LiveSlow

Quantity Time

It's 4:00 a.m. and I've been up for two hours already. For the third day in a row, I find myself walking around the house in the middle of the night. I'm tired but I can't sleep because my mind won't let me. I just figured out why.....

I've arrived.

Yep! For the first time in my life, or at least since early childhood, I've got time on my hands and lots of it. All the projects I've worked on since last year are finished and I'm taking the week off before I finally write the work God's given me. This is a very interesting feeling.

As I laid in bed restless, I realize how valuable "work" can be to one's spirit. I'm fully convinced that because my mind isn't occupied with loads of stuff during the day, I'm not tired enough. I'm tired due to lack of sleep, but not because I'm busy.

A couple of minutes ago, I gave my animals cat treats...even the dog. He gobbled up a couple of them and then looked up at me like, "What the heck!? Where's my chicken chew lady?" It wasn't what he was used to....kinda like the way I feel now.

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17

 

Small victories

Any victory from God is a good one: update on the last post...

1.  Things are quiet....no weirdness since then.

2. The police had a meeting about our neighbor, and collectively agree there is a   problem - that is a very good thing!

3. I was able to give the scripture cards to my elderly neighbor and now she stands  in front of her windows and repeats them. She's using the sword of the spirit - that is a great thing!

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 

                                                                                                                                               2 Cor 10:4

Jericho Walk

Yesterday I walked around my block seven times. It was a long walk against a strong, cold wind. The last time I did that, was in response to God's leading, but this time I just did it because it'd worked before and I didn't know what else to do. My neighbor's malicious harassment of other neighbors is mostly done in secret. She calls the police like you'd call a pizza delivery man. She has a list of infractions:

Things like kids playing basketball in the street and blocking the flow of traffic. We have no traffic and there is no flow! She calls if she sees a kid step on her grass. She slanders people. She lies about them. She calls to say that children are being neglected because they're playing outside unattended.....kids blowing bubbles on their lawn are now considered neglected. Even the police are irritated but they have to respond to every call. I'm pretty sure she gets her jollies this way.

My neighbors have had a window broken, motor oil spilled in their beach coolers, a car "keyed"....all in the secret darkness of the night. It's malicious, childish and sad that a grown woman feels the need to behave in this way, but it will all come to light because Jesus brings everything into the light. So yesterday I prayed 7 scriptures as I walked. Each time I got in front of her house I paused, read from the index cards I was holding and prayed. 

I realize I look like the crazy one, especially to them because they saw me and must have been wondering what the heck I was doing.  Well lady, if you're reading this I advise you to get help. I prayed you'd be released from whatever has a hold of you.....anger, bitterness, deceit, rage, arrogance, etc. I prayed your children and our children would remain unharmed and that you'd open your heart to God. And I also prayed this scripture:

"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most Holy place. Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them for what they deserve."

                                                                                                           Psalm 28:2-4

Good luck with that last one.

She's at it again!

What, for you, is the hardest teaching of Jesus to apply?

Lately, mine has been (again) on how to love my neighbor. I've been slammed with this one for almost two years and frankly, I'm tired. When I lived outside of DC, I used to lament about not knowing my neighbors. Most people came home from work, drove straight into their garages and were never seen. I used to think it was the wrong way to be, but now that I've experienced the "greener grass" on the other side of the fence, I might change my mind.

For you longtime readers, you'll remember a post a year ago about a wacky neighbor. I had to remove the post......because she's wacky. Long story short, she goes on  bullying sprees and picks on various neighbors maliciously. She did a good job of driving one family out and since then, she's had her eyes on others. Like most bullies, she doesn't pick on people her own size. The first time she got her jollies by harassment, it was against innocent children. Now she's onto a senior citizen couple and I'm so mad I could spit.

The last time this happened, I went on a Jericho walk and prayed.  I'll tell you about that tomorrow.   Jesus tells us plainly:

Luke 6:27

 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

I know we're not helpless. I know I'm fighting a spiritual battle and although I used to struggle with a vengeful heart, I thankfully don't feel that now. I'm not storing wrath in my heart, but at the same time, it's really difficult to love your neighbor when she's also an enemy.

