I swear, the kids have had a bagillion snow days this school year. We had yet another one today. Snow days are supposed to be infrequent and special - time spent drinking hot chocolate, watching movies under blankets, and playing games. At this point, the kids are even complaining when we say they get to stay home.
This was the first snow day on this fast. It was kinda hard. I'm still coming off of three cups of coffee a day and my body/head are revolting. I felt like I was going to faint several times this morning. Thankfully, Andy's office was closed and he was home to help with the kids.
I got the opportunity to share 'the good news' with someone today. It was completely unexpected and marvelous all at the same time. Was this because I'm fasting? Who knows and frankly...WHO CARES? It was AWESOME.
Breakfast: An almond milk, OJ, banana, spinach, strawberry smoothie = YUM and two celery stalks with PB
Snack: tortilla chips and salsa and some grapes and some pop chips
Lunch: Amy's Organic Lentil Soup and tortilla chips
Snack: PB and a sliced apple
Dinner: Bean threads with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, and diced salsa style tomatoes
I know this might be TMI, but I have gas something fierce currently. Beware. Hopefully my tummy gets used to all this and settles down soon. LOL!
Monday, March 3, 2014
I'm an idiot~Kelly's Day Three.
I'm an idiot.
There.
All eight of you who are reading this are right.
I just got home from yoga. As I "set my intention" at the beginning of class, I asked God, "Who am I?" I seem to have lost sight of that. I seem to have lost myself. Who AM I if I don't have 120 of my closest high school friends in my house every Tuesday? Who AM I if I don't know people every where I go? Who AM I when my phone isn't ringing off the hook...or ringing at all?
I immediately received my answer:
"You are my beloved child."
...but I'm still an idiot. Know why? THIS IS WHY:
In this fast, I have INVITED God to refine me.
I (the silver) THREW MYSELF into the Refiner's fire!
WHO DOES THAT?!
(I mean, besides Kristin)
WHO?!
Read Psalm 66: 10 real quick:
"He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, Brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; finally he brought us to this well-watered place."
Shall we break this down?
He trained us~Think preseason two-a-days, folks. You're sore. You're EXHAUSTED. You HATE YOUR COACH! You curse your life, the sun for rising, the moon for setting, your mom for ever involving you in sports to begin with, your dog for needing to be fed. Pain.
passed us like silver...through fires~I like silver. It's pretty! Shiny! ...when it's FINISHED. As long as I don't have to BE the silver (I prefer to wear it). As long as I don't have to touch it or look at it when it's IN THE PROCESS of being refined.
brought us into hardscrabble country~What is this, the Wild West? I mean, I'm no Annie Oakley, but I've got a pioneer spirit and ALL of the Pioneer Woman cookbooks, but when it comes down to it, do I WANT to have to LIVE in this "hardscrabble country"? Answer: NO. Wild BOARS live in "hardscrabble country", and I have a scary story about them!
pushed us to our very limit~Ever been pushed to your very limit? I HAVE. I hiked 43 miles of the Appalachian Trail in ONE DAY. My hip. My foot. I lost three toenails because of that hike. I had a blister that encapsulated the entire front half of my foot (that is, in no way, an exaggeration). It wasn't fun. I would consider doing a similar hike one day, but not in 16 hours, and not with three men~one who is at least 8 inches taller than me.
road-tested us~Three words: CRASH. TEST. DUMMIES.
hell and back~Hell? NO THANKS!
FINALLY~I think I said that after we made it back to our car after our 43 miles hike and went to pick up "The Man" (who was half naked and projectile vomiting) and "The Tall Guy" (whose feet both had skin hanging off of them) only to find out that *I* would be driving these three men home.
he brought us to this well-watered place~THAT is a LOT of PAINFUL stuff we will have to endure in order to make it to that "WELL WATERED PLACE."
So, you see?
I AM an idiot.
I INVITED all this back in!
WHY?!
