept working. Funny how He does that. Instead of continuing my crazy year long fast, I was instantly without most of my possessions and living on a mattress on the floor. All simply because we didn't find a house to buy by the time we had to leave the other one.

In September, I found a great little house, bought it, and moved in with a month to prepare to host Christmas. (hosting and Christmas are 2 of my favorite things!) So in the end, God quickened to me the same lesson I was trying to reach on my own; but He did it in His own way. Instead of me being in control of my story, God gave me the perfect opportunity to put 100% of my trust in Him, because there was no other way to go. And then he gave me an incredible blessing for my obedience... in spite of my grumbling! I started last year by posting this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." Boy wasn't that made 100% clear to me last year.

My friends Heidi and Sam began 2013 in a time of fasting; much like I began last year. But it wasn't until my lunch with them this week did I realize that I still have a desire to complete the task I started. Both Heidi and I are in a similar state of "blooming" is what we called it. She is anxiously awaiting the birth of her son at home, except she thought she would be working by now. I am at a professional crossroads with no direction once more.

This morning, Pastor Jamey talked about prophetic words over our lives. It's interesting to hear how people react to a prophesy. Some people will take it and hold on for dear life. Some people will disregard it unless it happens to come to fruition. And some people just laugh at the idea of prophesy. Did you ever consider, and this is the profound part, that the prophesy could be true but our lives aren't ready to receive it? He made an analogy about farming: In the fall after the harvest, farmers will till their soil to allow the left over pieces of plants give nutrition to the soil. After the ground has thawed, they sow their seed. But if they hadn't prepared the ground months and months before, the seed would never produce a usable crop. woah.

I've naively never considered that I might be the problem when things spoken over my life don't happen. I always believed it would all happen in "God's Timing" but could it be that my heart has not been prepared to produce a successful crop. The seed has been sown, but it's time to till the soil.

So if I still have a great desire to fast in order to seek God and "till the soil" then here I go.

Details this week.

2012-05-15T15:15:00.002-05:00

Hi followers! Just to update you quick, there has been a lot of personal stuff going on in my life ...including still not having found a house to buy...which has made it close to stressful to keep going on this fast right now. My tentative date for getting back into the fast will be June 20. I'll let you know again when it's getting close. Thank you all who have supported me in encouragement and prayer...see you June 20 for Month 3: Clothing

Month Two: Spending

2012-03-19T10:55:00.000-06:00

So after praying about it for awhile and deciding between covering the topic of clothing or spending this month, I am confident it's time to work on spending.

I'd like to think of this as something I may adopt from here on out and not just work on it for a month only to go back to my "normal" way of living after. But seriously, sometimes I wonder where half my money goes. I even budget; only to find that I have to shift money around at the end of the month to come out even on my budget. A few years ago a friend of mine loaned me her cd's of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to help me get on track...I'm not terribly off track...but I could be more comfortable if I had some of my debt paid down. School loans, a credit card, my business debt...just a few things. But I still find myself living from paycheck to paycheck. Mostly, I'm assuming, because I don't track the little things that add up by the end of the month. I haven't used a credit card for 1.5 years, only my debit, so I am proud of that. But if I could only work on those little things, key word would be CONSISTENLY, then possibly I could feel that I'm stewarding my money the way God wants me to.

Like I said before, my brother and I are looking to purchase a house together hopefully within the next month and how awesome would it be to have some cashflow to make the place awesome. How great would it be if my savings account started to become a little more than just an emergency fund!

Here are the details:
I will be spending money in only 7 places throughout the month.
1. Online bill pay...phone, credit card, insurance, student loans
2. Gas (gas only) at Holiday
3. Tithing at church
4. Lakewinds/Whole Foods (they are basically the same thing, just in different cities)
5. Target
6. buying a house
7. everything I would be spending anywhere else goes straight into savings
Yes that is all. Yes that includes bills and gas. March 19-April 18

So no lunch after church, no quick coffee on the run, no meals out because I don't feel like cooking, no new clothes, no random purchases at the mall, no Redbox movies, no treats at the Twins game...and here's my goal: nothing I don't NEED. I could sustain most of my life at Target, but most people know when you go in to Target to buy 2 things, you come out with a $40 reciept of stuff you swear you have no idea how it got into your cart. Wants are put aside this month, and only necessities will be bought.