 

I Refuse

As you listen to and think about this song...pray about it.  Is there's something God's called you (and nobody but you) to do? Do it - don't refuse!  I am so moved by this song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbH0IWZL05s

 

 

Snickerdoodles

How did I break my fast?  With banana bread and snickerdoodles. I was actually late to church on Sunday because my banana bread wasn't done and I was determined to eat a piece hot and slathered with butter. I ate it in the car and smacked my kids' hands away when they tried to get some.  

As for the snickerdoodles, I've had lots and lots of them. I'm not kidding... like 15 of them. I was drooling and just waiting to open that oven door. Oh Lord, thank you for creating whomever came up with the idea of snickerdoodles.

What did you break your fast with?

Some things have not changed (my sweet tooth) and some things have (a lessened desire for meat). I still love coffee but can't seem to drink very much of it, which is a good thing.

The best thing of all still belongs to God. Even though my fast ended a few days ago, I'm still reaping the benefits of his goodness and faithfulness. Spiritual breakthrough, answered prayer, peace, and healing work only he can do. 

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long." Psalm 71:8

 

Bigness

It's past time that I give God praise for the amazing things he's done in my life during this fasting time. I've seen him work in the most amazing ways....in spite of my failure....and honey, there has been failure during this time.  Yesterday I was almost giddy and I caught myself thinking, "I should fail more often because it's been a great teacher about the mighty power of my God."  Then I thought, "Wait! What kind of loser thinks she should fail more often?"

No, I don't want to fail - I want to be victorious in Christ.  In spite of my weaknesses though, I see that even when I do fall down, God still holds me up.

He's shown me just how BIG he really is.  Big is a small word - huge is better, but as I think about it, I keep coming up with "bigness." He answered prayers that I hadn't dared to utter out loud.  How does He do that???  And why would he?  Because He is grace and love in its fullness.

I've seen him change the hearts of people I've been praying for and those surrounding them - people I don't even know, but I know He's at work and it's marvelous and mysterious.

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

          Are you an eyewitness of his majesty? 

 

Fail

When something goes wrong my kids yell, "FAIL!!"  They usually do so with much exuberance and seem to be able to move past the failure pretty quickly, but it's not the same for me.  I tend to hold onto things and beat myself up a little before I'm able to move on.  The last few days has felt like one giant FAIL!! for me.  I'd told myself at the beginning of the fast that if I needed to, I'd add in eggs and cheese as a protein source, but my pride got the best of me and I didn't.  

If you know me, you know that I'm smallish in stature and form....I'm thin.  Eating only vegetables and grains had an opposite effect on me and instead of feeling healthy, I felt like a half dead animal on the side of the road.  I also started praying like a half dead animal needing rescue.   Instead of focusing on God, I focused only on determining which foods wouldn't make me sicker.  I'll spare you the details of my delicate digestive system and simply inform you that I've added some necessary lean protein to my diet.  I feel semi-normal again.  I also drank coffee for a couple of days this weekend in order to clear away headaches related to some joint and muscle pain. It worked. I'm coffee free again, but if that feeling comes back before this fast is over, I'm back on coffee.  Now, if only I could use chocolate as medicine....

Also, in the last few days my husband had a health crisis and my doctor told me I need a biopsy - we both need prayer!  The irony of all this is that the timing of this fast couldn't be better.  My husband's health crisis is dietary in nature and will require an overhaul of the way our entire family eats.  The type of cooking I'll have to do is based on using food AS medicine.

 Today I had a veggie sandwich on homemade whole wheat pita and I used mashed avocado with a little salt as a sort of "mayonnaise" - it was great.  Avocados are nutrient dense, contain more potassium than bananas and are high in lutein which promotes healthy skin and eyes.

                  GUACAMOLE RECIPE*

3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed, 1 lime - juiced, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup diced onion, 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 2 plum tomatoes - diced, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 pinch cayenne pepper.

