Simplifying Life: FOOD 2.0

First and foremost, I have to say that this week has made me realize what a BRAT I truly am. You would think something as small as a simple fast wouldn't have such a dramatic effect. After all, it's not like I've given up food all together! I've just set seven rules in place to create some much-needed healthy limits on my food intake and the rest of it is a "free-for-all". I still have so much freedom, yet I've felt trapped most of the week.  It seems all of the things I crave are the things that I've given up.  Let's recap, for those that have forgotten, exactly what I'm fasting from this month:

*No Fast Food
*No Soda/Pop
*No Alcohol
*No Pork
*No Eating after 7 p.m.
*Only One Grocery Trip a week
*No Chocolate

Which one of them has been the hardest for me to adhere to?  ALL. OF. THEM. Geez, I'm pathetic.

It seems as though I have been living a lifestyle that is way too much "on the go". So much so that I never plan ahead what my family will eat ahead of time, and making the possibility of grabbing something fast food pretty much inevitable. It's been a struggle all week, with trips to the Science Museum around lunch time to mall trips around dinner time. I'm learning that I'm not a planner. I'm a "spontaneous eater" by nature. I graze. A little here, a little there, but hardly ever a little at home. That's been changing as I've learned to schedule our outings a bit after some REALLY late dinners and really cranky kids made me realize that's not acceptable. So, I'm adapting.

Let's talk caffeine. I'm not sure how people do life without it. For years I have suffered through existence with a Big Gulp in the morning to wake me up enough to endure people, and then have refilled throughout the day.  This has been to all of your benefits. I'm really not a nice person without a healthy dose of caffeine running through my veins. I'm still getting my caffeine, but in a bit more creative ways. Since the NO SODA rule, I've been popping Excedrin tablets like their going out of style. Before you deem me a druggie, know that the lack of soda has given me daily headaches and Excedrin (that happens to be chalked full of caffeine) allows me to grin and bare it when I really want to crawl into a corner and cry.  I've also taken my morning coffee to a whole new level. I used to drink it only in the fall/winter. But having a morning java has saved my children from many near-death experiences over the last two weeks. I tell them on a daily basis, "Folgers has saved your lives again."  Not to make myself sound too ridiculously pathetic, I have started drinking water again. You know, the stuff on tap in your OWN homes that's FREE?!  I add a little Mio and Viola!  I'm finding I'm not so dehydrated all the time.  This is something I plan to stick to after this whole fast is over.

Mostly this week I've realized that my slightly reduced life is still extraordinary in every way.  There are so little boundaries and no end to my advantages. For whatever reason, I was born into privilege:  I've never known hunger, poverty, or despair. I have been blessed.  Ridiculously blessed--relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.  My life is so happy, it's almost embarrassing.  And yet I let little things like the fact that I can't run through a drive-thru window or grab a soda obstruct my view on reality. I can't see how blessed I am most days because I'm  not seeing the forest for the trees, so to speak. I've been concentrating too much on the few things that I can't have instead of all the endless things that I do have at my disposal. I have more food (even with all the limitations) in one single day than most of the earth's population see their whole lives. If anything is ridiculous, it's that fact. How many times do we really stop and think about that? If we did, I think it would revolutionize the way we think about food.

My husband and I are desperately trying to afford a mission trip coming up in November. We are saving money and planning on visiting Nicaragua, one of the "third-world-countries" in Central America.  I'm not entirely sure what defines a "third-world-country", but I know it involves a poverty like we cannot fathom in the United States. We see hunger, we see poverty, we see a down slide in our economy. . .But we know nothing about this level of desperation. We want to use what resources that we've been blessed with to go there and bless others. Whether that is with food, relational support, or just old-fashioned care and concern. This fast has opened my eyes to the fact that I don't know much about "need". I'm so looking forward to having my eyes opened in November to what a "need" truly looks like. It's not just a craving for a bit of fast food or a soda. It probably looks a lot more like a mom going to bed hungry so that both of her children have at least a little something in their bellies. My children don't know that feeling. I don't know that feeling.

"Tell me about the world before.  What was it like?"

We didn't even know what was precious.  

We threw away things that people would kill for today."

-The Book of Eli

Want to hear more about my journey of
Simplifying Life: Food, Here's Week THREE!

Week One: Simplifying FOOD

Simplifying Life is never easy. To hear why I chose this journey, Refer to the Beginning.

