the toys in your room

30 10 2009

This post is exactly about what you think this title means.

couple-holding-hands-photographic-p

One of my friends hosts an adult equivalent of a tupperware party for people who want to liven up their marriage and try some new things. All the ordering and shipping is done completely privately and the hostess shares the products which range from tame to things I’ve never even heard  in fun and informative ways.

I brought this subject up with a friend who is married and a Christian. I said that I thought it would be fun to host a party like this for my married friends and would be great especially for Christian people who often feel so uncomfortable talking about sex even though God created us as sexual beings! This sparked a huge debate about everything from the theology of sex, the comfort level of Christians talking about sex in marriage and why couples might want to add anything into their marriage bed besides their own bodies. My friends thought was that it was too controversial of a subject for me to host a party that dealt with this topic.

I should say that I know that even bringing up this subject I might offend someone- I’m not writing this to be vulgar, to disrespect sex or to condemn anyone who may or may not want to use whatever might tickle their fancy. If I offend you, I’m sorry. I thought twice about posting this blog since this is an edgy and controversial subject. But since I believe that Christians should engage in thoughtful ways in every area of life- including sex and anything related to sex I wanted to see what others thought about this topic. I know this could spark more debate but here are the questions I’m wondering:

  • Is it appropriate for Christian married couples to use whatever they might enjoy in their bedroom as long as they’re both comfortable with it & agree that it enhances their relationship rather than degrades it? Awhile ago, a friend of mine who was engaged shared the website book 22 which shares:

    The twenty-second book of the Bible is Song of Solomon. We believe that God intended that such love, as spoken of in Song of Solomon, be a beautiful and normal part of marital life. Unfortunately this gift from God has been grossly distorted and abused by both ancient and modern people. Book22 is offering quality products to enhance the intimate life of God’s children. Our hope is that our products will serve as intimacy enhancers for your marriage.

    It seems like part of the difficulty of this topic is that sex has been so distorted and degraded by each of us that it can be difficult to know what is helpful and what is harmful. Even things that  may be innocuous can become harmful because of our own areas and history of sexual brokenness and distortion. It seems that part of what needs to happen in marriage to cultivate intimacy is to talk, pray and ask for healing in these areas of brokenness.

  • Is it appropriate to host a party for married Christian women to explore options of what might enhance their sexual relationship with their husbands? Is it o.k. to have fun, laugh talk about and be inquisitive about sex- one of the most wonderful gifts God has given us?
51QHZWRK4WL._SS500_

I'm sure there are even people who would say that red satin sheets are of the devil! crazy.

  • Here’s a more personal question- would you go to a party like this? Would you be offended if someone invited you to a party like this? If you’re a person of faith what do you think about this topic?

Sometimes I hate that I think about everything so much. Would life be easier if I just responded and dealt with the consequences later? A post like this reminds me that sometimes questions like this only spark more questions rather than answers. But maybe, if you’re married this post will spark something else for you…..;)

 

gaye-marvin-340-l

Marvin's philosophy on sex: "If the spirit moves you, let me groove you."

 

 


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Categories : marriage, sex, spirituality

the flushing sanctuary

28 10 2009

Recently I saw this painting in the bathroom of my hair salon. It was too good to not take a picture.

IMG_0666If you can’t read the text it says: “Today the degradation of the inner life is symbolized by the fact that the only place sacred from interruption is the toilet.”

I thought the caption was so true. So many of us work hard to care for our homes, friends or kids, our jobs but our inner worlds are in shambles. Even when we catch up on sleep we still feel exhausted because we’re “soul tired.” Have you ever felt this way? Where do you find solitude in the midst of a busy, noisy life? How do you find your inner world restored?

 

This week I’m going on a 24-hour retreat of silence. I’ve been making a habit of this for the past 5 or so years. Trying to take a day every month for silence, journaling, prayer and listening to God has been one of the most significantly formative things in my life and something my soul has started to crave like my body now craves running (who would have thought!?) The thing I like about taking retreats of silence (ROS’) is that it is so counter cultural to everything we’re told to do. Things like:

  • Stay ahead of the game so you don’t fall behind.
  • You will be worth less if you cease working.
  • Talking is better than listening. Noise is better than silence.
  • If you don’t work/cook/clean/exercise/keep pushing harder everyday the world will stop spinning.

