Food For ... Thought.

In your marriage - or any relationship really. Especially your marriage though because, man, living with someone gets frustrating! Your spouse or friend, mother, brother, whoever, was not created to make you happy, to maintain your sense of well being, or to cheer you up.

You were not created even to BE happy. You were created to glorify God by becoming holy through a lifetime of trusting in God through all of your circumstances. God is not a magic genie that pops out to make our dreams and wishes come true. God is God. For us to adore, worship, fear, revere, trust, honor, glorify, and love.

So do not rely on your spouse to make your day brighter, make theirs brighter, don't wait for them to complement you, complement them, serve God by loving your spouse as God has loved us. Thoroughly, unconditionally, never ending(ly), always when you don't feel like it or don't want to, and especially when they don't deserve it, because we never have deserved Gods love, and we never will.

The Gift of Giving

Tonight we had a wrapping party which was such fun that I think we'll do it again very soon!
For one thing, I have lots of gifts yet to be delivered to my door so another round of wrapping is in the future. Another reason is that I'm not quite done shopping, though most of the people on my list have a nice (not naughty) check mark that says I know what they're getting! So the hard part is over and it's only December 4th!
Gift selecting, wrapping, and giving is really really really my favorite part about the non-spiritual traditions of our American Christmas holiday. I love looking for something special or hearing a little bird tweet the wishes of a friend or family member. It just feels so good to hit the spot with something personal. There is something more special than gifts though and I've posted a little, here and there, about the small group we're a part of at church.
We like to do volunteer opportunities when we find them so we've helped out at a Convoy of Hope outreach before, swept the floor at a local food donation site, handed out medals at a Special Olympics style event for children and older folks with special needs a few times, but what I think I have come to love the most is finding a local church that feeds the homeless and poverty stricken, every week. This is not only for the holidays or just in the wintertime but all year they serve food, supply groceries and clothing, and offer encouragement and prayer for their individual needs and circumstances.
One morning, I walked into their warehouse building and I was in a particularly grumpy mood, the special kind of grumpy that happens on days when I have had about 5 or 6 hours of sleep. I was thinking that I might just stay for a few minutes if I couldn't find it in me to have a single positive thought. I scolded myself about my selfishness and irritability when I was there, warmly dressed, with gas in my car, food on my table every single day, and a safe and warm home every night. My mood wasn't lightened but I pushed up my sleeves and walked through the door. Over the course of the next couple of hours I was greeted with faces that were filled with delight and gratitude. These were no grumpy people come to discuss their dire circumstances, these were people that were happily eating a warm meal, they could have enough, and then some more. I was immediately honored to bring each plate of hot food and my heart was bursting with love for these people whom I had never known. I could not do enough to serve them.
I wasn't growling when I walked in, I was nice and polite. When I left though, I was exuberant, filled with joy to over flowing. I had been smiled upon by beautiful people who had no reservations, no bone to pick, no homes and no attitude of self pity or despair. I had come to serve them but the reward was truly mine.
I tell you all of this not to brag, although to even speak of my small effort is the epitome of self exultation, but I am telling you, because I want you to do it too, not just at Christmastime but all year, every month, every week!
There are people in need all around us and what they need is you, but most of all; its you that needs them.

Do You Chia?

Are there any Chia lovers out there? Hello hello? Until 3 days ago I was not one of you.

I know, two posts in one day, it's what happens when my husband leaves me.

I've mentioned how my mom researches things - mainly health food - and then she breaks the info down so her children can process and possible learn from it, we mostly gag and scoff, but now and then something gets through, like Ezekiel bread, coconut oil, and now chia seeds!

My mom and my husband have been loving chia for some time now but I have steadfastly resisted the gagalicious super food. A few days ago I latched onto a copy of a book called Going Raw by Judita Wignall (hich belongs to my mom and which she urged me for days to crack open, and I wouldn't) and came upon the process of making your own almond milk - which we love to drink. I also found a recipe for Chia Pudding - made with almond milk!

So first I made two batches of almond milk, the beginnings of which I posted about a couple of days ago. Then I found the chia seed that I'd been scoffing at for probably two (TWO!) years and decided it would probably taste very close to tapioca pudding - which I l.o.v.e! So, following the book's concept stored safely in my mind, I combined chia, almond milk, cinnamon, and a smidge of honey. Honey, because I haven't bought any agave since I heard it might not be as amazing as it sounds(ultra processed and some other stuff that might not be malarky). I stare longingly as I pass it in the grocery aisle. I'll probably go ahead and get more because I think it's still better than honey and lower on the GI scale either way.
So there, haters.
Anyway, back to the chia pudding, right away it was runny and loose and kinda nasty but soon it started to thicken so I ate it, and then I ate a lot of it. Then I hid the rest in the back of the fridge hoping to forget about it until the next day so there'd be some left for later (dudes, I made 2 cups of it, saving some should have been no problem but I tell you, it just kept getting better and better!). Okay, grammatical problems aside here, I did save some for the next day and it was super thick and oh so delicious that now I am going to buy more chia seeds and make more almond milk. TODAY.

Also, chia is filled with protein, gives you hydration for long time, and absorbs carbs.

End.

PS, Do it.

I was THAT girl.

Have you ever been in a situation where you're about to spill your guts to a friend and then you suddenly realize "THIS PERSON IS NOT MY FRIEND"? What about if, you've JUST let loose of a millions little things or maybe one big thing that's been bothering you and THEN it becomes apparent, after you've bared your soul, that this woman doesn't consider you worth a smirk.

A couple of years ago I was chatting with a group of friends whom I feel very comfortable with. So I was doing a little work related venting, when all of a sudden, right out of nowhere, I was verbally slapped right back into my seat. Oh the humiliation I felt. It was at that moment that I realized I had trusted someone by association, and she was not to be trusted. Lets call her Sally.

Lesson 1: Don't cast your pearls before swine but do love your neighbor as yourself.

Watch it sisters because we women can be so mean. And really, we should stick together. Yes, many times we can be oh so shallow and full of our selves but what if that snooty little perfect girl really has a horrible self image?? What if that gal who has the life you dream of really has an unfaithful husband? You see we don't know what's going on in the lives of others, even some of our closest friends. So, while maybe you shouldn't tell your Sally your deepest and darkest secrets, you can still have coffee with her and be a real friend. Just remember not to talk about her when you get in your car. And yes, thoughts are the same as words. If you let yourself think things about someone, you'll find yourself saying them pretty soon. Don't be THAT girl.

Recently I have been in proximity to Sally a few times and have remembered to guard my sore spots. In my bitterness, although I was certainly nice to her, I allowed an attitude of meanness to flourish in my heart (towards Sally). This week I had a chance to give her a small (but loving) poke, publicly. For 24 hours, not only did I barely think of it but, I had a mean little smile in my head just for her. My tiny jab was nothing (compared to regular meanness) and once I did give it some thought I knew it was certainly well deserved and justified. We aren't even, Sally and I, not even close. Once I realized that, I knew the depth to which I had stooped. I was trying to be THAT girl to Sally, in the nicest way possible, and who was I to decide she deserved to be humiliated, even to a tiny degree? That is not my right and that is not your right, even to someone who is THAT girl.

Take my advice; it's no fun being THAT girl.