Thank God I have no children or a husband that I will force to suffer through this month...

Day 31: The end!

2012-03-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

Well, I wish I could say that it's been perfect and everything I had expected. It was not. But I'm ok with that. It was a very very interesting journey. Food is such a huge part of our culture and no matter where you go or what you do it seems that it's just not totally in our control.

I would say, if we're rating the month based on accomplishment, I would give myself a 7 for sticking to the majority of my meals each week. There was at least one circumstance every week that beyond my control of food, but that did help to break up the monotony and agony of the same old same old.

If we're rating the month based on journey with the Lord...well you can't put a number on it. God is pretty amazing and I can't wait to see what He brings my way over the next few months. Before I start the next fast on Monday, I'll write a better review of the month.

The week of Valentine's Day, my good friend Erin, made chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes for our Bible Study. Of course I had to sit there and watch every one gobble one or two down and rave about how amazing they were...I just sat there and drank water. Bummer. BUT lo-and-behold, Erin secretly put one in the freezer to celebrate the completion of this month! Even though she was running late for her day, she ran this into my work (I know you're jealous!)

I'm going to pray a little more on what topic to tackle next and I will hopefully have an answer by Friday!

Day 24

2012-03-07T11:22:00.000-06:00

One week left! I feel great! My energy is up, my pants are falling off, and I am SO ready to be done with this month. haha

There's something about a rainy day that makes me extra productive; I suppose it's because I don't feel that I should be outside or something. I love rain, it's so soothing. So I thought I'd post today since I just know the creative juices are flowing...

I was really challenged in Bible study last week. Phil 3:16 Let us hold true to what we have attained As I was sitting there thinking about the next 6 months of this fast, I was instantly convicted. Let us hold true to what we have attained. Why am I always looking toward the future and what it holds for me, or striving for the next stage in life, when I haven't quite finished the work in front of me?

I'm just finishing up my month of a food fast. And instead of going over what I've learned and applying it to my life, I've just been focusing on what comes next. We can't be making judgements today on what our future holds when we haven't experienced the journey to get there.

Is it just women who fantasize about the next stage in life? Somehow I can't see men yearning for a white dress or little feet running around the house...hmmm

Regardless of the fantasy, I think we are all yearning for what comes next. We don't want to be obedient to what we know, but if we don't use what we know and just continue searching for what's next, we will never truly grow. Matt Chandler challenged us: Do we need to stop and repent before we can move forward? Complacency is not the high road to success.

It's time to start applying the basic truths to my life consistently! More prayer, more time spent in the Word, more awareness of what is going on RIGHT now. Less less less time worrying about what the future holds and less time focused on what I can learn to benefit tomorrow. It's about NOW

Day 19

2012-03-02T14:10:00.001-06:00

This is hard. I knew it would be hard, and I've slipped up a few times, but I didn't really realize exactly how hard it would be. I love experimenting with food and flavors...being so limited is a nightmare. It's hard to live in a society that centers around food and going out to eat when there isn't much that you CAN eat. Boy am I thankful that I don't have any health issues that cause me to stay away from certain foods.

I am constantly reminding myself that this is only a few more weeks and asking God to keep me motivated to continue. At least God understands our shortcomings and the end result will bring growth!

James 1:2-4. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters], whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Day 16

2012-02-28T15:02:00.000-06:00

I'm a little sad today. It's National Pancake Day. One of my favorite meals in the world is brinner...breakfast for dinner. I've gotten TWO invitations to go to IHop for free pancakes today, sigh.

