The 7 Experiment - Week 1 almost done!

I am almost done!  As I sit here and type I am on the last day of my food fast.  I have lived off the $47.25 food budget for the week (minus one molten lava cake).  It has been harder than I though, but also moved me more than I thought.

This first time we did this study about a year ago, I didn't choose to alter my diet in any way.  Instead I felt my excess at that time was brought on by disorganization in my kitchen, so I cleaned out my pantry and fridge.  Helpful - yes.  Sacrifice - not really.  Especially after going through this week.  However that is ok.  It still got me started on the path towards getting rid of excess.  This week has definitely been more of a challenge.  I am a little tired of peanut butter toast (I have had this at least once a day every day this week) and pasta.  I miss my snacks, and while I have been eating every meal, my tummy has been rumbling with hunger a little more than usual.

My husband asked me last night what I had taken away from this week, and I realized that I had really taken away much more than the last time.  I realized that it is hard to eat healthy on the budget I was given.  I was able to purchase some organic soups and pasta sauce, but my portions had to be very controlled and there was nothing left over for snacks.  My heart (and stomach) ached for those who live on this budget week after week.  I also realized that the support provided does not increase equally per person.  So while I was able to get $47.25 for my week, If I were buying for a family of four, it would go down to $39.50 per person.  I realize that buying in bulk makes it easier, but it is still a challenge.  Especially if you have growing kiddos that are big eaters!  It makes me realize how important the food pantry programs are.  Our local programs such as, Frisco Family Services, Fast Pacs, and Love Pacs are all instrumental in making sure that families have the food they need to give their families meals.  

We had a few ice days this past week, and I didn't think about it until yesterday that those kids who receive the Frisco Fast Pacs, which gives them food to have over the weekend, may have been going with very little to eat on Monday and Tuesday.  While some moms were complaining that they were ready for the kids to go back to school because they were driving them crazy, I am sure that some moms were praying their kids could go back to school, so they could have a decent meal to fill their little bellies.  It just broke my heart to think about.  

So this week has resulted in some some hunger, some whining, some thinking, and some prayer.  What am I going to do about it?  I have been a supporter of the Frisco Family Services and Fast Pacs for awhile, but on more of an urgent need basis.  When I get an email that there is low stock or and urgent need for an item, I may run out and get it if the budget allows.  Now I am feeling that there should be a budget for this to give regularly.  I have learned this past week that I really don't need as much food as I buy.  I don't need endless choices that end up resulting in thrown out food at the end of the week.  That money can go towards feeding someone else who may not be able to do so.  Would it be possible to eliminate urgent needs of food pantries if we all just took a few dollars out of our budget every week and gave more regularly?  Food for thought (yes pun intended).

It just so happens that our church is hosting a food drive for Love Pacs this Sunday (March 1st).

 Love Pacs is similar to Fast Pacs in that it provides food for kiddos that may not have it when they are not at school, but Love Pacs provides it for the school breaks (Spring Break, Winter Break, etc.), while Fast Pacs covers the weekends.  If you feel so led to help, you can bring donations up to First Frisco United Methodist Church this week or Sunday morning to help with this effort.  They are in need of the following easy to open/minimal cooking items:

Bread

Peanut Butter

Squeezable Jelly

Bag of cereal or individual boxes of cereal

Pop-top cans of veggies, meat, pasta, or soup

Fruit cups, cans of fruit, applesauce

Small boxes of raisins/dried fruit

Crackers (cheese or peanut butter)

Large box/bag of goldfish, animal crackers. or pretzels

Large bag of trail mix

They also accept the following hygiene items:

Laundry detergent

Toothpaste

Toothbrush

Deodorant
Shampoo
Body wash/soap

This is just a suggestion for a way to help.  I see it as no coincidence for me though.  I feel that this was put in my path this week for a reason.  I pray that you find what God puts in your path for you.  Until next time... :)

P.S. I felt obligated to add a comment on my one "cheat."  It is an annual tradition for my son and me to go to Chili's on a date and have molten lava cake while my husband and daughter go to the local Daddy Daughter dance.  I couldn't pass it up. ;)

I am already hungry

Ok, so it is day 1 of my Food fasting week, and I am already hungry! (And also already whiny.)  For those who are just tuning in, I have started the study, The 7 Experiment; Staging Your Own Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.  I am hosting the study on the Breaking for Good facebook site, and we just finished the intro and reading week 1.  We each decided how we would go about our food fast, since no two have to be alike.

