"7" Food Week, Day 5

It has definitely been a challenging week trying to only eat these seven foods!  The first two days went great as far as staying with the seven chosen foods.  But then Tim's sisters came to town to start sorting through Dorothy and Ivan's belongings and make important decisions about who should get what and what we could try and sell.  The biggest challenge has been staying on task with "7" and eating in a restaurant at least once a day.

Sunday:  We ate at Milagros a fresh Mexican local restaurant.  We chose Chicken Taco Soup ( had a few forbidden veges), salad of greens, chicken, guacamole (won't try and figure out what else but avocados was in it) and flour tortilla (not whole grain).

Monday:  Lunch at Oak Tree with the family.  This was a hard one!  Settled on Chicken Mediterranean Salad (a forbidden olives and Feta Cheese and who knows what was in the vinaigrette) and sweet potato fries.  We had Bekki for dinner and I made Winter Squash Soup with a side of greens.

Tuesday:  Tim's aunt wants to take us out to Chinese food.  Oh my, what will we do.  Chicken something for sure!

Love this verse from Jeff Manion's website: A Holy Experience: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/01/how-to-enjoy-the-weekend/

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,
which is so uncertain,
but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (I Timothy 6:17)

I am here on this earth, not to place my hope and security in wealth and riches, but in God who really wants us to enjoy Him and this beautiful world of people , experiences and nature.

Thanks for drawing me to you this week, Lord!  Not only through "7" but through my daily reading in "The Voice" and your sweet presence.

Beginning The "7" Experiment, a study by Jen Hatmaker.

Our Bible study leadership team made the decision to study Jen Hatmaker's "The 7 Experiment, staging your own mutiny against excess"  It is different and going to test me and my comfy life here in the USA!

We began January 9th just studying some scriptures about what Jesus had to say about the wealthy.  Oh my!  Nothing very good.  The rich have the hardest time making it into the Kingdom of God.  How do I get past my wealth and all the stuff I have and really make God #1 in my life? Isaiah 58 really tells us how God wants us to fast.  What he doesn't want is rote obedience, what he does want is obedience from the heart that show up in our actions.  I need to be concerned about my spiritual transformation in a spirit of humility.

Food
So today, Tim and I (Yes, I talked him into this!) began the week of a partial fast of food.  We decided to eat only these seven items or groups of items for the next 7 days:

Chicken
Eggs
Sweet Potatoes/Winter Squash (Since I get vege's from a local organic farm, I wanted to include the squash)
Flat breads (Whole Grains only)-so we could eat more like those in developing nations
Leafy greens
Avocado
Apple/Banana (banana because Tim wanted to have his Potassium)

We decided to drink only water, but allowing ourselves tea and coffee because it is part of our time with God each morning and it just wouldn't be the same.
We also allowed ourselves the right to eat up fresh produce so it wouldn't go to waste.

Here is our first breakfast.  We made Chapati from India.  It was OK, but not great.  I need to work on my technique I guess.  Using up our fresh grapes..so that was only not on the list food.  I really missed my orange juice.  Also missed my piece of chocolate after lunch!

A couple of challenges:

1. Movie night at Mea's school tonight.  Can't eat the hot dogs and popcorn.  So we will make sweet potato fries (really bakes) and wraps of chicken, avocado and greens.  And we might as well have an apple!
2. 65th birthday party for our friend, Rick on Saturday evening.  I think we will just make and exception…don't want to have to ruin the party with our refusal to eat their food.  Plus I am making the bread.

Wonderstruck Wednesday: Trees

 I went down to North Mountain Park with the intent of observing the details of God's creation...but got a little side-tracked by the overall beauty of the trees against the awesome sky.  And there were a few little birdies that caught my eye, also!

Looking at the details in the bark of this tree, I noticed this Brown Creeper making its way up the trunk.

Sweet little Black Phoebe sitting on a post looking for that next juicy insect!

Scratching along the bark I found this California Towhee.

#LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

Listen

Wow, to find a song that was meaningful at the beginning of my Christian walk I would need to dig into the archives of my LP's under the house!  But thankfully we have the internet and I found this song from Love Song and the 70's Jesus Movement.  Wow what memories of my new found faith and the wonder of His love and salvation!  #WONDERSTRUCK

Two Hands 

Love Song (Tom Coomes-Chuck Butler)

We're all gathered here
Because we all believe
If there's a doubter in the crowd
We ask you not to leave
Give a listen to His story
Hear the message that we bring
Feel the faith swell up inside you
Lift your voice with us and sing

Chorus:

Accept Him with your whole heart
And use you own two hands
With one reach out to Jesus
And with the other, bring a friend

Many know Him well, others just by name 
If you don't know for what He stands,
You've really much to gain
With faith you can move mountains
These are common words but true
We aren't quite a mountain
But He's moved us here to you

©1971 Dunamis Music

http://www.reverbnation.com/lovesongband/song/3857016-two-hands

Also found this You Tube of Children of the Day singing "For Those Tears I Died".  Such memories of prayer meetings and people being saved....and the hair!  Mine was just like that!

http://youtu.be/Np8GJGZ3Vv8

" For Those Tears I Died "

You said You'd come and share all my sorrows

You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows

I came so close to sending You away

But just like You promised You came there to stay

I just had to pray

And Jesus said "Come to the water

Stand by my side

I know you are thirsty

You won't be denied

I felt every teardrop

When in darkness you cried

And I strove to remind you

That for those tears I died."

Your goodness so great I can't understand

And dear Lord I know that all this was planned

I know You're here now and always will be

Your love loosened my chains and in You I'm free

But Jesus why me?

Jesus I give You my heart and my soul

I know that without God I'd never be whole

Saviour You opened all the right doors

And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores

Take me, I'm Yours

I could not figure out how to make the links live...so published the lyrics.  I will keep working on it.

Meaning

My name, Kathleen, means Pure.  I don't think that my parents knew this.  It was a popular name in the 1950's.  There were 8 variations of Kathy in my first grade class!  In my baby book my parents wrote that they wanted to call me Kathy Lou, but they never did.

My sweet 6th grandchild, Andy, Jr.

When I think of purity, I think of newborn babies who have yet to experience the impurity of the fallen world.  Unfortunately it does not take them long to see it.  I also am #WONDERSTRUCK with the sacrifice of Jesus that has made my soul pure because of my belief in Jesus.

Appreciation

I appreciate these ladies who are part of Wonderstruck study at First Baptist in Ashland, Oregon!  Wonderful ladies to work and study with...all wanting to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK for God.  I also appreciate my mother-in-law, Dorothy who left before the photo shoot.  What an amazing lady and great influence in my life.

Restoration

  Looking around the home to see what needs to be restored or refreshed, it was not hard to find something!  The ceiling fans were in desperate need of dusting and Tim got to work on that.  I love his days off! 

T

Then there is the wall with the photos of our six grandchildren that have not been updated for about 3 years...which means that Andy, Jr. is not even there at all.  I need to find some updated photos and get to work.

Here are some possibilities of updated photos.  I will have to crop them for there individual faces.  But at least I have a start on the project.

I am so glad that God has restored me to a relationship with Him through his Son, Jesus Christ.  It is done!  #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK