LiveSlow

Heavenly Hummus

I am a snacker...so you'll be seeing snack recipes.  Like right now I'm eating Terra Chips which are chips made out of root vegetables.  So good, but not as good as my mother-in-law's hummus which comes from heaven.  The key to making silky hummus is "slowness", so take your time and be patient, it will be worth it.  Eat it with whole wheat pita bread and if you like, have some kalamata olives on the side.  

Ingredients:

   One can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans-rinsed and drained

   1 clove of garlic (peeled)

   2 tbsp of tahini (Sesame paste) can be found at the    grocery 

   the juice of two lemons (as my M-I-L likes to say)

   tsp of salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.  The key is to get a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and, as it's blending, "help" the process along.  Gently dip the tip of your spoon into the blender and pull the mixture toward you slowly at first.  I've ruined many a wooden spoon by putting it in too deeply, so be careful.  Only once have I gotten a splinter in my tongue....and that was two weeks ago and I didn't make the hummus!!!

You may need to add a tbsp or two of water to get it to your desired texture. This helps ensure that your hummus is silky and not chunky/grainy.  If it feels too grainy, keep at it.  It can take up to 15 minutes to get the hang of it, but don't give up. 

Taste test and add more lemon or salt as necessary.  

Daniel Fast - Day 2

Ra-tio-nal-ize/ 1. To make (something irrational) appear rational or reasonable.  2.  To provide a natural explanation of (as a myth).  3.  To justify (as one's behavior or weaknesses) esp to oneself.  4.  To find plausible but untrue reasons for conduct - 

Today is Day 2 of the fast for me, but it turns out that my church - Lifepoint - doesn't start corporately fasting until Thursday, Jan. 13th.  Between the Facebook messages and planning to fast with other friends during this time, I got the date wrong.  I decided to start yesterday anyway.  Here's why:

I went nuts.  When I realized I didn't have to give up my coffee, chocolate, pastry habit....all sorts of happy joyful feelings flooded my being.  But this isn't about food, it's about me and God.  You see, I have a problem (not just pastry related).  

I've become a rationalizer.  My morning prayer time includes prayers like this,

"Dear God.  Thank you for today.  Give me the energy to do what I need to do, the strength of Christ and excellence in all areas so that I may reflect your glory to others."  

Then I have another cup of coffee

        and another

             and later, a bit of chocolate (for the antioxidents)

                   and later, dessert (just a little something sweet)

Then I have a caffeine and sugar induced crash.  Fatigue sets in and I get cranky with people.....people I love and people God loves.  And I haven't done the exercising I'd promised myself I'd do.  

Neither have I reflected excellence or God's glory.  When I drag my sorry self up the stairs to bed, I marvel at the weakness of my leg muscles.

So I started the fast yesterday as an act of submission to God, so that I can cooperate with Him as he answers the prayers I've been praying.  I need purging of my sin and I'm not just being hard on myself - it's my gluttonous sin:

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me."  For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  "   James 1:13-15

This is good for you, if you want to fast but have been making excuses of your own. It means you still have time to get to the grocery store before you change your mind:)

Later today, I'll be posting a recipe for my mother-in-law's amazing hummus. 

Daniel Fast - Day 1

So, I just finished the last sip of my morning coffee.  "What?!  Isn't that cheating?" you ask.  

No, it's preventing an incredible headache is what it's doing.  Don't worry.  I only had 2 cups instead of my usual 3 during my quiet time with God.  That's what I love about the guidelines on this fast, it tells you to start "Where you are" and specifically mentions caffeine withdrawl.  So I'll be cutting it out incrementally - a little each day.  It doesn't count for my other great love - chocolate.  

Chocolate is bye-bye for now and since I polished off an entire Lindt Intense Orange chocolate bar last night, I'll be satisfied for a day or so.  