For some reason poverty in my own community has been on my heart recently.  I have been trying to be more involved with a group called Fast Pacs, which provides food over the weekend to children in the public schools here in Frisco.  It's hard to think that in such an affluent area that we have children, MANY children, who might go all weekend without a meal.  Frisco Fast Pacs literally packs grocery bags with donated food and gives them to the schools to send home with the kiddos on Fridays.  Last year my kiddos and I participated at a pack, and it was awesome to see many people coming together and giving up their time to make sure the kiddos don't have to go hungry.  In the past I have also worked with families that are at or below the poverty line.  Many of them struggling to work, take care of their kiddos, and make ends meet, it would just break my heart.  I realized that even at our "poorest" point, I never had to go through that.  This led me to choose my fast.  I looked up how much the SNAP (food stamps) amount would be for a single person in Texas. The monthly amount was $189.  I divided it by 4 (4 weeks) to get $47.25.  That became my food budget for the week.  I could not buy any more food/drink than that $47.25 would get me.

At first I thought it would be so easy!  It's just me eating, and I can shop smart.  Then I actually started shopping.  Got a couple soups that would each last me two meals, got some jugs of water (b/c yes I am a water snob), got coffee and creamer (b/c that is a staple people!), and went on to get the rest of my items.  What started off as so easy became harder and harder as the shopping trip went on. Keeping up with the prices of everything, and trying to make sure that I had somewhat of a balance with the food, it was making me a little crazy by the end.  I finally finished and rang out with $42.03.  I figured that gave me a dollar or two if I needed it later in the week.

Here was my stash at the end of the shopping trip.

I thought I had done pretty well until I realized...I had no snacks.  Luckily the cereal doubled well as a snack, but not quite the same.  Oh well.  Lunch was a tasty peanut butter and banana sandwich, and afternoon snack was a handful of cereal and an orange.  For dinner I had some of the soup and two pieces of dry toast.  Then I had another piece of bread...because I was still hungry!  That was a running theme today in that I ate, but it was always enough just to take the edge off.  I am used to being basically a glutton when I want, but today I had to walk the line of eating enough to give my body some fuel, but also remembering that this food has to last me all week.  

It was an interesting situation this evening, I was trying to figure out what to have after dinner before the last piece of bread.  Feeling frustrated and a little envious of my children who were chowing down on mango and chicken nuggets with ketchup at the dinner table, I thought of how silly it was.  While I have made this my fast for the week it is not my reality.  If I really wanted to just break down and have something else I could.  Then I thought this is really someone's reality.  Making the food last all week because it they ran out too soon there would b nothing left until the next week.  Having bare pantry and an empty refrigerator.  This overwhelming humbling feeling came over me as I thought of those people.  It gave me a chance to not only say thank you for what I have been blessed with, but also to pray for those who are truly hungry tonight, tomorrow and every night.  Those bellies that are not full.  The mamas who have to hear their kiddos cry about being hungry and not being able to give them anything to eat.  

It doesn't just humble me though it makes me want to spring to action.  What can I do?  What is my part in this?  God how do you want to move through me during this time?  I am already hungry...to hear your call. 

The 7 Experiment Starts tonight!!