Well, I can honestly say that this week has been a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. Let me give you some examples:

Monday:  In-laws came over for dinner and didn't arrive until later than we normally have dinner. "Rule: NO Eating After 7 p.m" broken first night out of the gate. Lovely. But I cooked one of our 7 Meals for the week, so at least we were on track there.

Tuesday:  I seriously struggled with whether or not the Nutella in my cupboard was, indeed, considered "chocolate". I mean, it's hazelnut spread really. It shouldn't violate my Rule of "NO Chocolate", right? Yea. . .I didn't think I could justify it either. So I convinced the hubby to eat it as fast as he possibly could so it would stop being a temptation.  The things he does for me. . .:)

Wednesday:  All I wanted to do was grab a quick pizza for dinner. There's always so much rushing in between school and getting the kids to church and then to our couple's bible study.  A cheap "hot and ready" would really hit the spot right now, but that goes against the Rule "NO Fast Food", so I came home and made our cheeseburger macaroni meal that was planned. And wouldn't you know, we were still on time for everything.

Thursday:  I ran out of bread. This is not something that should be allowed during this whole 7 experiment since all I can have for lunches is sandwiches or protein shakes. In order to avoid breaking my Rule "ONLY ONE shopping trip per week", I improvised and made us turkey wraps with tortillas instead of turkey sandwiches. Same diff.

As you can see, I'm struggling a bit with the boundaries that I've set up for myself.  I've also had to answer a bunch of questions as to why I can't have this or that or why I've made up these rules for myself. Most of my answers include the phrase, "As a means of fasting. . .and just to see if I can pull it off".  Really, it's causing me to do the one thing that I set out for it to do.  This whole process is making me extremely aware of the fact that I'm very used to food being readily available and at my disposal.  I realize how often I eat without really putting a lot of thought into what I'm eating.  I'm coming to grips with the fact that food is a means of security for me.  It's my comfort.  In turn, I'm really learning how to cope with the stresses of daily life without using food as a crutch.  As something I can reach out to when I'm bored or vulnerable.  I'm learning that I've seen food as a hobby, something that I do socially, and something that is meant to be enjoyed and not what it really is--nutrition.  I've removed the convenience of food by doing this experiment. It's no longer something that I can do without thinking. At least for the duration of these three more weeks.

I will say that I have focused so much on myself this week and what I could not have because of the rules that I have set for myself. This was not my intention and I really hope as this fast continues, my focus will move from food to inner change.  I pray it will bring me more to a place of thankfulness for what I have.  And I pray it will bring me closer to God. I feel like this turning point is just around the corner. I so want for this time of surrender will bring me to a place of hunger for God that I've not known for some time. I know Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. Even HE fasted, in order to get closer to the Father, to get closer to God. I want that hunger. I want to turn every stomach growl into a reminder to pray.  I want for every craving to remind me that I need to physically crave Jesus more and more as well. I want to leave this four weeks of fasting in the food department  full of God.  After Jesus' fast, He then began healing, rescuing, and redeeming.  The Spirit filled up the emptiness Jesus created, launching Him into ministry.  In some supernatural way the abstinence from food was the catalyst that Jesus needed.  Never again would Jesus fly under the radar.  His powerful ministry was activated after His fast from food. After thirty years on earth, His story truly began.

"He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them, he was hungry." (Luke 4:2)

I want to be that hungry.

Here's to three more weeks!

Want to hear what I learned in Week Two? 

 Simplifying Life: Food (Week Two)

Simplifying

We've all felt the clutter of life at one time or another. I think that it comforts us to a certain degree. Having more "stuff" makes us feel secure, distracted, and accomplished.  I've truthfully never been very materialistic. Stuff doesn't mean very much to me. Just ask my husband in the way that I take care of my mess of a car, continuously pile clutter in every corner of my house, and resolve to the fact that we will never have super nice furniture because we have kids. I'm okay with it. To a certain extent, I've been a horrible steward of my stuff. I should take better care of what I'm given/what we afford. I've just always had a very "disposable" mentality about stuff. It's here today, it's helpful, if it breaks/is stolen/goes through the ringer, it's okay. It's all disposable and we will just get something else. I trick myself into thinking that my stuff does not own me.  Maybe it doesn't. But my perspective on my stuff does. Just because I don't cling to my stuff, doesn't mean I don't take it for granted. I'm not concerned with it being gone, because "out with the old, in with the new". Do you struggle with this? Or do you hold on to your possessions as if they define you? 

Enter the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker and my life is wrecked. 

Well, great. 