To get to the "well-watered place."
(I truly wanted to give an homage to the new Cadillac commercial right there by saying, "Because I'm a crazy, driven, hard workin' believer, that's why!" I'll refrain for now)
I talked to Kristin this afternoon. This afternoon I was feeling good. This afternoon, I ACTUALLY found myself thinking I could eat like this forever! HAHA! I'm delusional. OBVIOUSLY.
Breakfast: Apple
Lunch: Large order of Chick-Fil-A fries, a can of Amy's Organic Lentil Soup, some tortilla chips
Snack: More chips. Orange Juice (seeing a pattern here?)
Dinner: An avocado with salt, half a bag of Tortilla Chips (I WISH I could say it was a regular sized bag, but it was a party size bag, brother. A PARTY SIZE BAG), and a cup of orange juice.
Then, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" had a stomachache...and probably high cholesterol.
THEN "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" went to...YOGA?
Bad.
Life.
Decision.
AND...
...I've come full circle because, you see...
...I'm still an idiot.
...an idiot who is a dearly beloved child of God.
Amen.
There.
All eight of you who are reading this are right.
I just got home from yoga. As I "set my intention" at the beginning of class, I asked God, "Who am I?" I seem to have lost sight of that. I seem to have lost myself. Who AM I if I don't have 120 of my closest high school friends in my house every Tuesday? Who AM I if I don't know people every where I go? Who AM I when my phone isn't ringing off the hook...or ringing at all?
I immediately received my answer:
"You are my beloved child."
...but I'm still an idiot. Know why? THIS IS WHY:
In this fast, I have INVITED God to refine me.
I (the silver) THREW MYSELF into the Refiner's fire!
WHO DOES THAT?!
(I mean, besides Kristin)
WHO?!
Read Psalm 66: 10 real quick:
"He trained us first, passed us like silver through refining fires, Brought us into hardscrabble country, pushed us to our very limit, road-tested us inside and out, took us to hell and back; finally he brought us to this well-watered place."
Shall we break this down?
He trained us~Think preseason two-a-days, folks. You're sore. You're EXHAUSTED. You HATE YOUR COACH! You curse your life, the sun for rising, the moon for setting, your mom for ever involving you in sports to begin with, your dog for needing to be fed. Pain.
passed us like silver...through fires~I like silver. It's pretty! Shiny! ...when it's FINISHED. As long as I don't have to BE the silver (I prefer to wear it). As long as I don't have to touch it or look at it when it's IN THE PROCESS of being refined.
brought us into hardscrabble country~What is this, the Wild West? I mean, I'm no Annie Oakley, but I've got a pioneer spirit and ALL of the Pioneer Woman cookbooks, but when it comes down to it, do I WANT to have to LIVE in this "hardscrabble country"? Answer: NO. Wild BOARS live in "hardscrabble country", and I have a scary story about them!
pushed us to our very limit~Ever been pushed to your very limit? I HAVE. I hiked 43 miles of the Appalachian Trail in ONE DAY. My hip. My foot. I lost three toenails because of that hike. I had a blister that encapsulated the entire front half of my foot (that is, in no way, an exaggeration). It wasn't fun. I would consider doing a similar hike one day, but not in 16 hours, and not with three men~one who is at least 8 inches taller than me.
road-tested us~Three words: CRASH. TEST. DUMMIES.
hell and back~Hell? NO THANKS!
FINALLY~I think I said that after we made it back to our car after our 43 miles hike and went to pick up "The Man" (who was half naked and projectile vomiting) and "The Tall Guy" (whose feet both had skin hanging off of them) only to find out that *I* would be driving these three men home.
he brought us to this well-watered place~THAT is a LOT of PAINFUL stuff we will have to endure in order to make it to that "WELL WATERED PLACE."
So, you see?
I AM an idiot.
I INVITED all this back in!
WHY?!
To get to the "well-watered place."