Taking space to be silent reminds me that none of these things are true. I don’t have worth because of what I can produce, the suave words I speak, the relationships I have, the work I do, or how I look. I have worth because I’m created in God’s image as a dearly loved child. When I stop, I’m reminded of this truth and all the things I tend to put my worth in (take your pick from the list above) all get flushed away in the presence of Jesus. None of those things in and of themselves are bad, but when I (we) derive our worth from things that change/disappoint/hurt/fail they become like the pieces of poo stuck to the white porcelain of a toilet bowl- you can’t avoid looking at it, no amount of flushing you do your self will make it go away. It takes some scrubbing and cleansing to get rid of that nasty bit of crud that won’t seem to disappear.

Wow, did I really just compare my soul to a toilet bowl? It must be late. Or I must be so out of whack that I should be sent away on a silent retreat so I won’t write nonsense like this. Anyways- after a crazy month I’m looking forward to silence, a nap and praying as I walk the labyrinth at The Hermitage the retreat center I visit. I especially love that there are 62 beautiful acres of glorious trees, fields, ponds and rolling hills to enjoy on this property.

 

IMG_0057

Where will the Holy Spirit lead you? God only knows.

I took this picture the last time I was there in July. I’m eager to go there this week as I’ve yet to take a retreat in the fall at The Hermitage. So here is my challenge to you this week: spend some time in silence. no iPod. no tv. no cell phone. Set a timer and take 5 minutes to practice silence and pray. Make your drive to work a sanctuary of silence, your walk to class, those waning moments before you go to bed at night. Wherever or whenever it is- make space. Often a breath prayer is helpful- one where you can recite words in one breath, like; “Let there be peace within, and let it begin with me” or for something from scripture, “Be still, and know that I am God”. When I first started to practice silence, I needed to work up to it, so don’t be discouraged if all you can think about is your grocery list or your plans for the weekend. Simply ask God to help you return to silence and be mindful of his presence. May God fill you with his love as you enter his presence!

 


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Categories : inner world, nature, prayer, spirituality

i want your body

26 10 2009

As I’ve been blogging about healthy eating habits I’ve had this nagging worry- “maybe I’ll fall off the apple cart and buy a one way ticket on the cheeseburger express….just who do I think I am anyways to write about how you should eat? I’m a campus minister for crying out loud! Why do I care about what you’re eating? Why do I feel the need to share about my eating habits?”

One of the reasons I’ve felt compelled to write about eating and food is that so much of our lives revolve around the choices we make about what to put into our bodies.  One of my friends recently joked that I am obsessed with food. I will say that I think about it a lot more than I used to- and I think about it in a much healthier way.  The wonderful thing has been that I feel a freedom to enjoy food rather than viewing it in any number of destructive and unhealthy ways. As a person who is trying to live out an integrated faith I believe that God cares about our whole lives- not just what we think, or how we act, but even how we treat these fleshy vessels called bodies we roam around in. He wants our bodies to be cared for by the choices we make just as much as he wants our world to be cared for by the choices we make to benefit others.

This summer I listed to a videocast from Cornell University about mindless eating & if I remember right, the lecturer shared that we make over 200 choices every day about what we’re going to eat! That is amazing considering that many of us only eat three meals a day. But even just think about breakfast-

  • sugar or splenda in your coffee or tea? non-fat latte or full-fat with whip?
  • multi-grain cereal or frosted flakes?
    kashi

    one of my favorite healthy cereals! I like it on top of yogurt too with some fruit. yum!

  • fruit or a granola bar in the car or McDonalds drive in for a McGriddle?

