Day 7

 

I am seven days into the seven fast.  I have eaten seven foods for seven days.  In other words, I have had nothing but chicken, eggs, wheat bread, avocados, spinach, sweet potatoes, and apples, for seven days.  Seven days that has felt like a year.  There was a box of cookies in the copy room today at work and it took every ounce of self control in my not to eat one.  No one would have known!  Just one COOKIE!

This week has been particularly bad.  A science teacher at the school where I work gave the kids a project to do on cells.  The kids had to make a cell, out of some kind of baked good.  BAKED GOOD.  They were due this week.  Y’all there were cakes, cookie cakes, rice crispy cakes, floating around everywhere.  Everywhere a turned, CAKE!  Then she sent them down the halls to give some slices to the teachers.  I had about ten kids come to my door with a piece of cake in their hand.  I accepted two to be polite.  They sat on my desk staring at me with their beady little eyes.  Needless to say by the end of the say I was angry.    

And then I remember the people around the world who live on less than seven foods.   Foods that are way less healthy or nutritious than mine.  How dare I complain.  It is almost like I am more addicted to having what I want whenever I want it, than I am addicted to the certain food.  How disgustingly selfish.

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  

Deuteronomy 8:2-3

May I not live on bread alone that leaves me hungry again, but on the word of God that forever satisfies and sustains. 

The Seven Challenge

 

After being sick all day today, when I should have been eating chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight, I sent my man to Jalapenos to get me a Taco Fajita with chips and cheese dip.  And for dessert?  Well, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream of course.  Probably not the best thing I could be eating after battling a fever all day, but it was my last meal before my eating habits drastically change for a month. 

I blame Jen Hatmaker and Julie Kopf.  Jen, you wrote this self convicting, utterly entertaining book about reduction, and Julie, you said, “Hey!  Let’s do what she did!” 

So here I am.  Starting tomorrow I will be eating only seven foods for one month.  The food?

• Chicken
• Eggs
• Sweet Potatoes
• Spinach
• Wheat bread
• Avocados
• Apples 

 

Up until this point I have been very nervous and even a little frightened.  All of which indicates how entrenched in the consumer mindset I am and how badly I need this fast.  Now I am kind of excited to see what I am going to learn and how I am going to experience Jesus through this.  And you my dear blog will get to hear all about it.  You are my outlet.  The good. The bad. The ugly.  Is sure to come out in the next 31 days.  But hopefully through all of that and amidst all of that we will see Jesus.

I will explain more about this book as a whole later, but right now I need to lie down and get rid of this pesky fever before work tomorrow.       

Doubting Thomas

 

I read something the other day that has changed my view of doubt.  Randy Harris wrote a book called God Work.  In the first chapter of this book he writes, “The opposite of faith is not doubt.  The opposite of faith is complacency.  Anybody who cares enough to doubt is very close to the faith.”

This took me aback.  I thought I was supposed to be ashamed of my doubts.  Doubt meant that I was not the strong faithful Christian that I needed to be, questioning nothing and certain of everything.  Thomas doubted that Christ had risen and was standing in front of him and we give him a hard time for it.  But how many of us would have believed that our Teacher, who was killed on a cross three days ago was really back from the dead? 

Augustine says, “Only he who doubts can truly believe.”   

I am forming some new ideas about doubt.  Doubt is not our enemy.  Doubt is the search for truth.  After thinking back, to when Christ transformed my life I remembered that it wasn’t until I verbally expressed my doubts to a trusted friend and mentor that I was a able to truly believe. 

What would happen if we started encouraging this kind of conversation?  Where doubts could be freely expressed.  We could put all our questions out on the table and work through them rather than suppress them.  We would never stopped searching for the truth because we would never become complacent with our faith.    

Let God use your doubt to teach you more than he ever has. 

And let’s stop giving Thomas a hard time. 

Who was, Who is, and Who is to Come

As we get older life gets more complicated.  My life is changing and I can hardly keep up.  In December I went from a carefree college kid to landing the job of my dreams before even walking across the stage to get a diploma.  I am beyond thankful, but hitting the ground running is an understatement.  Kurt’s grandfather passed away on Christmas morning after a long battle with emphysema, and later that week his brother got married (we are so excited for the new married couple!).  Our hearts have been put through quiet the roller coaster. 

Needless to say, by Christmas night I was not feeling the Christmas spirit like a normally do.  I pulled out my bible and opened to John 1.  Not the typical Christmas manger scene story you will find in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, but its words washed over my thirsty soul.    

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5

As I was finishing the passage, Kurt came in the room, saw what I was reading, and showed me something that I now cherish.  He pointed me to Genius 1.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God SAID, “Let there be light.”

I am no scholar.  I am no theologian.  But I do know that words are spoken.  From this I conclude that when God was speaking this earth into being Jesus flowed from this lips.  Jesus was light in the darkness and chaos of Genesis, as the was the light in the darkness of the new testament, AS HE IS THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS TODAY.  The Lord who lowered himself to man in order to save us was the very word who created us. 

Something about this revelations made the worries I was feeling that night dissolve as I sat in awe of the one who was, and who is, and who is to come.  Although our lives and circumstances are always changing, he is the same.   

Only one thing is needed

Luke 10:41-42

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” NIV

In this wonderful season of hustle and bustle in the streets

Glitz and glamour in store windows

Excitement and and relief of FINALLY graduating college

Stress and nerves of finding a job

Uncertainty and change of ending one chapter while starting a new one

I have chosen these words that Jesus spoke to Martha as a daily reminder that no matter what distractions or worries come my way only one thing is needed.  To sit at the feet of Jesus and simply take in His presence. 

As we are all in a busy season in life, let’s not forget the one and only thing that is needed.  Jesus, take our focus off the distractions and bring it back to you. 

Season of Thanks

 

What’s better than walking into a home filled with the scents of pumpkin bread just out of the oven, Dad’s warm, welcoming hug (in the driveway because he never does wait till we make it inside),  Mom’s laughter bouncing of the walls, the unconditional friendship of a big sister, or the pitter patter of 15 year old doggy paws on the hardwood floor? 

I am blessed and thankful to be a part of an amazing family.  I am even more thankful to be a daughter of a King and the sister of a Savior.  The grace and mercy the Lord has shown in my life and my family’s life is the only reason we are where we are today.  He is a redeemer and a healer. 

For that I am thankful beyond words.   

Thank you Jesus!

After My Hiatus

Hello again blog world! Its been a while. 

We have had a great summer. 

The run down: 

Kurt got a new job at Echols Middle School.  We will miss our friends at Hillcrest middle but are very excited about this new adventure. 

We have been quiet the traveling duo this summer which has made for a fun and relaxing break.  A couple trips to the beach, my best friends wedding, and threw the lake and a canoe trip somewhere inbetween.

I did a girls bible study on Unity with quiet possilbly the best girls ever!  God did some big things in that little room. 

And finally, this July started my last class ever at The University of Alabama! There are only three days left.  Hard to believe.  It is a creative writing class and has been the most fun!

Hopefully more creative thoughts to come.  Glad to be back.