I am so excited to start this journey with you!  This will be my first online study to participate in, let alone lead.  I am a little apprehensive, nervous, but mostly just ready to get started!
I came across Jen Hatmaker's study a few years ago at a local Christian bookstore.  I noticed the cover, and I thought this would be a neat book to read, but didn't get it at the time.  It stuck in my head though, and when someone in our Sunday school brought it up as a possible study a little over a year ago, I was all about it.  Once in the midst of it, it wasn't always fun or easy, but I absolutely loved it.
This is a great study to be starting post-New Year/Lent season, as it will cause you to really take inventory of the excess you have in your life and methods to start eliminating that.  I caution though that this study is what you make of it.  If you do this half-hardheartedly and not being honest with yourself, you might get something out of it, but you are cheating yourself  out of the full experience of really freeing yourself from the excess in your life that is weighing you down.  Another caution, as we will discuss our experiences on the FB page weekly, is that no one's experience will be the same.  No one's life is the same, so why should our experience be?  What is easy to give up for one person may be excruciating for someone else.  No judging, of others or yourself.
If you would like to join us for the study, please join the Breaking for Good Facebook group.  Just request an invite to the group, and I will approve it.  The group is closed for many reasons.
1. It provides a more private atmosphere to allow us to express our experiences without it going all over everyone's newsfeed who is not in the group.
2.  It also allows me to remove anyone who is abusing the group or mistreating anyone during discussion.
The study starts tonight at 7:30 with a live chat at the FB page above.  If you can't make it this week, no worries!  Just read the info from the chat tonight and get with us next week.
One more note be sure to buy the The 7 Experiment: staging YOUR OWN mutiny against excess.  This is different from the book Jen wrote about her personal experience.

Thank you and hope to see you there!

Children's sermon - Free the Prisoner

Well last week was my turn to do children's sermon, and as I was looking over the verse and the sermon title for that Sunday, I couldn't think of anything.  The verse was Isaiah 61:1~

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

    for the Lord has anointed me

    to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted

    and to proclaim that captives will be released

    and prisoners will be freed.

The title was "Setting Prisoners Free."  Sometimes when I look at the verse and/or the title of the upcoming sermon, I immediately start coming up with ideas and things to talk about.  This was not the case this time.  It's not that that verse isn't inspirational.  It totally is!  I love the message and the sentiment it conveys.  It's just relating that message to a group of kids from preschool up to 5th grade is not an easy task.  I went to my trusty Google to search other children's sermons on that verse and the topic of setting prisoners free to build some inspiration.  No luck.  Apparently not many children's sermons have been derived from this verse.  Finally I was able to find a sermon about Martin Luther King Jr. which gave me a little spark, especially since MLK Jr. day was the day after I was giving my sermon (sometimes it's just a God thing).  After that I started brainstorming different ways to convey what prison must feel like, and I thought about how we may not be prisoners in the sense that we have committed a crime and gone to jail, but in the way that we create our own prisons everyday.  I thought of how I feel when I create my own prison when I let the things of this world become more prominent that God.  Trapped.  How could I show this to the kids though?

Sunday morning, I ran up to the Sunday School supply closet (because it has EVERYTHING!) and grabbed my supplies.  I went back into the sanctuary and set them down where I would be speaking.  When it came time for children's sermon, I had my son sit in front of me, so I could use him for my demonstration.  I asked the kids about why they would be out of school the following day, and they excitedly told me about Martin Luther King day.  I asked why he was important, and they spoke about how he fought for civil rights.  I told them yes, that he like many others in this world fought for freedom for everyone, no matter what you look like.  I asked them if they knew about prison, then I asked them if they knew that you could be in prison without actually going to jail.  I had my son stand up and hold a piece of yarn that I had grabbed.  I asked the kids how we might create our own prisons, and they called out things like - lying, saying not nice words, being mean to your dog, hurting others, etc.  Everytime that they called something out, I would have my son spin around holding the yarn thus wrapping his body and arms up in the circles of yarn.  The pastors and I called out a few more things to help them out, like unforgiveness (who me?), fear (yep), and getting a bad case of the "I wants" (ouch).  AT the end I asked if he could get out, and he said "no."  We talked about how he was trapped in this "prison" and how he felt trapped.  I also tried to show that even if I tried to help him by pulling on the yarn, I couldn't set him free. Then I brought out my scissors, and I told the kids that the scissors represented Jesus.  As I easily cut through the yarn, I explained that Jesus is the only one who can set us free when we create these "prisons," and we need to turn to him for help when we are feeling trapped.  We finished up with a prayer thanking God for Jesus and all the others who fought for freedom.  