Maybe I'll break out that yummy sweet potato pancake recipe from last week:

Find the recipe here

Refrain from commenting about how good your pancakes taste. Please and Thank You :)

Day 15

2012-02-27T07:46:00.000-06:00

Half way through and Praise the Lord for new recipes for sweet potatoes! I was about to throw in the towel. I was ready to let the starving people of the world shake their heads at me as I threw away all of my sweet potatoes. And then I was reminded that, although a complete time suck, my life is much more complete since the invention of Pinterest. (If you haven't been to Pinterest go there now!) Pinterest has been my life saver. I would be stuck eating a dry chicken breast on spinach for every meal of every day, if it had not been for Pinterest.

Word of warning...the following is a completely optional, light-hearted, complaint that you may find funny or...just don't take offense:
I spend a lot of time with women of all ages, and when I explain what I'm doing, I get this a lot: "Well that's how I eat anyway!" Maybe it's because I'm in the health and wellness field and women like to look good in front of other women, or maybe it's because people truly don't know what they are putting into their bodies, but I will contend, no you do not.

You may often eat chicken and spinach salads. But I am willing to bet you have that as your lunch no more than 4 times a week, which is 16 times per month. And even if you do eat them "often," I bet you add other veg and maybe cheese, nuts or a great dressing. I'm willing to bet a lot of money that you do not eat these salads with the same ingredients every time and without dressing or the other tasty additions of my dreams. And I would surmise that you would be in my shoes if you had committed to eating exactly that for 93 meals straight. So please, my friends, spare me the "this-sounds-easy-and-not-a-challenge-at-all", it's definitely not encouraging because right now, I would absolutely kill for anything else but what I'm eating...I'd even settle for the edible food-like substance that Mickey D's has to offer...and for me, that's really a stretch.
/endrant

So back to these new recipes, ones worthy of another go:
Sweet Potato Pancakes.
YUM! They would have been amazing with some syrup or honey, but they were just as tasty plain!

Sweet Potato Meatloaf
Let's just be honest here, I had to omit a few seasoning items, but oh my goodness the addition of mashed sweet potato with the ground chicken makes for an extremely moist meatloaf! I was expecting completely bone-dry.

Chicken and Spinach Meatballs
I took A LOT of artistic liberties here. Specifically, I put the spinach in ground chicken and without all the goodies it says. They were good, not spectacular, but good.

I have nothing profound to end with. Nothing special that I've learned in the time since my last post, but to tell you how much you NEED to go check out Pinterest. Now.

Day 10: To live is Christ and to die is gain

2012-02-22T16:28:00.000-06:00

My young adult group at church has been studying Philippians with Matt Chandler. It's been a completely refreshing perspective and I've felt he teaches in a way that clearly gives us opportunity to take things away and apply them to our lives.

This past week has been every kind of stressful you can imagine. Put this fast, extra-curricular activities and the promise to write to you all as often as possible on top of it, needless to say I sleep pretty hard. Last Thursday (and yes I'm just getting to writing about it today), our study reminded me of why I feel that this mutiny against excess is so important to my walk with God. It was complete confirmation that I had made the right choice in doing this fast, and it was encouragement that the end goal will be worth the issues it is creating in my immediate existence.

Here is what we studied and the notes I took:

Philippians 3:7-12
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith inChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

In Phil 3, Paul intensely outlines the reasons to pursue Christ and then how to pursue Him.

We pursue Him because we are broken people with issues in our lives that will never be able to be fixed with any earthly effort.

In our darkest moment, in our deepest sin, God chose us. Cool thing is...there is never a day that we don't fall short, yet He still wants us to chase after Him! God rescues the dirty to the praise of His glorious grace. What do we have in our lives that is blocking us from pursuing him?

We are imperfect people chosen by a perfect God, our priority should lie with pursuing Him. Nothing can compare to the riches of His grace!

To live is Christ and to die is gain. Amen.

Day 8

2012-02-20T06:50:00.000-06:00

This was possibly the longest week ever. So many hours, so much stress, so many things to do and definitely not enough time to do them in!