As of two days ago I hadn't committed to this fast, but as I was complaining about it God showed me that I needed to "return to him" in certain areas of my heart that are frankly pretty crappy.  I'm eager to seek him through this time,  allow him to show me what's really in there and help me get rid of it. 

The post before this one is a shopping list for the fast.

I'll be posting some recipes - not every day though!  So if you've never done a Daniel fast before and don't know what to cook, use the recipes at the end of the guidelines provided by Lifepoint Church.

And remember, this fast is not about the food - it's about getting closer to God, so follow along using the daily devotional as well.  You can follow online or print it out.  The recipes are just a bonus!

My meals for today are:

Breakfast - fruit, brown rice cake w/almond butter and a touch of sea salt

Lunch - marinated chickpeas.  

               Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas, add a little olive oil, lemon juice, red onion, and diced fresh tomatoes.  Refrigerate 1-2 hours and eat - yummy!

Dinner* - Butternut Squash casserole (butternut squash was not on the shopping list - sorry!)

Ingredients:  1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced.  1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1/2 cup apple cider or juice, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (substitute olive if you want), 2 tsbp agave nectar or liquid Stevia if you have it, 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds or pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 F, combine squash and onion in 9 x 12-inch casserole.  In small bowl, whisk together apple cider, oil and nectar.  Pour over squash, top with almonds, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes or until tender.  

*This recipe comes from the cookbook:  Clean Food by Terry Walters, slightly adapted however because she uses pure maple syrup as a natural sweetener.

 

Shopping List for Daniel Fast

Here's a quick and easy list to have on hand in case you'll be following some of the recipes I'll be making during the 21-day Daniel Fast.

The devotional and fasting guide can be found online at Lifepoint Church and there are additional recipes that can be found at the end of the guide.  Check out the link: http://www.lifepointnow.com/

Shopping List:

carrots, blueberries, tomatoes (3-4), bananas,

red onion, bag of lemons, butternut squash (1)

apples (5-6), fresh parsley, pineapple, cucumbers (2),

limes (3), sweet potatoes (2), veggie broth (2-3 cans),

apple juice/cider, unsweetened soy milk, agave nectar,

almond butter, rolled oats, steel cut oats, quinoa (keen-wah)

brown rice cakes, pecans, walnuts, honey,

almonds, unsweetened coconut, sea salt, 2 cans of chickpeas

2 cans of white beans, Ezekiel bread*, dried cranberries

romaine lettuce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar,

*Ezekiel bread can be found in the freezer/refrigerated section of most grocery stores.   It's sprouted grain and needs to be kept refrigerated.

     Because of the large amounts of fruits and vegetables it's better to shop more frequently in order to keep them from spoiling.

 

Rejection Wrap Up

Happy New Year everyone.  I'm back from a long trip from the Turks and Caicos Islands, which is an amazing place with perfectly turquoise blue waters.  We ended 2010 in a celebratory fashion and let me tell you how grateful I am to God.  My commitment to Live Slow allowed me to have Christmas all wrapped up well before the trip.  We came back Christmas Eve and had more wonderful family time. After that, I enjoyed a visit from my best friend Terri and then, traveled to Virginia to visit my ailing grandma.  Again.....if my life had been junked up with "stuff" I may never have experienced all of the blessings I've received in the last 3 weeks.  And now I'm back....

I'm going to take this time to wrap up those gifts of rejection I never got to, because tomorrow marks the beginning of a 21-day Daniel fast with several churches nationwide.  I'll spend the next 21 days, blogging about the fasting and posting recipes for those following along.  Here are the rest of the gifts:

Gift # 3:  Rejection draws you closer to Christ, as you intimately experience what he dealt with almost daily.

Gift # 4:  Rejection changes your perception about yourself and those around you.  It allows you to empathize and have compassion for people who face rejection for whatever reason.  

Gift # 5:  Rejection also makes you aware of how you reject and judge others...you may think you don't, but it helps you look deeply into the depths of your heart.