The point is that these choices add up and so do our waistlines the calories.  For the first few years of my life as a campus minister I continued to eat like I did in college- there is always an abundance of pizza, cake, cookies, ramen noodles, not to mention the chinese buffets my staff team would hit after our monthly meetings. I was so tired from work that I didn’t even feel like I had energy to make healthy choices- so I let my environment dictate what I would eat rather than choosing how I would eat. This past January I decided that I would NEVER let this happen to me again. It doesn’t honor who God has created me to be as a 5′4″ woman whose body frame is meant to be in a healthy range with a family history of heart disease and adult diabetes. In recent years people have been writing about having a feel great weight rather than beating yourself up about an ideal and weight that you had when you were 17 years old (or some other time in your life where you felt the most smokin’ hot you’ve ever been).

 

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maybe you even wore a t-shirt proclaiming your hotness?

I’ve realized that I like to write about healthy habits because I’ve seen so many people including myself let it fall by the wayside. Plus, it’s easier to care about making healthy choices when you know that there is a community of others that care about the same thing.

I’ve really started to see eating as a spiritual discipline just like I see other things in my life that benefit my relationship with God and others. I’m not trying to be perfect or eat “perfectly” whatever that is? but I do want to make choices that honor and care for this one body I’ve been given so that I’ll have the health and strength to care for others now & in the future. Eating is part of it, but like I said- it’s a BIG part of our everyday lives.


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we are the champions, my friends

24 10 2009

This past week I met with a national staff team of InterVarsity “outreach champions” from across the country. It’s one of my favorite meetings of the year both because I get to connect with brilliant, funny and deep colleagues, but also because we have fun together over delicious meals or going out to see a movie. This time we went and saw the Matt Damon movie- “The Informant!” hil-arious! I love a good dark comedy.

Matt Damon transforms from chic Jason Bourne to dorky Mark Whitacre in "the Informant"

Matt Damon transforms from chic Jason Bourne to dorky Mark Whitacre in "the Informant"

The fun part about this team is that these people dream BIG. They have incredible ideas about how to help shape the faith of college students across the country & invite people to think about Jesus in new ways. At one point during a discussion of N.T. Wrights book Justification and John Piper’s Book The Future of Justification a team mate named Ashley who works at Columbia University in New York leaned over and whispered to me “I’d love to do an outreach called “What the Hell?” and have a forum to have people from different faith backgrounds share their perspectives on hell and stimulate discussion on this topic. Doesn’t that sound cool? It’s energizing being in the same room with people who have a common vision and passion for engaging college students on their perspectives of what faith looks like put into action. I always feel such purpose and inspiration after champions meetings because we’ve been talking about important ideas and plans that shape our whole movement of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

As we were getting ready to fly home, a bunch of our team members hung out in the Great Dane pub in the airport. I asked a few of them what their highlights of the meetings were and they responded with similar sentiments. A team mate named Terry from Minnesota said “you feel like you put on a pair of old jeans with this team- you don’t have to have an agenda, protect yourself, to get everyone going one direction. There’s healthy relationships and building one another up. There is confidence and rejoicing, not pride and arrogance.”

food, fun and friends at the Great Dane!

food, fun and friends at the Great Dane!

Another team mate named Greg from Rhode Island said “I like the clarity that God is giving us- there is real insight into what he’s doing and what the next steps might look like to help move our organization forward. There’s energy in the room, everyone clearly wants to learn together & be a learning community. People jump right in. There are a lot of brilliant and important thoughts that fly around the room- it’s like you need a butterfly net to catch them all.”

I had a friend once remark that “I obviously don’t work in corporate america” with how much I enjoy my team and my team mates. Who loves to go to meetings? When they’re like this, with this group of people, I do. You never know what you’re getting into when you decide to work at a certain place. I never expected that some of my best friends would be people I work with. But eight years later I find myself with a network of friends who I also happen to work with all across the country. What has been one of your favorite jobs? Maybe it was the people, maybe it was the place you worked. What keeps you working where you work?


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Categories : books, friendship, work

bless this food

21 10 2009

When my brother in law was a child, he was running across the dining room and smacked his giant blond noggin squarely on the dining room table. His parents while they comforted their toddler said “why don’t you pray that God would help your head feel better?” So Joe prayed the only prayer he knew as he placed his little hands on his head; “God bless this food!” to the great amusement of his parents.