I had no time to prepare my food at all. So I was forced to eat the same exact meal for lunch and dinner all week. While that was the easiest thing to do, it was the most annoying thing. I have never purposely thought about skipping a meal, so twice I found myself actually forcing myself to eat. I was hungry, but definitely not for a chicken and spinach salad 100 times this week.

I've never repeatedly eaten the same thing on purpose ever. It's a little bland, it's a little boring, it's going to be a long month. Of course there are plenty of things I could do if I allowed myself access to my spice rack and pantry, but alas I can not.

Today I am just not hungry, maybe the idea of the same foods over and over is unappetizing...This week I'll have much more time to fool around with different preparations. I'm actually looking forward to my break today so I can run home and get cooking!

I am however grateful that, this week, in my haste, I never had to resort to eating a Chicken Nugget. Which, let's just note, I would never do anyway, but still, you may find this funny:

...perhaps the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness." According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane (i.e. lighter fluid) the FDA allows processors to use sparingly in our food: It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget. Which is probably just as well, considering that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause "nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse." Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill.

Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilema

If you haven't read Michael Pollan, do it now. You're life will never be complete until you've read Michael Pollan. The Omnivore's Dilema is quite possibly one of my favorite books ever, and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, is the most thought provoking book besides the Bible. Seriously. If you want a real, balanced, and honest report on how we eat today, go get In Defense of Food from the library before you take another breath.

Day 4

2012-02-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

Uneventful. Probably a good thing since work has been ridiculously crazy, but still. I wish I had something amazing to report...

Well except for the unapproved meal on day 2. I spoke at a women's luncheon at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, MN on Tues and sat down to a beautiful table. Only half-way through eating did I realize that there was not one single 7-sanctioned food on my plate. Shoot. It was possibly nerves that I didn't realize it, but it made me think about how we go through life. Are we on autopilot half of the time, most of the time? Do we just go to work and church, do our devotions, and follow the same routine's day after day without being purposeful? Do we drive home and forget how we got there? We are creatures of habit, or so I've heard...

Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life refers to us being able to change our autopilot:

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think Your first step in spiritual growth is to start changing the way you think. Change always starts first in your mind. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel influences the way you act. Paul said "There must be spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes."
To be like Christ, you must develop the mind of Christ. The New Testament calls this mental shift repentance, which in Greek literally means "to change your mind." You repent whenever you change the way you think by adopting how God thinks-about yourself, sin, God, other people, life, your future, and everything else. You take on Christ's outlook and perspective.

God I pray that you would begin to transform our minds. Teach us to think like you so that we can live in a way that is purposeful and in line with Your Will.

Day 1

2012-02-13T14:41:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I was in a little bit of a panic. I waited until the last minute to go grocery shopping for the week, and then the grocery store didn't even have everything I needed! Who is OUT of sweet potatoes? Since I have only allotted myself 7 trips to the grocery store, I wasn't too thrilled with having to use up a second trip just to get one item. Anyway, I didn't think too hard about what exactly I was going to cook for the week; waiting for divine inspiration often times ends up with a run to subway or munching on random junk that's sitting in the pantry...so I was feeling a little overwhelmed.

Low and behold this morning, my friend Beca, (the amazing woman who introduced me to Jen Hatmaker's book in the first place...follow her fasting from excess blog here) showed up at Curves with a ten pound bag of sweet potatoes! "Thought you might need these, we are definitely not going to be eating them anytime soon!"

Let's just be honest, we live in America, never did I think a bag of sweet potatoes would be an answer to prayer, or even a prayer I thought about leaving my lips. But oh how cool that was, and just in time for me to run home on break and cook a few of them up.

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

It's cool that God cares about stuff like sweet potatoes. God is good.

MONTH ONE: FOOD

2012-02-12T21:56:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I begin one of the biggest, non-ordinary, spiritual commitments in my life.