I was scrambling to find interesting books to read on our vacation to South Padre Island last week.  Remember, it was a grueling 13 hour car ride one way and I needed something to distract me in the car as well as on the beach. Boy, did I find something worthwhile! Well, little did I know at the time (God sure knew at the time!  He’s so sneaky) that this simple-looking book carried a BIG message.  A message that would stick with me all vacation.   

I wonder how many people have sat at a beautiful ocean condo pool and read a book about EXCESS?  It sounds awfully ironic – doesn’t it?  Well…for me, it just didn't set right. And since I've started it (and many months leading up to this as well) things didn't seem right for us as a family. Don't get me wrong, we were enjoying a beautiful week on the beach, thanks to a gift from my parents and were oh, so thankful for this time. We have been blessed more than just about anybody, but our souls have been unsettled for some time about the lifestyle/world we live in. 

Yes, that photo above is me being convicted in South Padre and naturally I posted it on Instagram.  (Yes, I like Instagram…sue me!) The caption should have read, “Not an easy book to read while on vacation.  Try reading it at the pool…in your ocean condo…while your kids argue about cable TV stations.”  It did feel wrong.  I was so spoiled at that moment.  No, it wasn’t wrong to go on vacation.  Actually, it was an amazing free blessing/gift to our family and we are humbled by the love that has been shown to us.  It just wasn’t an ideal place to read about excess. Not at all.  We just have so much stuff and are so selfish.  Don’t you ever get tired of how greedy we have become?  It seems like the more we get  -  the more we THINK we need.  We feel like we DESERVE it all.  It’s a terrible cycle and I am ready to get off.  Something definitely has got to give.  I soaked in each word and let it simmer in my mind and heart.  This stuff isn’t new but Jen Hatmaker did something about it.  She put feet to her words.  I spilled my many thoughts and feelings to Hubs.  He probably thought that this was just “one of those books” and I would be fine in a few days.  But he was wrong.  The earlier simmer has come to a full blown boil.  Well, do you know what is next?  I will not just be another woman who simply reads this book and says that it’s a “life changing” book.  I want to do.  I want to act.  I want to be wrecked to the point of change.  Reading isn’t enough for me.  This has shaken me to the core.  It’s official.  I don’t want to be comfortable anymore.  It’s been coming.  God has been working. And now, more than ever is the time to step out and do something about the culture that we've been living and consuming in as a family. 

I've decided to devote the next seven months to this experiment that Jen Hatmaker outlined in the book.  She focuses on seven areas of excess in a person's life, and dissects each, choosing a way to fast, so to speak, from each area. The 7 areas are: Food, Clothes, Possessions, Media, Waste, Spending, Stress. Everyone is different, every family's needs are not the same, and everyone finds their life "excess" to be different.  I will not be conquering 7 the same way that Jen does. I will be making minor modifications so that this time of reflection and fasting really resonates with us specifically. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm making modifications because Jen is a HERO in the fasting department and there is no way that I could actually pull off some of the stuff she has come up with! So I will improvise. Bare with me. :)

Before you start thinking that I am a radical or that this is just yet another one of my things. This is not just a social experiment.  This is a grasping for the new life God has for us as a family. For that, and two main reasons, I'm pursuing this time of fasting. The first and foremost is repentance.  7 will be a tangible way to bow low and repent of greed, ungratefulness, ruined opportunities, and irresponsibility.  It's time to admit that I'm trapped in the machine, held by my own selfishness. It's time to face our spending and call it what it is: a travesty.  I'm weary of justifying it.  So many areas are out of control, so much need for transformation.  What have we been eating?  What are we doing? What have we been buying?  What are we wasting?  What are we missing?  These questions grieve me, as they should and I'm ready for some deconstruction in my life. 

The second reason is for preparation.  Most of my life is in front of me. I'm only 30 years old and only 5 years into my assignment as a mother.  The bulk of my life-work lies ahead of me. My children are young--still entirely impressionable.  It's not too late to untether them from the lie of "more".  Our new mission as a family is really just beginning.  I'm hungry of the reconstruction of something so much bigger than ourselves. 

This whole thing is so WEIRD. Really, it's okay to think I'm becoming one of those Christians. But in the words of our pastor, "I welcome WEIRD. Normal isn't working anymore." It's not. I'm sure that most of Jesus' ideas werent' so popular either.  I'm convinced that He got the "I-thought-you-were-normal-but-now-I-see-I-was-clearly-wrong" face plenty of times. He seriously knew how to thin out a crowd.  He always gunned for less, reduced, simplified.  He was the most fully and completely unselfish, ungreedy, unpretentious man to ever live, and I just want to be more like Him.  It's as simple as that. If limiting myself of my favorite things for 7 months can help Jesus overcome me, then so be it.  I'm okay with an oddball label. 