This is a “twofer” blog- one about both food and prayer. Partly because I’m in the middle of meetings and don’t have time to write two separate posts, but also because as I always write about how our bodies and spiritual lives are interconnected and mealtime prayer is something many people have once practiced or do practice.  I also need to write about being present for the birth of my friend Gracee’s son!

welcome Rhys!!

welcome Rhys!!

I can remember times in my life where meal time prayer became as rote as reciting the ABC’s- a ritual rather than a meaningful time of reflection. I think prayer can become like this for anyone if the focus is on just getting through it rather than connecting with God. The problem isn’t praying, it’s how our heart is poised towards God as we pray. I don’t want to give the impression that I have a transcendent experience every time I sit down with a steaming bowl of black bean soup, but as I’ve tried to be mindful of what I’m eating, it’s created more space in my life to be thankful for the food God has provided for me.

Pre-industrial age, and even now, our workday is built with natural pauses to eat which for Christians and people from other faith backgrounds have a fixed time to pause and thank God for his provision in life, to ask God to strengthen their bodies with the food he’s given and to ask for health and protection. Maybe now with swine flu going around people will be praying more before they eat :) ? In recent years as I’ve prayed, “God bless this food to my body, and us to your service” I’ve really given a second thought to whether the food I’m eating is actually blessing my body. It’s been fairly convicting to sit before a Whopper that is full of stuff that isn’t very nutritious or healthy and ask God to bless it to my body.

I ate one of these the other day and felt so gross afterwards. I was so thirsty for hours because of the amount of sodium in the burger.

I ate one of these the other day and felt so gross afterwards. I was so thirsty for hours because of the amount of sodium in the burger.

I once heard someone say asking God to bless food that you know isn’t a healthy choice is like asking him to do a miracle or even absolve you of the guilt of making choices that don’t care for your body. I’m not saying I never eat junk food- this past weekend has been a burger and fries fest for me. Its caused me to stop and ask myself- “what’s going on in my life that I want to eat what’s quick and easy rather than sit down and eat a meal that’s a healthier choice?”

Food and eating is such a tangled complex issue for people that I also think praying before you eat can be a way to invite God into your “eating issues” whether you struggle with gluttony or anorexia or anything in between. Praying with thanksgiving helps us to see food as a blessing rather than an area of guilt, punishment or indulgence. We can pray for a spirit of celebration when we enjoy a delicious meal for someone’s birthday rather than beating ourselves up for enjoying a piece of chocolate cake. We can pray as I have been during my travels that God would give me strength to practice self discipline and not emotionally over eat because I’m tired or stressed. We can pray that God would strengthen our bodies as we slurp a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup, enjoying the steam wafting up to a stuffy nose.

My inlaws actually sing their mealtime prayers which was really uncomfortable for me when I first joined their family. Prayer might be really uncomfortable for you & that’s ok! However, like singing mealtime prayers was strange for me, I’ve gradually enjoyed it though because it does seem to foster more of a spirit of celebration around food when we sing mealtime graces such as:

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything. Amen.

Did you pray at mealtimes as a child? Do you still pray at mealtimes? Do you just pray what is on your heart or use some sort of a memorized prayer? My prayer and eating challenge to you today is to stop and pray before your meals this week. Whether you believe in God or not, take a minute to reflect on what you’re eating & be thankful for the food that God has provided for you. You may even want to use the prayer I posted above!


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Categories : food, inner world, prayer

my husband, single dad

20 10 2009

This month I’ve been on a lot of trips for work meaning that Dave has both been asking for more help with caring for our son Reuben and watching him more. Let me say that I have no qualms whatsoever leaving Dave as the primary caregiver of Reuben. He is an awesome Dad that takes our son to do cool things, is nurturing and active as a parent. Awhile ago one of our friends we work with was asked by someone “so are you babysitting the kids while your wife is at work today?” when his wife was on a trip and he replied, “no, I’m not babysitting them, I’m their dad- I’m parenting them.” This has kind of summed up our views on being an egalitarian household when it comes to parenting- we’re both in it 100%.

