Grocery Fast – Day 12

So far I’m feeling no remorse or ill effects from randomly deciding to stop going to the grocery store for 30 days.  Before I made this bold statement, I had taken a jar of chicken stock out of the freezer with the intention of making some chicken noodle soup.  One minor problem.  There are no noodles in the house.  Since the stock was thawed, I was committed.  I perused the pantry and spotted the barley.  It seemed like this could work.  It ended up being delicious, but the soup is kind of a weird color and it’s really thick.  I tell myself it’s a condensed soup and just needs a little water to be perfect.

Tonight I mixed up some bread dough. I typically don’t buy bread (I’m not a big sandwich fan), but I’ve been having a craving for a grilled cheese the last week or two.  It’s a great recipe I found on the Mother Earth News website.  What I love about it is that I can make a big loaf or a tiny loaf depending on how I’m feeling any given day.  I usually make it 100% whole wheat, or whole wheat with a little barley flour thrown in.  My favorite variation is sprinkling it with some kosher salt – it reminds me of a pretzel roll.  I’m thinking of making some of it into a pizza crust.  If that happens, I’ll be sure to give a full report.

While my fresh fruit and vegetable supplies have run pretty low, I’m pretty sure I will be able to come up with something the next two weeks.  Right now I’m feeling more brilliant and less crazy for picking those 42 pounds of peaches last summer! 

Sunny Day

There is just something about a sunny day.  When I step out the door to take Hannah for a walk and the sun is already brightening up the sky, I can’t keep from grinning.  It’s nearly impossible to be crabby when I lift my face up and feel the warmth on my skin. Even when temperatures are in the single digits, it feels warmer because the sun is there and I can almost forget it’s winter.  Sometimes it looks like rays of sunlight are coming all the way from heaven down to the earth – I’m convinced that its the very fingertips of God reaching down to physically caress his creation.

For reasons I can’t explain, it always makes me feel like something great is about to happen.  In fact, great things are happening.  There has been a lot in the news about the dangers of over exposure to the sun, but the truth is that human beings need sun to grow and thrive just like plants do.  In addition to the physical health benefits, exposure to the sun also reduces depression.  I can’t tell you all the latest discoveries about why our bodies need sunlight in one blog post, but I encourage you to type ‘benefits of the sun’ into google and read just a few of the articles you find.

Today was a perfect sunny day.  I knew as soon as I walked out of my office building that it was going to be fabulous and I wasn’t disappointed.  I’m not sure if it’s the light, the warmth, or the promise of a new day, but a sunny day comforts my very soul. 

Wise Counsel

I have never been a person with a ton of friends.  I have moved around a lot as an adult and people have come in and gone out of my life at a rather alarming rate.  Over the last few years, however, I have cultivated a fabulous core group of friends and family.  They laugh with me, cry with me, reminisce with me, tease me, encourage me, speak the truth to me, love me, and are always, always there for me.  I’m so very grateful to be blessed by these relationships. 

There are times, however, when though I may want someone to commiserate with me, tell me I’m right, assure me my words or actions were justified, tell me I’ve been wronged, give me sympathy, and provide a shoulder to cry on, what I really need is wise counsel. 

Wise counsel listens, is direct, doesn’t tell me what I want to hear, points out when I’ve done something wrong, understands home and workplace dynamics, and interpersonal relationships.  Wise counsel has a sound Biblical foundation.  Wise counsel has a way of exposing my stubbornness and righteous attitude and opens my eyes to see that this is not the person I was created to be, and that doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Wise counsel reminds me that I cannot change the nature of human beings and that the only real choice I have is how I respond to the challenges in front of me. 

I needed wise counsel today and all it took was a phone call.  It wasn’t what I wanted to hear and the advice initially made me want to stomp my foot in frustration like a two-year-old, but it was the exact right thing to do and I am very glad I listened.  Thanks, wise counselor – I miss you every single day!