This first month, I will focus on food.  I've picked only 7 meals that our family will eat for the entire month. We may get tired of these 7 meals, but we will cling to the fact that this is all we have to eat. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Well, you are correct. With kids, there are only so many meals that they will eat anyway, so I thought I'd better step this up a knotch, at least for me.  I've also added 7 rules for myself in the food department that may cinch the line in a bit and really make the fast this month more uncomfortable. These 7 extra Food Rules Are: *NO Fast Food.  *NO chocolate.  *NO pop/soda.  *NO alcohol.  *ONLY ONE grocery trip per week.  *NO Pork.  *NO EATING after 7 pm. 

I'm starting this first phase this Monday (TODAY!).  Every Friday, I'll give a summary on the blog as to how it is going and what kind of spiritual/emotional knowledge I am gaining from this time. In the meantime, I HIGHLY recommend you go buy/borrow the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Eye-opening, I tell ya! And very motivating if you are in a place where you are seeking God to do something NEW in you! Wish me luck, folks!! 

Now excuse me.  I must go have my morning coke, chocolate pop-tart, mimosa, cup of water. :)

Follow my journey to 

Simplifying My Life HERE! 

 Month One: Simplifying Food 

7-11 Project: From Lazy Bum to SuperMom. . .It's A Process, People!

Can I just say that I am improving.  I'm not as much of a lazy bum as I was two weeks ago, but yet not nearly as much of a SuperMom as I see potential to be.  I am a work in progress.  I also had a boatload of fun this week.  I'm culturing myself, stepping out of my comfort zone with some of these projects, and learning the power of the snowball effect.  As soon as I finish one task, I am more motivated to take on another. (Except the running thing. I'm still not pleased as punch to put on my running shoes and break a sweat, but I digress.)  Thanks for all of your encouragement along the way!  I know some of my aspirations on this list seem a tad silly, but I am learning a lot about myself and my family through each one.  I appreciate the "kicks in the pants" too! LOL. What are friends good for if not for telling you to get off your booty and start living life to the fullest. . .even if that entails a house project or two. :)  Let's review my successes for the week, shall we?

1.  Do/visit/try 11 new things or places.

We made a trip to the midtown plaza district one afternoon and decided to try out Kaiser's. Mainly because of their world-renown homemade ice cream, but under the pretenses that it was, indeed lunchtime.  Their burgers, most of which are made with buffalo meat (What?!) were really good. But the Chocolate Nirvana Sundae that we split afterwards was pure heaven in a bowl.  I'd highly recommend you making the trip. Immediately.  No need to pass go or collect $200.  They are very affordable.

 Another new first for me was eating lunch from a street vendor. Big Truck Tacos was parked right in front of my mom's office building in downtown OKC one afternoon.  We decided to stroll over that way and ended up with a handful of tacos, chips, and guacamole.  It was FABULOUS.  Who would have thought a big, clumsy van with a bunch of young guys would be able to whip up such Mexican deliciousness on the go like that, but it's obviously possible.  They have a facebook page that sends out status updates about their whereabouts within the city daily.  Check them out!  I'm so glad I did!

2.  Run 11 miles every week.

Well. . .I can't say I've done that, but I should at least get credit for trying.  I did wake up one morning and take off for Lake Hefner.  I had not ran outside (as most of my work-outs have been at the local Y as of late) in a significantly long time.  It's amazing to me how much harder it is to run outside than it is to run on a treadmill.  I felt like such a wimp!  Normally I can sprint like a superstar for the entire length of Brittany Spear's "Womanizer" in my ipod, but I made it halfway through the first chorus and thought my lungs were going to explode!  And don't get me started on the way that I felt the following day.  There wasn't a singe ligament and tendon in my entire body that didn't feel like I hadn't run a marathon.  How long had I ran that morning, you ask?  A grueling 3 miles. I know. . .I'm a rockstar.

Overall, for the week though, I got in 9 miles.  But the rest of the six I did in the comfort and air-conditioning of the YMCA.  Don't judge. ;)

3.  Do 11 new activities with the kids.

Hooray for edible activities!  Who wouldn't rather engage in arts and crafts when food is involved?  My boys live from snack-to-snack so these "Edible Necklaces" were right up their alley.

