jr. high winter camp (day 4-6):
this had moments of real difficulty but overall i was ok. there was one meal (burgers) that just had chips, buns, and hamburgers. i wanted to punch someone in the face. and then after lunch, after i had eaten some chips and was realizing i had a date with the clubhouse, matt hazelton informed me they had veggie burgers! i'm glad i know that for high school winter camp (this weekend)
days 7-13:
i'm finding that once i'm eating an actual meal, i don't even think about the lack of meat in it. i'm perfectly happy with my veggie version. in fact sometimes i think my veggies version is better than the other choice (seriously, have we thought about what's in a hot dog?). but, the prep and the thinking about what to eat sucks. training my mind to think in new ways is taking longer than i thought it would. also finding resturants that have actual vegetarian options is annoying. but thanks to a few of you (hooray for the klugs!) i am branching out in my meals.
day 14:
today, i am reminded why an experiment like this works. i have wonderful friends and family around me who want to see me suceed. the lovely tiffany janosov is making sure i have a veg-friendly option when i go to her house tonight. my momma made me eggplant parm on friday, just because she's awesome. even just those few of you reading this and sending me messages of encouragement play such a big part in my success. it's been reminding me that God wants us to share our struggles with each other. he wants us to lean on each other. so far this has been the most important lesson i'm learning.
ok, this weekend i leave for high school winter camp. i think this time around will be better- i know what to expect from you forest home!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
fasting...
i remember so distinctly the first time i heard about fasting. i was in fifth or sixth grade and kathy, phil, and oliver were in my living room. they were talking with my dad about fasting. i remember thinking they were insane. why would anyone purposefully not eat? why would they want to deprive themselves? what possible lessons could one get from it? it wasn't until much later that i found answers for those questions.
i think most people have misconceptions about fasting. i know i certainly did. they either give it too much credit or not enough. i know for me, learning to give something up has always been a difficult lesson to learn.
last year when i was running 30 Hour Famine with my jr. highers i had a lot of people express that they didn't think jr. high was an appropriate age to teach about fasting. they said they didn't think kids that young could really understand what they were doing. my initial response to that is introduce me to an adult who really understands what they're doing when it comes to God. but i explain that i think jr. high is an age when you still believe your faith can move mountains and so it's an age that you actually get to see the mountains move. my students work hard at 30 Hour Famine, in a lot of ways they work harder than the older kids and adults who do it with us.
tomorrow we begin our 30 Days of Awareness. this is an idea i got from blake and its brilliant. for the next 30 days (we're a month away from the famine) all students participating in 30 Hour Famine will go through a devotional book, asking them to fast from other things. a day without sarcasm, a week without tv, a day without vanity, etc. this booklet begins to prepare their hearts and minds for 30 Hour Famine.
so, below i am listing the things we'll be fasting. if you want to join us in this exercise we'd love to have you. it's a great way to draw closer to our God and it's also a great way for you to partner with me and my kiddos. if you want the devotional book that comes with this, let me know and I'll email you the file. some of the items may be hard to grasp without the devotional.
- 2/9: fast from comfort (sleep on the floor)
- 2/10: fast from music
- 2/11: fast from choice (let someone else make your choices for you)
- 2/12-2/13: fast from tv
-2/14: fast from vanity (don't use a mirror)
- 2/15: fast from sarcasm
- 2/16-2/18: fast from the internet
- 2/19: fast from excess (leave 5 items at home, i.e. chapstick, jacket, wallet, cell phone, water bottle)
- 2/20: fast from junk (no junk food)
- 2/21-2/22: fast from showers
- 2/23: fast from greed (spend absolutely no money)
- 2/24: fast from warmth (leave your jacket at home)
- 2/25: fast from isolation (visit a neighbor, or spend time with a friend)
- 2/26: fast from credit (take no credit for anything you do today)
- 2/27-3/1: fast from ignorance (research a social justice issue)
- 3/2: fast from sleep
- 3/3: fast from people (spend some one-on-one time with God)
- 3/4-3/6: fast from hurry
- 3/7-3/10: fast from insecurity
i think most people have misconceptions about fasting. i know i certainly did. they either give it too much credit or not enough. i know for me, learning to give something up has always been a difficult lesson to learn.
last year when i was running 30 Hour Famine with my jr. highers i had a lot of people express that they didn't think jr. high was an appropriate age to teach about fasting. they said they didn't think kids that young could really understand what they were doing. my initial response to that is introduce me to an adult who really understands what they're doing when it comes to God. but i explain that i think jr. high is an age when you still believe your faith can move mountains and so it's an age that you actually get to see the mountains move. my students work hard at 30 Hour Famine, in a lot of ways they work harder than the older kids and adults who do it with us.
tomorrow we begin our 30 Days of Awareness. this is an idea i got from blake and its brilliant. for the next 30 days (we're a month away from the famine) all students participating in 30 Hour Famine will go through a devotional book, asking them to fast from other things. a day without sarcasm, a week without tv, a day without vanity, etc. this booklet begins to prepare their hearts and minds for 30 Hour Famine.
so, below i am listing the things we'll be fasting. if you want to join us in this exercise we'd love to have you. it's a great way to draw closer to our God and it's also a great way for you to partner with me and my kiddos. if you want the devotional book that comes with this, let me know and I'll email you the file. some of the items may be hard to grasp without the devotional.