(I truly wanted to give an homage to the new Cadillac commercial right there by saying, "Because I'm a crazy, driven, hard workin' believer, that's why!" I'll refrain for now)
I talked to Kristin this afternoon. This afternoon I was feeling good. This afternoon, I ACTUALLY found myself thinking I could eat like this forever! HAHA! I'm delusional. OBVIOUSLY.
Breakfast: Apple
Lunch: Large order of Chick-Fil-A fries, a can of Amy's Organic Lentil Soup, some tortilla chips
Snack: More chips. Orange Juice (seeing a pattern here?)
Dinner: An avocado with salt, half a bag of Tortilla Chips (I WISH I could say it was a regular sized bag, but it was a party size bag, brother. A PARTY SIZE BAG), and a cup of orange juice.
Then, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" had a stomachache...and probably high cholesterol.
THEN "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" went to...YOGA?
Bad.
Life.
Decision.
AND...
...I've come full circle because, you see...
...I'm still an idiot.
...an idiot who is a dearly beloved child of God.
Amen.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Thai Cukes! Aside #1~by Kelly
On an aside:
Thank God for Cowfish Restaurant! For real. Cowfish is the ultimate mealtime destination in Charlotte (They also have locations in Raleigh and are about to open a location at Universal Studios, FL). You might wonder, given the interesting name of this restaurant, several things. I will try to help you understand. It'll be like a quick little Q&A. You'll love it. Promise.
Q: "Cowfish?"
A: They specialize in DIVINE Burgers/Fries...AND...Sushi.
Q: "What does that place SMELL like? Burgers and Fries? Fish?
A: I don't know how they do it, but it neither smells of burgers and fries, NOR Fish!
Q: "What IS a cowfish?"
A: A tropical fish with a weird mouth, and yes. They have one in their fish tank!
Q: "Do they take reservations?"
A: NO! This is the dumbest policy I've ever heard of! A wait on any given night of the week is over an hour! Our lunchtime wait at 1pm on a TUESDAY was over half an hour!
Q: "If I come visit, will you take me to Cowfish?"
A: I will take anyone there any night or day of the week and twice on Sunday. Hands down. It's on my top 5 list of All-Time Favorite Restaurants.
Q: "What does this have to do with your fast?"
A: They have a dish called "Thai Cucumbers." This dish is magnificent! I can eat a whole huge pile of Thai Cukes when I can actually eat MEAT! I think I might drive out there Tuesday to get a triple order to get me through the rest of the week and repeat as needed throughout the next 38 days (I'm a genius)!
I need to get to bed, where visions of Thai Cucumbers will be dancing in my head!
Nighty nite!
Thank God for Cowfish Restaurant! For real. Cowfish is the ultimate mealtime destination in Charlotte (They also have locations in Raleigh and are about to open a location at Universal Studios, FL). You might wonder, given the interesting name of this restaurant, several things. I will try to help you understand. It'll be like a quick little Q&A. You'll love it. Promise.
Q: "Cowfish?"
A: They specialize in DIVINE Burgers/Fries...AND...Sushi.
Q: "What does that place SMELL like? Burgers and Fries? Fish?
A: I don't know how they do it, but it neither smells of burgers and fries, NOR Fish!
Q: "What IS a cowfish?"
A: A tropical fish with a weird mouth, and yes. They have one in their fish tank!
Q: "Do they take reservations?"
A: NO! This is the dumbest policy I've ever heard of! A wait on any given night of the week is over an hour! Our lunchtime wait at 1pm on a TUESDAY was over half an hour!
Q: "If I come visit, will you take me to Cowfish?"
A: I will take anyone there any night or day of the week and twice on Sunday. Hands down. It's on my top 5 list of All-Time Favorite Restaurants.
Q: "What does this have to do with your fast?"