Not exactly something based on the scripture, but I felt it was a success.  Kids stayed interested and engaged, and I am pretty sure they got the point.  It also made me realize some of the prisons I have created for myself recently, and now that I am aware, I can begin to turn to Jesus to set me free.  :)

Advent Fail

The title really sums it up.  I had such great intentions this year.  Even my last blog post was about how I was trying to make more room for Jesus this year, more studies, more Christ-centered moments with my family, and it was going so well....until the week before Christmas.  I had to follow up b/c I felt guilty leaving that last post, and people reading this thinking that I had done so well.  Reality hit, as did the craziness of last minute Christmas stuff, and I had to post about that as well because from the beginning I said this was about the good and the bad.
I have to say, our Jesse tree devotional was going great, and the kids really enjoyed reading the stories starting with creation and leading to the birth of Jesus then hanging the ornament.  To be honest this was the one advent activity that lasted the longest for us.  Don't be fooled though.

On Christmas Eve when I took this picture of our completed Jesse Tree, we had done the last 4-5 all at once.  I thought, well at least we did it.  We limped across the finish line, but we finished it up.  Our family advent calendar, was for the most part done, just lacking in a few days, but one of them was our RACK (Random Act of Christmas Kindness), which bothered me.  Oh well, 3 out of 4 aren't bad, and we did get our cookies delivered the local fire station on Christmas Day.  Don't even get me started on my Advent Study I was to be reading.  Ugh, fail,
I was thinking the other day about what went wrong, where the distraction came in, and I realized that maybe it was too much.  Maybe simple is better.  We try and fill our holidays with so much magic and perfection that it can't possibly reach our own expectations.  I think about the first Christmas.  Mary and Joseph rode into Bethlehem on a donkey...a donkey!  Ladies can you even imagine?  Even sitting in my car which has shocks and comfy seats was no fun at that point in pregnancy.  Then they get to stay in a stable (translation - barn).  Once again, 9 months pregnant, just rode in on a donkey, and she gets to not only sleep, but also GIVE BIRTH in a barn on some hay (if she is lucky) with all kinds of animals around her.  It's a far cry from the deluxe suites and birthing rooms we have here.  Then Joseph is not only her lamaze coach, but also her OB and her nurse.  I would have been in so much trouble as my husband would have been passed out on the floor with some animal licking his face I am sure.  Pretty sure there wasn't any sterilized tools in the stable or ice chips for her to crunch on.  Once Jesus is born, he is wrapped in cloth and laid in a manger.  A manger where animals typical eat out of.  Just the thought makes this germaphob shudder.  She didn't even have any wipes to wipe it down with first (gasp)!  It's truly amazing that both Mary and Jesus (and possibly Joseph) even survived the whole experience!  Yet that is how our Savior entered the world, and that is all the magic and perfection that Christmas really needs.  We can try and fill it with activities, visits to Santa, making cookies and treats, gift buying, parties and such, but really all we need is the baby in the manger.
I am going to try (repeat try) to remember this next as I plan our Advent season.  Keep it simple. Yes we will still have fun, but not put so much stress upon myself to create this "perfect" Christmas for my family.  I can't because someone already did many.many years ago.  You cannot create what already exists.