Dave may do some crazy things with Reuben, but at least he's not a cannibal.

Dave may do some crazy things with Reuben, but at least he's not a cannibal.

However Dave has been pulling more like 150% lately since I’ve been away. He made squash and black bean soup that I smelled simmering on the stove when I walked in from the cold after an exhausting set of meetings in Cleveland. He took Reuben shopping to buy his nephew a present for his 4th birthday party & let him pick out a set of matchbox cars and one of those annoying hoops & yoyo singing cards. He did the laundry to make sure our son has clean underwear to clothe his little buns when he inevitably pees through the pair he’s wearing. I know many dads on staff with InterVarsity in particular that are like Dave- they sacrifice so much for their wives so that we can pursue our dreams, relationships and careers. I am always amazed by Dave and the many wonderful dads I know that are like him. I am so thankful for my husband who blesses and frees me to do the work God has called me to.

It is hard for me not to feel guilty at times- like I should be the one pulling the fresh loaves of rye bread from the oven and wiping Reuben’s snotty nose instead of motoring around the state talking to students about Jesus. It’s hard to know when it’s worth it to make sacrifices for my family for the sake of the gospel and when it’s just old-fashioned stubbornness coupled with drivenness that keeps me going. I don’t really have any answers for how I deal with this other than to make space to talk and pray with Dave about how he’s feeling, to set good boundaries we think are feasible for our family and to give ourselves the permission to reevaluate if they don’t seem to be working for us and do something new.

awesome dad dave

awesome dad dave

I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing this month, but I’ll enjoy it when it’s done and I can spend more time at home with Dave and Reuben. For other people who find themselves in situations like this, how do you manage the seasons of your life that are busier? How do you care for your spouse when they’ve been the one giving so much of themselves to make it work for your family? How do you deal with the simultaneous feelings of guilt and exhilaration at doing a job you love? How do you recuperate once that busy season is done?


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Categories : inner world, mom blogs

I’m so glad I decided to Breathe

19 10 2009

This past weekend I attended the Breathe writers Conference in Grand Haven, MI. In my last post I wrote about how nervous I was to attend.  Then I lost my voice on Thursday night & foolishly thought that it would get better by the morning & that I’d be able to minimally talk at the conference to preserve my voice. For those of you that know me, I’m sure you read that last line and laughed out loud, the idea of me minimally talking is about as likely as Obama deciding to have a pool with a water slide and tiki bar installed on the south lawn with the Nobel Peace prize money he just won.

"write the words, change the world"

"write the words, change the world"

Though it was really hard to minimize my talking I did meet some great people were wonderful to connect with and we’re now talking about starting a writers group together! Here are some of the things I took away from the conference.

  • Rejection is part of the writing experience. If I’m going to write, I just need to suck it up and deal with it. Cecil Murphey
    Cecil Murphey

    Cecil Murphey

    was the keynote speaker & as a seasoned writer of books like 90 Minutes in Heaven and Gifted Hands he shared about how much rejection he’s received during his 25 years in the writing business but also how God has encouraged him to keep going. It was heartening to hear from him and to know that the fear of rejection never really goes away no matter how accomplished you may be as a writer.

  • Pick a place, any place. Many of the writers shared stories about how they muscled through and wrote their books in places like spidery basements, on the ride to their son’s hockey games, sitting at their kitchen table or staring out the window watching kids play after returning home from school. Some people did share about the beautiful space they created for their writing time, but I think everyone was encouraged by the people who were able to get Jedi and focus in on the writing regardless of what their surroundings were like. This helped to hear because I don’t think I’ll have my fantasy writers home overlooking the waves of Lake Michigan anytime soon :)
  • God is with me and is able to direct me. I don’t know why I was continually surprised to hear each writer share about their times of communication with God in the midst of writing. Or to hear how God has helped each one of them to embrace who he has created them to be as they are faithful to use their writing gifts. Though I am always encouraging others to think holistically about their faith, for some reason this weekend felt like “duh, God is with me ALWAYS! in every area of life! Why would he not be present in the midst of writing, creative ideas and my fears about sharing what I’ve written!”
the fabulous Lorilee Craker. Her writing advice: "God is my agent" 10 books later, this seems to be true.

the fabulous Lorilee Craker. Her writing advice: "God is my agent" 10 books later, this seems to be true.

  • Solitude and Community are necessary. In many of the sessions, writers share about the need to protect what you’ve written until you have the inner nudge that it’s time to share it with others. Cecil shared about how our inner critic can actually be a good thing when we’re in solitude because it helps us to self-reflect on what we’re afraid of in being vulnerable. All of the writers shared about their growth, challenge and encouragement being in writers groups over the years. My “sneaky prayer” going into the conference was that God would connect me with people who I could begin one of these groups with. I am really thankful he answered even this prayer that I didn’t pray!

I feel much more equipped to begin seriously pursuing writing with some of the key things I learned this weekend. It’s making me look forward to my sabbatical even more now that I’ll have space to get to work on the ideas I have. Thanks again to Lorilee who made it possible for me to go! Here is the latest idea that seems like a crazy dream- a historical fiction novel on St. Patrick. His story fascinates me & I’d love to research it more and to take a trip to visit the places he traveled.

so many ideas, now I just need to get crackin!

so many ideas, now I just need to get crackin!


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I’m feeling nervous to Breathe

15 10 2009

This weekend my kind friend and author Lorilee Craker is taking me to the Breathe writers conference.  I am feeling so excited and nervous to go! Here are the reasons I feel nervous:

  • People who are serious about writing go to writers conferences. This commits me to being more serious and intentional about writing. This is scary. This is taking a step towards a dream rather than just dreaming.
  • Will I seem like a poser amongst serious writers? I know not everyone there will be a published author, but it is still a little intimidating to be with so many gifted people!
  • Will I discover that I don’t have what it takes to be a writer after all? Sure, I can crack out a few blogs about eating healthy or weird websites, but to pursue an actual in-the-flesh-paper-book that is authored by moi? That feels WAAAY bigger and more scary.
hmmm, I suppose if Ms. Piggy can write a book, little old moi could as well...

hmmm, I suppose if Ms. Piggy can write a book, little old moi could as well...

Here is why I’m excited.

  • I’m hoping that going to Breathe amongst other things will help me to focus on what I’d like to write. I have a lot of ideas buzzing around my head- everything from books on postmodern evangelism, to stories of growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to essays similar to what I write on my blog. Part of why I started this blog is just to have a place to write & see what comes out. It’s been a little like a mental mirror for me to have a place where my thoughts are reflected back to me and to see how people interact with my ideas. I’ll admit it- I’m a comment glutton- I love-love-love when people comment on my posts because it affirms that I’m connecting with people. That’s half the fun of blogging!
  • mirror, mirror on the blog am I a writer or is this a mental monologue?

    mirror, mirror on the blog am I a writer or is this a silly monologue?

  • I’m actually going to have space in my life to write while I’m on sabbatical starting in January. Starting now on focusing on what project I want to write will enable me to start soon rather than dithering around to figure out what I want to write when I have the space to do so. In fact, my friend Beth has already begun to help me do this, which I’m really grateful for.
  • I love networking! It is always so stimulating being around people who are interested in pursuing the same things yet may have a very different perspective than I do. I’m also just looking forward to hanging out with Lorilee because she’s a whole barrel of Canadian fun.

It starts tomorrow Friday at noon and goes until Saturday afternoon, so I’ll probably blog about it after I attend rather than during. So wish me luck- say a little prayer & ask me how it went next week!

Anne Lamott, one of my writing inspirations. Her book "Bird by Bird" on writing is so great.

Anne Lamott, one of my writing inspirations. Her book "Bird by Bird" on writing is so great.


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what is your word of the day?

14 10 2009

Do you remember being a kid and just getting lost in coloring with crayons, pasting construction paper shapes on a page or feeling the waxiness of modling clay on your fingers as you rolled a ball of clay against the table? During this month of spiritual challenge of incorporating prayer into our lives, I’ve found a few different practices that have been greatly helpful for drawing me to be more aware of the presence of Jesus.  One of these practices includes doing art projects that hearken back to grade school art class.

yay for artwork! Are these flying mice? cats? who knows, but this kid sure is happy.

yay for artwork! Are these flying mice? cats? who knows, but this kid sure is happy.