A: They have a dish called "Thai Cucumbers." This dish is magnificent! I can eat a whole huge pile of Thai Cukes when I can actually eat MEAT! I think I might drive out there Tuesday to get a triple order to get me through the rest of the week and repeat as needed throughout the next 38 days (I'm a genius)!
I need to get to bed, where visions of Thai Cucumbers will be dancing in my head!
Nighty nite!
Kristin's Day Two - Let the tears flow...
I am crying at the drop of the hat. I told a story this morning in Sunday School that brought tears to my eyes for a solid five minutes. Thankfully...it wasn't an ugly cry!
I started reading FLESH by Hugh Halter and I can already tell that this book is gonna rock me. The story, that made me cry goes something like this...
Hugh, as a child, spilled an entire can of paint all over the carpet during a house remodel. He was petrified that his parents were sure to severely punish him. So he ran and he hid under the safety of his bed covers.
How often do we screw up and do the same with God? We hide or shrink because of our sin. Adam and Eve did it...to be honest I've done it over and over. We expect the worst. We hide waiting for what we deserve.
Hugh's dad came looking for him. Finally, he saw the shaking bed covers. Gently, he pulled up the corner, looked at Hugh and said "You ruined the carpet. I love you but we have a mess to clean up. I'm not mad but I need you to come down and help me fix it."
Tears. I just. Tears. That's how God wants to love us. That's how Jesus approached sinners. That's the love I want my YL friends so much to understand. Do you know how much he wants you to let him love you during, in, and after your mess? Tears.
For breakfast I ate a banana, some grapes, an unsweetened almond milk strawberry smoothie (it was kinda gross...tomorrow we'll add the OJ I bought today), and a spoonful of PB
For lunch I had tortilla chips and salsa, an apple, and a handful of peanuts that I shucked myself.
Then I went grocery shopping. HALLEJUJAH for the Maugansville Martin's.
For dinner I had sautéed spinach and mushrooms over bean threads (weird clear chewy noodles)
For dessert (YES) I had a smoothie made of unsweetened almond milk, frozen bananas, and PB - that was really good!!
It's interesting trying to live off of the cast off side dishes of our culture lol. I am often hungry even after I eat because let's face it...this stuff isn't filling! But...isn't that the point? God fill me with you as I deny myself of choice food.
I started reading FLESH by Hugh Halter and I can already tell that this book is gonna rock me. The story, that made me cry goes something like this...
Hugh, as a child, spilled an entire can of paint all over the carpet during a house remodel. He was petrified that his parents were sure to severely punish him. So he ran and he hid under the safety of his bed covers.
How often do we screw up and do the same with God? We hide or shrink because of our sin. Adam and Eve did it...to be honest I've done it over and over. We expect the worst. We hide waiting for what we deserve.
Hugh's dad came looking for him. Finally, he saw the shaking bed covers. Gently, he pulled up the corner, looked at Hugh and said "You ruined the carpet. I love you but we have a mess to clean up. I'm not mad but I need you to come down and help me fix it."
Tears. I just. Tears. That's how God wants to love us. That's how Jesus approached sinners. That's the love I want my YL friends so much to understand. Do you know how much he wants you to let him love you during, in, and after your mess? Tears.
For breakfast I ate a banana, some grapes, an unsweetened almond milk strawberry smoothie (it was kinda gross...tomorrow we'll add the OJ I bought today), and a spoonful of PB
For lunch I had tortilla chips and salsa, an apple, and a handful of peanuts that I shucked myself.
Then I went grocery shopping. HALLEJUJAH for the Maugansville Martin's.
For dinner I had sautéed spinach and mushrooms over bean threads (weird clear chewy noodles)
For dessert (YES) I had a smoothie made of unsweetened almond milk, frozen bananas, and PB - that was really good!!
It's interesting trying to live off of the cast off side dishes of our culture lol. I am often hungry even after I eat because let's face it...this stuff isn't filling! But...isn't that the point? God fill me with you as I deny myself of choice food.
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