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt.  Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes and garlic.  Stir in cayenne pepper.  Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor or serve immediately.                                                                   *  found on allrecipes.com

 

 

Daniel fast - Day 6 - Porridge Recipe

I finally gave up my coffee.  I'd gotten myself weaned down enough that I think tomorrow my caffeine headache will be about half what it'd normally be - we'll see.  I'd struggled with that aspect of this fast because my coffee time IS my God time.  We've been sitting together that way for almost 7 years. Early in the morning, when everyone's sleeping and the house is still and quiet - I have my quiet time with God and it's my favorite part of the day.  

Why would I give up my favorite part of the day? I've got to make it about God alone.  I'm going to do it as an offering.  I'm not a new faster...it's pretty regular for me, but I'm hoping I'll see God in a fresh way new way.  The big part for me, is that I'm determined not to substitute that cup of coffee for tea or anything else warm.  I'm praying that as I leave that bit of human comfort behind and turn to Him, I'll discover that sweetness and warmth without any kind of outside help.  I'll let you know how that goes!

 This morning when I was thinking about the offering part of it, I was reminded of Gideon.  I was reminded that he - when the Angel of the Lord visited - asked for a sign and then asked him to wait so he could make an offering.  He ran inside, cooked a meal and then brought it back out to God.  Isn't that strange?  That's a little of what I'm doing.  I can't go cook a meal for God and bring it back to him, but I can offer what I have.

It's a great story and you can read it in Judges 6:1-40.

Here's a recipe:  Porridge (not gross like the kind the orphans ate in Oliver Twist!)

Steel cut oats (I use John McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal), agave nectar or honey, sliced bananas, pecans, 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut.

Cook oats according to directions (1 cup of oatmeal makes too much for me so I usually halve it), once oatmeal is cooked, put it in a bowl, swirl a little agave nectar on top, add bananas, nuts and coconut.  Soy milk will also make it creamier.

This rough oatmeal is really good for you and very filling.  I eat it frequently for breakfast and make different varieties using dried fruits, nuts and when I'm not fasting, pure organic maple syrup.  

 

Daniel Fast - Day 5 (for me)

Yesterday as I was walking through the grocery store to stock up on more vegetables, I passed by the dairy case and thought, "There's not a thing in there I can eat."  I walked over to it and started to scan the items hoping and praying there was some sort of butter type product that would pass as Daniel fast acceptable.  Sigh.

Then I looked around and thought, "No wait, think about all the AMAZING foods God does provide for us!"  I think that was a gentle reminder from the Holy Spirit and I was grateful for it.

                          The last several days have been eye opening in many ways:

I realize how I take food for granted - often eating without thinking

My pantry is stuffed with carbs.  I look in it every day and yet, every day it doesn't change - it's chock full of unhealthy carbs!  The question should be,  "Why do I keep looking in there?"

I'm starting to feel more nutritionally satisfied - nutrition is a good thing!

As for God, my time with him each morning is always satisfying and nothing fills me up more.

Here are some random snack ideas and a recipe for really good black beans:

edamame (soy beans) with sea salt, dried figs and plums for sweets cravings, homemade trail mix (pepitos, sunflower seeds, raisins, almonds).  Tomorrow I'm gonna try to make homemade potato chips and will write out the recipe if they're good.  I've been experimenting with other recipes and some are definitely not worth the time I put into them.  Because I'm the only one in my house fasting, I'm eating a lot of leftovers (blech).

The last couple of days I've eaten salads, brown rice pasta with marinara, and veggie sandwiches on Ezekiel bread and black bean and brown rice burritos*  The tortillas were made with Spelt because I don't like whole wheat tortillas.  I also cook my rice in vegetable broth to add flavor.

Black Bean Ingredients:

1 can black beans (drained & rinsed) 1/4 cup diced green pepper, 1/4 cup diced red pepper, 1/4 cup diced onion, 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp olive oil, seasalt to taste.

Recipe:  saute peppers and onions in olive oil until tender, add black beans, broth, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until most of the broth has evaporated.  

The beans can be mixed with rice to make a complete meal and rolled into a tortilla, or just eaten out of a bowl.  

                     These are great, but they're still better with cheese and sour cream:)