There are not many supplies needed, just a bit of an appetite and creativity.  We personally sat down with some cheezits, Lucky Charms cereal, Fruit Loops, and marshmellows.  Any kind of string, floss, yarn will work for the necklace. This is such an easy activity to do with toddlers, because they can snack as they go and there is no wrong way to do it.  Just string up your favorite treats for munching on the go! Tie the ends and the kiddos are ready to take their favorite snacks "on the road".  We will be doing this a lot more frequently for road trips and afternoons at the zoo. :)

The second activity that we dabbled in this week was "Pumpkin Painting"!  In my attempts to properly welcome the Fall season and celebrate the beginning of my all-time favorite holiday, we decided to try our hands (or fingers rather) in a bit of art.  The supplies we used are super simple: washable finger paints, pumpkins, and brushes. (and if you're smart and think ahead. . .add one million baby wipes to the list.  Man, did we go through them in the clean-up process!)  Everything you need is below:

 The kids had a blast painting faces on the pumpkins and getting all of the different colors of finger paints EVERYWHERE.  I learned that it didn't matter what we painted, as long as they could get it all over the place, they were happy campers.  So we started out painting the pumpkins, and then moved on to painting Namaw's table, lounge chairs, their own faces, even a bit here and there on Sissy's dogs that had to be included in the festivities.  It was a wonderful thing that I invested in the "washable" finger paints.  With just a little dab of water, the paints washed off of all surfaces (and fur).  It was a wonderfully messy time.

4.  Read 11 new books.

After completing The Shack by WM Paul Young, I decided on more of a "self-help" (guilty pleasure) genre.  One of my favorite authors and speakers is Beth Moore.  She had published Looking Up, When Life is Looking Down.  It was fantastic and very refreshing.  I've been in a place lately where I have been encountering many stumbling blocks in my spiritual life.  This book was jam-packed FULL of biblical insight and wisdom on how to look to the future by digging out of the deep pits in life that we get ourselves into.  This book definitely spurred motivation and emotions in me that I had buried for awhile.  I would recommend it as an easy read for those that need that sweet bit of inspiration in their spiritual walk.

 

5. Knock out 11 house projects.

This task has to be the one that I am looking forward to the least.  All of the house projects that I've needed to tackle for some time I look at and realize that I would much rather watch paint dry than muster up the motivation to accomplish them.  There is a reason that I have been putting them off for so long.  The idea of cleaning out the garage or organizing the linen cabinet or going through my closet seems so overwhelming that I become slightly exhausted just thinking about them.  The only one that I could happily check off the list happens to be the one that I accomplished this week, due solely to the fact that it was more creative and of decorative nature that that of the other chores.  So without further ado, behold my new porch: 

I'm still lacking a bale of hay and a door mat that plays "haunting" music when stepped on.  But it looks a lot better than before. We're ready for October! Yay!

6. Memorize 11 new bible verses

So this week, I've been working on memorizing a few verses.  But one, I feel has special significance to the place I am at currently.  Colossians 3:23-24 states, "Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as if working for the Lord and not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  For ultimately, it is the Lord whom you are serving."  This verse has real relevance to me lately because I have been without a job (other than wife and mom) since the middle of the summer.  It's been a difficult transition emotionally and mentally.  Physically, it's been fabulous as I've come to ADORE my afternoon naps and staying in my PJ's all day! But as I have Stinker at home with me full-time now while Grouch is at preschool, the day-to-day can get pretty monotonous sometimes.  I have to remind myself that Colossians 3 is not just referring to the secular jobs, such as leasing agent, customer service rep, or cashier, but it is also talking about working at "being a mom" as if for the Lord.  Sometimes, being a wife and mother and maid and playmate and laundromat and cook can be more exhausting and unfulfilling than any other job outside the home.  And to be perfectly honest, it can be one of the most unrewarding on a daily basis.  There's no paycheck, no one there to tell me that I've done an amazing job, and the only person I have to vent to about the workload is under 2 feet tall. I'm having to remind myself daily that God calls everyone to certain vocations at certain times for certain reasons.  And currently, my calling is to be SuperMom. I'm blessed to have this job.  I need to remind myself of that everyday.  So this week, I can promise you, as I'm replaying my memory verses in my head, I will be serving my kids as though I'm serving the Lord Himself.  I will also be looking for a pink satin cape with the letter "S" on it next to a photo of a diaper.  If I'm going to be SuperMom, I guess it's time to get out of the PJ's and into the costume. :)  Wish me luck!