I bought ANOTHER Advent Devotional

The season of Advent is upon us.  Undoubtedly this is my favorite time of year.  The celebrations, the traditions, the movies, the food, all of it just makes me happy...most of the time.  I say that only because now that I am a grown up and a mom, there is a certain amount of stress and anxiety that comes with all of that too.  This is on my short list for what I am doing this month:

*Make sure that the angel gifts get bought, labeled, and delivered to each child's class (my son forgot to turn his in and didn't realize it until I pointed out that they were still in his backpack - luckily it wasn't the deadline yet).
*Buy gifts for family, friends, teachers, activity leaders, church staff, the DOG (yes I know - he is a family member in our eyes), and whoever else I suddenly remember last minute...depends of if I can turn off my shopping gene.
*Decorate our new house, and since it's a new house, of course we need a new tree, new decorations, etc. b/c the old ones just didn't look right, or we needed decorations for a banister, which we didn't have in the old house (I know, I know, my eyes are rolling at myself as I type this).  Also try to keep puppy from eating all decorations, including the elf.
*Celebrate my husband's birthday (has nothing to do with Advent other than it falls in the season).  It's a big one though, so we need to do it right.  You only turn 35 once!
*Volunteer at our local Family Services organization to help with gift distribution.
*Baking.....lots and lots of baking.
*Do daily (yes daily) activities which I planned out myself for our family Advent activity calendar.  Some are easy and helpful (put stamps on Christmas Cards) and some I am wondering if I just like to punish myself (painting ornaments - this will inevitably end up with someone mad that their ornament didn't turn out, they didn't find the color they wanted, spilled water cups with diluted paint running all over the table).  To add to that, we also have the chocolate Advent calendars, and the Lego Advent Calendar.
*Prep and co-direct our children's Christmas musical at church.  This has been in the works since August.  This last month is the putting it all together, getting the props, costumes, gifts for helpers, final rehearsals and finally the final show with a gift drive for the teens and elderly in the community.  This pretty much dominates my weekends in December.  Luckily I have a partner in crime that shares my stress...I mean joy! ;)
*Parties - oh the parties.  They really are fun, but at some point I am just glad when they are all done.  We have Sunday School parties, Children's Programs parties, Bible Study group parties, school parties, and work parties.  Like I said they are all fun, but being an introvert by nature, I am exhausted by the end of the month, and I just want to crawl into my bed and watch Dancing with the Stars/Greys Anatomy/Parenthood/Blacklist episodes all day.
*Almost forgot the elf!  Now we don't have the traditional elf on the shelf.  Our elf Charlie even looks different.  He just comes to share in the joy of Christmas with us, so my kids are able to touch, hold, and even play with the elf.  When he comes, they immediately start showing him all the holiday decor that is up, and this year my daughter even had him sleep with her the first night he arrived.  Now with that comes sporadic movement.  He moved 2-3 times today just due to the kids wondering if he would move while they were gone.  But he doesn't always have to move at night either.  I am not sure if it makes it better or not.  The true challenge this year, as I stated above, is keeping our puppy who likes to chew everything to bits away from Charlie.  There have been some close encounters, and he even had him in his mouth one time (I thought my daughter was going to lose her mind), but so far so good.

On top of this, we have all the family get togethers.  Now this is my favorite part.  Seeing all my family, eating delicious food, and just enjoying each others company.  We go to see family in Fredericksburg, TX the weekend before Christmas, then Christmas Eve we go to Denison to see more family.  Christmas Day we stay home and any family that wants to come over can do so and celebrate, but I am pretty much not getting out of my pajamas until after noon that day.

All this being said I was wondering if I was a glutton for punishment or just plain crazy when I saw an Advent devotional while browsing through Mardel's this evening.  I was actually looking for the devotional that our Sunday School class is doing, but they didn't have it.  I decided that I would just buy the other one on my Nook.  Since my husband had taken the kids to martial arts class, I decided I would browse around a little bit.  I kept coming back to the same devotional, Waiting Here for You.  I don't know if it was the song that kept coming to my head, or what, but I knew I wasn't leaving the store without purchasing it.  While in the store I kept telling myself that maybe I was over doing it.  I have the Advent devotional from Sunday School, we are doing the Jesse Tree as a family, and I also have the bible verses each day with our family activity.