Month one is all about food

I'm a foodie. If I had ONE channel to watch everyday for the rest of my life, well it would be the Food Network...this could prove to be a ridiculously hard, bland and monotonous month. I suppose that's exactly the point...hmmm

These are the following seven things that I commit to eating solely for the next month:

1. chicken
2. eggs
3. spinach
4. avocados
5. sweet potatoes
6. whole wheat bread
7. apples

I'm no nutritionist, but I think this is a pretty well rounded list. (I'm lactose intolerant-so no dairy) It has the potential for many easily prepared meals and the possibility to really expand my cooking with such a short list of ingredients.

The following rules apply to this month:
1. Should I have to eat out because of a work meeting or whatever else, I will do my best to stick to the above ingredients. This is about a commitment to Christ, not legalism, so I will be completely honest in my endeavors, even if they turn into failures.
2. So that I don't waste the already perishable food currently in my fridge, I will use it to supplement my meals. Once that's gone, no extra shopping. And no using anything that won't go bad before the months over.
3. I’ll shop for groceries no more than 7 times all month. This will help me in meal planning and cutting down on random trips to the grocery store for one thing or another.
4. I am giving myself room to have all the water, tea, and coffee I want. Not flavored water, not sweet tea, and nothing but black coffee. (I went without coffee today and I can't tell you how many words I've corrected as I'm typing...my brain just can't function and my head is pounding)
5. I will not purchase snacks or drinks outside of the house...which will help with my budget and make me plan ahead.

Ok so there you have it. Month 1: food. 7 ingredients. Even though it would flow nicely here, I'm not sure "infinite possibilities" is the correct statement, perhaps "creativity abound" would be a little more appropriate.

As I was driving home from my aunt's house tonight, the Lord put this song on my heart:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Coffee

2012-02-10T08:04:00.000-06:00

As I'm praying about the foods that I should choose for this next month, I've been struggling with the idea of beverages. I'm not a big soda, juice, milk drinker...I live on water, earl grey tea, and black coffee. No cream, no frou frou drinks. Black coffee. I'm actually sitting here right now a little sad that I just finished my coffee. Should I give in to the over-achiever in me and tell you I will drink nothing but water for the next month? I have a strong feeling that might result in my slow death.

Jen Hatmaker, the author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess (this is the last time I remind you why you've heard that name before), did give up coffee. She almost died. And I lol'd so hard I cried. Here's her experience after ALMOST purchasing a cup of coffee at an airport:

Day 19
...I escaped narrowly by chewing gum like a quitting smoker. I should tell you that every time I've been in Sprouts. I've put my nose directly on the glass case of bulk coffee beans and inhaled like a deranged weirdo. I mean, deeply inhaled. For at least ten seconds. Nose to the glass. The only possible way I could act more disturbing is if I ground up some coffee beans, made a line with a razor blade, and snorted it in the middle of aisle 9.
My gosh. I think I have a problem. A friend asked if I was quitting coffee after this month was up. I told her I'd considered renouncing coffee exactly zero times, and if she ever brought it up again, I was going to quit her.
Yeah. I definitely have a problem.

Maybe my response to the idea answered my own question. It's not about me and what I can accomplish. It's about God and what HE can accomplish.

Because the only thing missing from life is a soundtrack, here's my blast from the past for you:

It's all about You, Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and Your fame
It's not about meAs if You should do things my wayYou alone are God and I surrenderTo Your ways

The Makings of a Plan

2012-02-09T17:43:00.000-06:00

So I'm sure you are all waiting on pins and needles wondering what in the world I'm going to attempt on Monday. Well...without all the details, they will definitely be coming soon, month one will focus on FOOD.