The first practice has been to identify areas in my life where I tend to worry rather than pray, plot out the trajectory of my life rather than ask for guidance, and despair rather than hope in the restoring power of Christ. Often I find myself thinking in pictures when I pray.  There have been times when I seem to be devoid of words when I’m trying to pray, perhaps it’s because I’m so overwhelmed, tired or just out of touch with how I’m feeling as a person who processes how I feel through how I think (meyer-briggs “T”s can you feel me?)

having images or art helps to remind me visually of what I am praying for.

having images or art helps to remind me visually of what I am praying for.

As I was praying through the areas I felt stressed out about, the word plenty came to mind.  In the places I feel are lacking in my life, the Lord was reminding me that I both have plenty and that his love and provision is plenty enough to sustain me. Rather than writing out a prayer for this, I decided to sit down with Reuben to make an art project that would both help me to s-l-o-w down to let this reality sink into my heart and mind, but also to create something that would remind me daily that I am able to be content whether in plenty or in want. So I got out my scissors, construction paper and past and made this bunch of Indian Corn & taped it on my fridge. I was so pleased when Reuben said “It’s a corn!” It was also just fun to sit and make some art with him. I think as adults we’re so concerned with making things beautiful or getting it right, we forget that God is simply delighted to be with us and enjoy what we create even if it doesn’t look the coolest. What matters is not how good it looks, but ways that we’re making space for the presence of God to transform us and give space for him to speak into our lives. Sometimes this just looks like sitting down for 1/2 hour with some colored pencils and my journal and asking Jesus: “what do you want to speak to me right now?” Often I begin drawing having no idea why I’m drawing a particular thing. But the process of intentionally slowing down to be creative and be present to God becomes an unraveling of what has been wound up inside of me. Typically through the process or even when I’ve “completed” the drawing, I find that God is reminding me of scriptures, affirming some truth to me or helping me to trust him in areas I stress about.

let your fingers do the praying- or at least aid in the process.

let your fingers do the praying- or at least aid in the process.

So what would be your word of the day? the week? or the month? When your thoughts are roaming free & unfettered from the daily grind of work, school, dishes or caring for others what anxieties rise to the surface that seem to gnaw at you? Maybe you’re not a creative type but slowing down to journal, taking a slow walk or making an art project with can all be ways to be present to God and ask him for the word or encouragement or challenge that would represent your prayer and remind you to pray into this area. No matter what you end up doing, I hope that you’ll take the challenge of trying new ways to experience God and to become more prayerful.

the word of the day is PLENTY...AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

the word of the day is PLENTY...AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!


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Categories : art, inner world, prayer, spirituality

eating on the go

13 10 2009

Is your car litted with McDonalds cheeseburger wrappers & empty Diet Coke bottles? Eating on the go can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be! Here are my top five tips for making good choices whether you’re going by planes, trains or automobiles!

R.I.P. John Candy!

R.I.P. John Candy!

I have a couple trips this month & October is traditionally the time all my good eating habits get chucked out of the window. I’m busier, more stressed and tired and it’s easy for me to exercise minimal self control when I’m at meetings with centerpieces of mini-snickers bars, dinners out to Italian restaurants with heaping bowls of pasta, and rest stops with all of my favorite candy. I really love candy. For any of you who have ever seen the John Waters flick “Pecker” me resisting good n’plentys, twix, nerds, and twizzlers is like asking his character “little Chrissy” from the movie to lay off the sugar.

what am I, like 12? After I saw Willy Wonka I went straight out and bought like, 5 bags of candy. And ate them slowly with great self-control. ;)

what am I, like 12? After I saw Willy Wonka I went straight out and bought like, 5 bags of candy. And ate them slowly with great self-control. ;)

All that said- here are my top 5 tips that help me make healthy choices when I’m on the go.