Gift # 6:  Rejection cuts to the heart of truth and makes you keenly aware of your dealings with others and God.

Gift 7:  Rejection is a fact of life.  I'm reminded of this when I watch children experience bullying in any form.  It's always been a problem and while painful, trains us for the future.

Gift 8:  Rejection is a great teacher.  Jesus reminds us what to look for in his disciples.  A disciple produces fruit.

"Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."  

                                                              Matt 7:15-20

Gift 9:  Being rejected, is a great reminder of how you reject God.  Every time you decide to disobey or decide that you know better than He does, he'll remind you otherwise.  This is a great gift.

Gift 10:  Rejection makes you realize how much God loved you.  He loved you so much that he endured it on your behalf and died for you.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16 

                That's the best gift EVER!!

Friendships

Gift Number Two - Knowing who your friends are!

As I walked away in tears, her accusations ran through my head.  Was any of it true? I wondered. Someone once told me that when someone criticizes you, there's often a grain of truth and it's important to look for it.  And there was some truth to what she was saying; she managed to twist it around and use it as a weapon, but it was there.  

It's funny how when you recall something like this, your heart can start beating faster - mine's beating faster as I type.  

One of her complaints was that I didn't answer her texts.  She's right, I didn't.   I don't carry my phone with me all the time and it was slightly broken.  Because I was getting a new one, it didn't really matter to me and I didn't think to tell her.  Because it's her form of primary communication, it was really important for her to know that.  She'd been sending me texts about the kids but I didn't get them and instead of asking me why I wasn't responding to her, she stored up her anger and socked it to me. It may seem like a petty thing and it appeared ridiculous to me at the time, but now I understand that to her, it felt like rejection.

After I walked away, I reflected on her words and did the smartest thing - I called my friend Terri.  I needed to talk about it with someone who knew me.  Terri's reassured me that I wasn't crazy and helped me put things into perspective.  A friend who knows you - really knows you - is a great blessing.  Leslie, another old friend who knows me, happened to e-mail me and I told her of my struggle.  Her offer to talk things through with me was like putting lip balm on chapped lips! 

My other neighbor, who saw my tears (because she lives across the street from me) also gave me words of encouragement, "What?! She's crazy! What's she talking about?"  So even in my sorrow, I experienced joy and God's comfort.

"A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity."  Proverbs 17:17

 

The 12 gifts of rejection

I don't even know if there ARE twelve gifts of rejection, but as I recount the lessons I've learned, I bet I could make it work.  Anyway, I figured it'd be perfect for the holidays, like the twelve days of Christmas without the eight maids a milkin' and other random gifts you never wanted:)

Gift Number One - Intimacy with God

I met my friend and her husband at our kids' bus stop on a chilly fall morning.  We'd had this weird tension between us and I couldn't figure out why, so clearing up the matter would be good.....I thought. Our sons were best friends and neither one of them understood why she was keeping them apart.  For several days, I'd had a nagging feeling it wasn't gonna go well, but I brushed it off because there was no earthly reason for conflict.

 We shared the usual bus stop small talk and when the kids were gone and we'd walked down the street, I began the conversation.  I was there to talk about making arrangements for them to play (as we'd agreed on in several text messages) but her agenda was different.  She used the opportunity to tell me everything she thought was wrong with my child and with me as a parent.  I was stunned. When I questioned her reasoning and contradicted her words, she yelled, insulted me and told lies about me and my child.  

It was one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had.  I listened and when I attempted a rebuttal or sought clarification, she screamed louder and accused me of not listening.  It lasted at least ten minutes, but seemed like forever.   In that time, she managed to strike at all the tender parts of my life.  I felt stripped bare.  Her husband tried to calm her down but she was totally out of control and I ended up walking away from the friendship and conversation - bewildered and teary eyed.   

As I prayed to God for understanding, He tenderly pointed out my own form of rejection toward Him:

He'd repeatedly tried to prepare my spirit for this assault, but I brushed it aside as "illogical." 