I chose food as my first endeavor for a few reasons:
1. Curves just put out a new program in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic to help women have the strength, and ALL the tools they need to combat the obesity epidemic. My members, my mom, and myself have been wildly successful on the program. I have a club of 320 members who are completely changing their lives, and not just incorporating exercise into their lifestyle. EXCITING! You just watch, I truly believe that we have positioned ourselves to be pioneers and envisionaries in this industry in ways that no other company has; but that is beside the point. So, as a certified coach, I teach my members ways to actually be healthier...not just telling them to diet to lose weight...food and how our bodies respond to what we feed them, is ALWAYS at the forefront of my mind.
2. I have eliminated almost all high fructose corn syrup from my diet, I eat relatively organic and mostly unprocessed foods, but I still struggle with excess. Buying too much of this or that and then letting it sit in my fridge until it expires because who wants to eat the same big tub of greek yogurt all week when there are so many other choices. Limiting my choices will help to reduce my waste AND my bottom line...and maybe even my waist and bottom as well (I have never used the word bottom before in my life HA)
3. Eating out. Americans have such a weird sense of community around food. Almost all cultures gather around food, but few gather FOR food. There's a difference between enjoying an amazing meal and great conversations with your friends, and not knowing how else to commune with your friends unless it's around food or drink. I experience both, but needless to say, I spend too much money on going out to lunch, dinner, coffee...a snack in the middle of the day... None of those things are necessary to have any kind of relationship with me, so why do we feel so obligated to gather soley around food?

I laugh when people talk about eating to live and living to eat, but really, as clique as it is, it's a legitimate concept. Why do you think "they" say it's so important to eat dinner as a family as opposed to separate or in front of the tv? It's because the aspect of being together solidifies our existance as relational beings. We give our attention to those relationships and food becomes the point of nourishment. When we're sitting in front of the tv or computer, it becomes about what do I want to eat right now that will satisfy whatever emotions I'm feeling...had we been present with our families, we would have nourished that primal relational desire we simply cannot quench by texting and tweeting.

Americans focus too much on food; or at least they take for granted the abundance that we have here. I'll admit, I'm an absolute foodie. I would rather cook to relax than take a bubble bath. So that is why I know this first topic is going to be baptism by fire for me, but where my allegiance with food lies will change as I let God and His Word become the food to nourish me.

Psalm 107:9
God satisfies the thirsty and the hungry he fills with good things.

Dinner with the fam

2012-02-07T22:26:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had dinner with my family; the first time since the big move four weeks ago. We talked, we laughed, we joked, we prayed...it was a typical the-four-of-us-together event. But this time, it had been four weeks since all of us had been in a house together at the same time. Before tonight, I was blissfully unaware of how much I missed living with my family...because well, Im 26 and why would I want to live with my parents and brother. If it hadn't been for my parents being so adament about getting together tonight, I would have just been "too busy." Well, it reminded me of why this fast from excess is going to be so important in my life. The idea of being so comfortable in my current situation that I miss out on the little things that make life so worth it, freaks me out. If I'm missing out on this little dinner thing, what else in life am I missing out on by being too comfortable?

I've always thought, as I'm sure you have, "wouldn't it be nice to go back to the time when things were easier and there was less responsibility". For some of you, it might be high school or college when all you had to do was go to class and study and maybe have a weekend job, or maybe it was before you were married with kids. For me, it's been the struggle of owning a business and thinking of how easy it would be to just have a regular job that I could leave behind those stresses at the end of the day and go home to your family and relax. I am CONSTANTLY thinking about work and what needs to be accomplished and what's gotten behind. I don't have the luxury of time some days, and it's my fault. My priorities are out of whack. When I don't have my priorities straight, I can't give 100% of myself to the people I care for, I can't give 100% to my business and my members there, and I end up retreating, so stressed out that I can hardly function.

I'm concentrating on too many things that I can't control, I'm over-valuing things that don't matter as much and I'm under-valuing things that matter the most to me.

See...priorities. Mine are completely out of whack.

God first. Family and friends second. My business third. These things, in the right priority, in the right perspective, will increase my "wealth" in life and decrease the stress.

God has a lot to clean up in me, and I'm ready to be molded and changed. God will supply all my needs according to HIS will, not mine.

Matthew 6:19-34
"Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of Godabove all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

What is enough?