  • BYO- It helps to have thought ahead and packed some of your own healthy snacks to eat in the car or while waiting at an airport. Apples, dried apricots or other fruits, almonds or a high-protein granola bar are great to help with hunger, and not spend extra money! I almost always bring a pack of South Beach bars when I’m on a trip.
    I've really liked the Cinnamon Raisin flavor! It's important to get a bar that has enough protein or fiber to stay full. These have 19 grams of protein and are low carb.

    I've really liked the Cinnamon Raisin flavor! It's important to get a bar that has enough protein or fiber to stay full. These have 19 grams of protein and are low carb.

    That way, if I wake up late I can still eat healthy, be filled up and not have to eat whatever unhealthy options might be waiting for me at a meeting. It helps to resist the giant bagels or doughnuts if I’m not ravenous.

  • Pick your desserts. If I know that there’s going to be a special restaurant we’ll be going to or a nicer meal served, I’ll skip dessert at other meals & enjoy the nicer dessert later. I’d take cheesecake over a dry oatmeal cookie any day. The other thing is, most of the meetings I attend serve some sort of dessert at EVERY meal. I don’t eat like that when I’m at home, so there’s no reason to eat that way when I’m away from home. If you’re going to eat a dessert, choose when you’ll eat it rather than just eating what’s available.
  • Use your technology. I love having an iPhone because it can actually help me make healthy choices if I use it! Often I’ll search what’s available at rest stops and find a Subway or Jimmy John’s sub shop to get lunch instead of the more greasy fast food options. You can do the same thing if you’ve got a GPS that has a similar function. Or just pick your lunch location before you leave for your trip based on where there’s a healthy option to eat. Consider this- a McDonalds double-cheeseburger is 480 calories, toss in even a small fry (210 calories) and you’re hitting almost 700 calories with a lot of those being high fat calories. Even if you order one of the higher calorie options at Subway- like my fave, the cold cut trio, it’s still only 440 calories WITH all the veggie toppings! Actually when I looked up the calories in some of my favorite Jimmy Johns subs, I was shocked to find that my favorite sub- the Beach Club was 915 calories! It always helps to check things out at sites like calorie count to find out how many calories you’re actually eating. Guess I’ll be picking a different sandwich our asking for the Beach Club without cheese & mayo! .  The other thing I love about the iPhone is the apps- This past spring I was using the Lose It! app and tracking how many calories I was eating during trips compared with how I ate at home. Now, I’m not one to squelch a celebration, so the nights I go to fun places like Ballydoyle’s
    I love going out with friends & colleagues!

    I love going out with friends & colleagues!

    in Downers Grove, IL- I just enjoy the food & drinks. Then the next day I make less indulgent choices or go out for a walk at lunch break rather than sitting around eating cookies and drinking coffee. In fact, today my colleagues & I have decided to do some yoga during lunch to help us move & stretch.

  • Load up on the fruits and veggies. Obviously since I advocate getting 5 fruits or veggies a day, I try to do this when I’m traveling as well.  This is really difficult because most hotels or conference centers are really carb heavy & usually the veggies are of the gross steamed variety. However, there’s usually salad or at least one veggie option. And if you bring your own bag of dried fruit, you can still have the option to eat that if you’re hungry. You can also grab a piece of fruit at another meal to eat for dessert so you can get a sweet fix & get your five!
  • Be a tourist. What I mean by this is eating stuff you normally wouldn’t eat at home. When I’m in an airport, I typically try to find a deli-style restaurant or sushi & order a perrier and some kind of salad or sandwich. I eat sushi, salads and sandwiches at home, but for some reason drinking Perrier makes it feel special! In fact, drinking Perrier has become one of my travel traditions! For some reason it makes me feel sophisticated :) . It also makes me feel much better being hydrated with water than swilling Diet Coke and eating some greasy McDonalds fries.

Though this is the 6th tip- this is the most helpful for me- Don’t beat yourself up for what you eat on a trip. Even the next day you can make healthy choices. You don’t have to wait until you get home! It’s trying to break out of this all-or-nothing mentality that’s really helped me to see each day as a new start when it comes to eating healthy.


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