When I got in the car, it hit me.  How silly I was to think that one more Advent study might be too much.  The season is about preparing ourselves for the coming Christ.  When I look at my schedule, how can I NOT make room to draw nearer to Him, to prepare my mind, heart, and soul for Him?  If anything else I NEED another Advent study.  All the other events of this month can take over and skew my priorities.  Not that any of them are bad, but they pull my thoughts and my time away from the true importance of this season.  A long, long time ago, I am pretty sure that Mary wasn't worried about lugging their tree on the back of that donkey, and the Wise Men themselves only brought only one special gift each for Jesus.  For Jesus, the Savior, Prince of Peace, son of God the Father.  And that was enough.  So while I am feeling the need to go out and buy one more present or decorate one more area of our house, instead I will try and fill my time with His word and preparing myself for the celebration His birth.

Happy Advent. :)

Serving Each Other

I have been hearing about serving our families here lately.  I know my first reaction was, I serve my family everyday as a stay at home mom.  I cook, clean, do laundry and dishes, help with homework, transport children, etc.  Just thinking about it make me tired.  What else could I do?!?  I need someone to serve me!  Then after a few days and some reflection, that idea is still sticking in my mind.  I had to get a different perspective.

Yes I take care of my family as a mom, as do most moms and dads out there, but I am really serving them?  When I think about serving others, such as in mission projects, it is something that I take the time out of my day for.  I get enjoyment out of helping or serving someone.  It makes a difference in their lives.

Not to downplay all the chores and responsibilities of taking care of a household and a family (b/c it is hard work people!), but I know this:
#1.  I am not always doing it with a joyful heart.  Many days I dread doing dishes or laundry, and I can't tell you how many times, I would rather be at home relaxing (yeah right!) than taking my kiddos to various activities, especially on those cold rainy days.  Not to chase rabbits. but really shouldn't everyone just cancel all activities on cold rainy days?  Those should be mandatory sit in front of the fireplace and drink hot chocolate days. I digress.
#2.  Do I take time out of my day to focus on these activities with a serving heart?  Not really.  I just get them done in between other chores and things to do.  It's one more check box on my to-do list.
#3.  Is it making a difference?  Well yes, let's be real, it makes a difference if my children have clean clothes to wear to school or that dinner is made so we aren't hungry, but is it making a difference in my families walk with Christ?

This was when I started brainstorming.  How can I serve my family beyond what I already do?  How can I turn small moments into Christ-filled ones that feed their heart?

One thing I thought of were little agape gifts.  I learned this term from the Emmaus community.  Agape describes God's unearned and undeserved love for us.  Sounds like grace to me. :)These little gifts can express that love to our children, spouses, and other family members.  If you go to Pinterest and look up agape gifts, you can find many examples of these tiny expressions on love that cost little to nothing that always have a verse or meaning attached.

Another way I thought of being able to serve my family is maybe doing something for them that is expected of them to do.  Maybe cleaning my children's rooms for them (believe me that is an act of love) or ironing my husband's work clothes (yes, I do not iron my husband's clothes - I believe that the dryer was invented, so I wouldn't have to iron).  Doing these things for them unexpectedly and then leaving a note letting them now that I love them. :)  Now I wouldn't get into a regular routine of this b/c then it can lose its meaning.  Especially with the cleaning the rooms!

A third way is to spend one on one time with each of your family members.  Giving them that time alone with you.  This is important for both kiddos and spouses!  Now here is the tricky part.  Do something they want to do, but it cannot involve tv, video games, or movies.  Something that is interactive and sparks conversation.  What?!?  You mean actual words coming out of my mouth, instead of being typed on my phone?!?  I know this is hard for some of us (myself included), but I would think that verbal communication with eye contact and interaction, are at the heart of serving someone with quality time.  Imagine going to visit someone at a nursing home or hospital and making them sit a watch tv or watch you text on your phone to others.  You would never imagine doing that!  Consider serving your family with quality time to be the same way. :)

Encourage your kiddos (and spouse) to join in.  Help younger kiddos think of ways to serve others in your home and community.  You setting the example of serving others starting in your own home is a great way to encourage your children to serve and share God's love, but also look beyond themselves.
Feel free to comment with any ideas you have for serving others in (or out) of your home!