2012-02-06T16:14:00.000-06:00

A little over a month ago, I spent some time-off in London with my best friend, her sister and brother-in-law. It's a gorgeous city full of history, a melting-pot of culture, and the odd drunkard that stumbles across your path in the middle of the day. The city is well educated and many people are very well off. I wasn't doing missions helping the poor; this is a first world country. So why did I leave with such a desire to stay there and a completely changed view of how we live in America?

Chris and Sarah live in a small-by-American-standards flat above a hairdresser in Greenwich. Greenwich is a 20 minute commute to London Bridge or London Cannon Street, which is then another 30 minute or more commute by tube wherever else you want to go. Chris and Sarah have one bedroom, a second bedroom that serves their couch and tv, and a typical European kitchen with a bathroom off the one end of it. It's tight, and it's smaller than all of my friend's apartments in the States, but it's got this amazing character and homeyness that you fall in love with immediately. Any typical American would walk in and immediately judge the size and layout and wonder how they function in such a small space (thank you HGTV). But truthfully, the four of us functioned pretty well for the week.

I've been blessed with never having more than a 10 minute commute to work, never having to wonder where I will sleep or where I will fit all the crap I own, and never wondering what I will do if the tube is delayed and I miss the last train back home. All of these things were challenges we had to prepare for every day in London. I am aware that being tourists in London is pretty low on the list of eye-opening experiences, but being out of your own culture in anyway can trigger your mind to contemplate your own circumstances.

I didn't come from a wealthy family, but I have more clothes than I can wear in a month, food in my fridge, a car and gas for it, health insurance, and all the bells and whistles that comes with life as an American. I became a business owner at 23 and I've worked really hard to get where I am today, which I suppose you can joke with me and call it the American Dream. But then, why do I still feel like it's not enough? What is enough? Don't get me wrong, and ask anyone who knows me, I am not a shopaholic or high maintenance, but that doesn't mean I can't struggle with emotions that all of us have at one point or another. My question is what am I going to do about them.

Not too long after coming home from London, my world was turned upside down in a housing issue that was beyond my control. As I'm in the process of purchasing my first home (yay!), I am biding my time on the couches of friends and family who generously put up with an extra person in their home. In the midst of this chaos, I had dinner with some new friends who had just finished a book called 7: An Eperimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. They had me over for a great ham and sweet potato dinner and then explained why the food was what it was...which I never questioned in the first place...but I am grateful that they shared their experience. (here is her blog about their family's journey)

This is a good explanation of the book straight from Jen Hatmaker's blog:

God, if too much stuff is standing in the way of your kingdom coming in our lives, then help us break up with it. If it has stolen our allegiance and hijacked our obedience, give us the courage to wage war against everything that is ruining us for your gospel, substituting comfort for bravery, acquiring for sharing, appearances for obedience, personal glory for worship.

A seven-month experimental mutiny against excess, tackling seven areas of over-consumption in the spirit of a fast; a fast from greed, irresponsibility, apathy, and insatiability. Each area boiled down to just seven choices for a month:

Food.
Clothes.
Possessions.
Media.
Waste.
Spending.
Stress.

Only seven foods for a month. Only seven pieces of clothes for a month. Give away seven things we own a day for a month. Eliminate seven forms of media for a month. Adopt seven substantial habits for a greener life. Spend money in only seven places. Practice "seven sacred pauses" a day and observe the Sabbath...a deeply reduced life to find a greatly increased God.

It's all kind of come together for me. I have too much. I waste too much time. I spend too much. But of course I can not be fulfilled with things, I know this. I am a go-getter and I enjoy being in charge. So this breeds the feelings of inadequacy when I can't meet my own needs which then can only lead to two conclusions: will I depend on God for all the things I need, or will I try everything in my own power to provide them for myself?

So all of that to say, this is MY experimental mutiny against excess in order to re-prioritize my life, put first things first, and grow my relationship with God to a level that I depend on Him more than myself.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So here I am Lord, purposefully being weak so that I can learn to have YOU as my strength.

I will be done with the book in the next couple days and I will begin the first month of mutiny next Monday!