- 2/9: fast from comfort (sleep on the floor)
- 2/10: fast from music
- 2/11: fast from choice (let someone else make your choices for you)
- 2/12-2/13: fast from tv
-2/14: fast from vanity (don't use a mirror)
- 2/15: fast from sarcasm
- 2/16-2/18: fast from the internet
- 2/19: fast from excess (leave 5 items at home, i.e. chapstick, jacket, wallet, cell phone, water bottle)
- 2/20: fast from junk (no junk food)
- 2/21-2/22: fast from showers
- 2/23: fast from greed (spend absolutely no money)
- 2/24: fast from warmth (leave your jacket at home)
- 2/25: fast from isolation (visit a neighbor, or spend time with a friend)
- 2/26: fast from credit (take no credit for anything you do today)
- 2/27-3/1: fast from ignorance (research a social justice issue)
- 3/2: fast from sleep
- 3/3: fast from people (spend some one-on-one time with God)
- 3/4-3/6: fast from hurry
- 3/7-3/10: fast from insecurity
Friday, February 4, 2011
veggie update...
ok- i've got so many blog posts to do that i'm starting to feel a little crazy. coming soon to a website near you are my thoughts on what's going on in Egypt, a life update, the most hilarious youth night i have ever experienced in my life, and a comprehensive list of my must-see movies of 2010. but for now i'm just going to give you a quick update on my vegetarian ways.
day 1-
it was ok. i found it super challenging to find meals that didn't leave me hungry 2 hours later. but after talking with my amazing veggie-sponsor (michelle weiss will rock your socks!) i saw that being a vegetarian is about shifting your world view. i can't just eat salad. that would be crazy. i have to think outside the box. protein? try some peanut butter or lentils. hungry for some chicken parm? try substituting eggplant instead.
day 2-
ok this was where things got weird. i was nauseous all day. i never actually threw up- but my body was acting like it was going through withdrawal symptoms. i was kind of surprised by this because i am in no way a total junk food junkie. i always thought of myself as eating pretty balanced meals, maybe a little carnivore-heavy, but always balanced. that night i watched the oprah where her staff goes vegan for a week and i learned something else: my body was going through withdrawals! this experiment of mine is working like a cleanse and it's giving me a chance to "clean out" and so i will feel a little off for a few days. p.s. even if you love meat and have no interest in veggies you should see this episode. the things i learned were shocking. i didn't walk away from the episode thinking everyone on the planet should give up meat, but i did walk away knowing i will never think about my food in the same way.
day 3-
i went to whole foods and stocked up! i felt satisfied and happy the whole day. i even had a mark special (my favorite pasta ever) just minus the shrimp and i didn't even miss it (much).
day 4-
i'm going to winter camp. i have no idea how this will work at forest home, so i guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
day 1-
it was ok. i found it super challenging to find meals that didn't leave me hungry 2 hours later. but after talking with my amazing veggie-sponsor (michelle weiss will rock your socks!) i saw that being a vegetarian is about shifting your world view. i can't just eat salad. that would be crazy. i have to think outside the box. protein? try some peanut butter or lentils. hungry for some chicken parm? try substituting eggplant instead.
day 2-
ok this was where things got weird. i was nauseous all day. i never actually threw up- but my body was acting like it was going through withdrawal symptoms. i was kind of surprised by this because i am in no way a total junk food junkie. i always thought of myself as eating pretty balanced meals, maybe a little carnivore-heavy, but always balanced. that night i watched the oprah where her staff goes vegan for a week and i learned something else: my body was going through withdrawals! this experiment of mine is working like a cleanse and it's giving me a chance to "clean out" and so i will feel a little off for a few days. p.s. even if you love meat and have no interest in veggies you should see this episode. the things i learned were shocking. i didn't walk away from the episode thinking everyone on the planet should give up meat, but i did walk away knowing i will never think about my food in the same way.
day 3-
i went to whole foods and stocked up! i felt satisfied and happy the whole day. i even had a mark special (my favorite pasta ever) just minus the shrimp and i didn't even miss it (much).
day 4-
i'm going to winter camp. i have no idea how this will work at forest home, so i guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.
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