In my effort to be a "good neighbor" and a "nice person," I'd also glossed over his truth:

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.  Luke 6:43-45

Thornbushes and briers are prickly and when you get tangled up in them, you get hurt!  It was my own fault and I wanted so much to be liked by her, that I ignored obvious signs.  As I write, I'm embarrassed, but I'm going to keep going anyway.  

We were both new to the area and seemed to have so much in common. Our sons were the same age, in the same class, rode the same bus and I was so excited for him to have a friend and neighbor, that I believed everything she told me.  I chose to believe her, even though her actions were contrary to the things she said.  She was cute, perky, extremely snarky and sarcastic.  She struggled to find a church but found  they weren't "spiritual enough" for her.  She was arrogant, spoke badly about her parents and siblings, gossiped and spoke openly about God's desires for her life.  I judged her as a believer based on her words and not on her behavior. 

That came back and bit me in the butt later didn't it!?

It was a necessary lesson and although I cried, I also felt joy.  I felt God's comfort, direction and love in spite of the pain. 

                                     Gift Number 2 comes in the next post.....

 

 

Merry Christmas Reject!

Yes, that's right.  I called you a reject. And I wished you Merry Christmas on top of it!  

In light of the past several months I've come to see myself as a reject too, so don't be offended; I'm just starting to get used to it.  I know it's not very "Christmas-y" to talk about rejection during this time of year but I've been profoundly changed in the last few months.  I've decided that rejection and joy walk hand in hand.  It's a weird concept, I know,  but Jesus has taught me so much about Himself through it.  

How can there be joy in rejection?

If you stop and think about it, Christmas celebrates the birth of our Savior and He was rejected before He was ever born.  His mother Mary was rejected after accepting her mission from the Angel Gabriel.  The angel told her she was highly favored  by God and she believed him and then she was rejected by others who didn't believe.  I'm quite certain Joseph wasn't spared the sting of rejection by people he knew when he decided to marry her anyway.

Yes, joy and rejection can go hand in hand and I'll be talking about it for a time during this holiday season.  My hope is that it will bring you to a deeper understanding of our Lord and at the same time, bring YOU joy.

                 "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."  Psalm 118:22

 

Off the Cuff

Ever say something you didn't mean?  You just kind of toss it into the wind and let it fly because it sounds good coming out of your mouth?  I did.  That's why I've been gone for so long.  At the beginning of fall I signed up for a writing course and was supposed to tell my instructor, why I wanted to take it.  I talked about my fear, procrastination and then said, "I'm finally ready to walk the road of rejection." I just threw it out there confidently.

What I meant was.  I was ready to submit my stories and articles and have them rejected by an editor who doesn't know me.  What happened was completely different.  In one of my last posts I wrote about conflict with a couple of neighbors.  I talked about how I knew peace had to start with me.  I knew I was the one who needed to hold out the olive branch.

It didn't go so well.  The olive branch was smacked out of my hand ,so to speak.  It went terribly and I withstood verbal assault and character assassination from a "believer".  Yes, I did just put that into quotes!  

It was a painful and beautiful lesson.  It's a good thing I know my God and know who I am in Christ.  

 

Peace

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  

  He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters, 

  he restores my soul.  

He guides me in paths of righteousness 

  for his name's sake.  

Even though I walk 

  through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, 

  for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, 

  they comfort me."     Psalm 23:1-4

As always, God is smarter than me.  By focusing on Jesus and trusting Him as my shepherd, I've received an invaluable gift; His gift of peace. 

His peace has transformed and comforted me.

My circumstances remain largely unchanged and the month got steadily worse.  However, I've changed and hopefully I can write about it. Hopefully I can explain what's happened over this last month; at least I'm going to try.  For now though, I'm going to continue resting in the green pastures and quiet waters because it's beautiful here and I'm not ready to leave.    

          Have a great Labor Day weekend!