Master Cleanse Day 3

Today went really well, and I felt better today than I did yesterday. Yesterday evening I was a little on the grumpy side. = ) It seemed like my mental clarity was greatly improved today. I didn't feel as tired or have that I'm living in a fog feeling that I've had lately. I do think I've been hungrier today. Probably because my digestive system is truly empty and everything just runs right through. So I've drunk about twice as much lemon juice than I have been.

I have also started experiencing some detox symptoms, which I was told to expect between days 3 and 7. Well, it's day 3 and I'm feeling it! lol! I've had a touch of nausea this evening. Nothing major, just every now and then I feel a little twinge of yuckiness. I've also had some joint achiness. Again, nothing major, but I have noticed that my lower back feels achy when I bend over.

I made bread for the boys today and oh....my.....GOODNESS! did the house smell wonderful! I have noticed that I'm beginning to appreciate food for other reasons besides flavor. My sense of smell seems to be greater and I'm paying more attention to the texture and color of food. I think that's a good thing. Hopefully, once I'm finished with the cleanse and begin eating again, I won't just scarf food down without paying attention to what I'm eating. I've heard other people say that once they begin to eat again, they notice so many different layers of flavor in the foods than they did before and take time to really enjoy what they're eating. That's definitely a good thing.

Update on Noah: He's done much better today. Only had one dose of Motrin this morning when he got up and he was fine all day. He ate better and played better. I put him to bed about 9 and he woke up an hour later crying so I gave him more medicine, a cup of milk, and a scoop of ice cream. There's another example of how I'm noticing different things about food - I stir his ice cream a little bit before giving it to him so it's softer in his month, and I can't help but notice the beautiful smooth texture of it. = ) Looks like a Wendy's frosty! Maybe I'm just becoming obsessed? lol! I also noticed that as I fixed the boys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on our homemade whole wheat oatmeal bread, I was content just to smell the yumminess and had no desire to eat it. Yay! That's encouraging.

This past weekend I attended New Director's Academy at the Pampered Chef home office in Chicago. The first day of training I wore a pair of capris that were size 8 and they were a bit snug in the waist. Yesterday, I wore a pair of dress pants that were a size 6 and they were quite comfortable. So....whoopee for me!! I've not worn a 6 since I was first married 6 1/2 years ago! I'm excited to see how the rest of this cleanse goes!

Master Cleanse Day 2

Today has gone fairly well! I have craved food today. I've not been hungry but my brain is still telling me to chew on something. = ) I fixed fried skillet potatoes for the boys and they SMELLED....SO....GOOD! Jeremy had to go to the garden, (he's doing this with me, started today) and I told him how nice it must be to leave the house while I'm cooking! That way he doesn't have to smell it and fix their plates, and want to eat the piece of golden brown, crispy, greasy potato that fell off Noah's plate!! ARGHH!!!

It's been a horrible day in some ways because both of my boys have hand, foot, and mouth disease. Isaac is okay but Noah is difficult to comfort, especially when he's not feeling well. He comes over and wants me to pick him up, but once I have him, he's still crying and fights to get back down. <sigh> And we had the worst! ever! doctor's appointment with him. He was walking over to get measured and tripped over the scale, and hit his head on the corner of a cabinet. So he pretty much was mad the rest of the visit. He cried at everything and didn't want anyone to touch him. So one of the nurses brought him a popsicle, and he had half of it then proceeded to drop it into the trash can. I, of course, wouldn't let him dig it back out to eat, so that provoked a screaming and crying fit. The nurse brought in another one, but no, he didn't want that one. He wanted the one in the trashcan.

The boys are already bathed and had their dinner and it's only 6:10 pm so I'm hoping to get them in bed very soon and I'm hoping we actually get to sleep tonight......but I'm not holding my breath.

Master Cleanse Day 1

So today I began the Master Cleanse. It's been alright. Not been hungry but everytime I go through the kitchen, my brain says, "Oh! You've not eaten anything today! Maybe you should grab a banana or a bite out of the kids' plates that they didn't finish." My brain is confused. Haha! But so far the belly is doing fine.


Here's the why, and what of the Cleanse:




WHY
I was looking up information on colon cleanses and detox systems online when I came across the Master Cleanse. It was something I could do myself, was inexpensive and has been around for many years with thousands upon thousands having success with it. This may be TMI, but I have been constipated since the day I was born, literally. At the worst, I had once monthly movements. Yea, not good. It's not that bad now, but I was starting to get desperate and that's why I was looking up the info to begin with. I discovered an added bonus, however while reading testimonials and watching youtube vlogs: People lose weight on this thing! Woo-hoo! I can handle that. lol! We actually started a 100 days of real food pledge a few weeks ago, and I really like the idea of detoxing and purging all the nasty stuff we've been eating in the past as we're still in the beginning stages of our pledge. So my goals are cleansing, detoxing and weight loss.
WHAT
The Master Cleanse is a detox/fast diet. I drink an herbal senna tea in the morning and evening and eat nothing! Crazy, I know. The main part of the detox is the lemon juice I mix up. It's fresh lemon juice, maple syrup (to keep up my caloric intake) and cayenne pepper. That's it. It's really yummy! I'm a big fan of spicy foods, so I made my lemon juice a little on the hot side. Actually, a lot on the hot side. It tastes like a fiery lemonade. Love it! We use organic maple syrup grade b, and it has a lot of vitamins and minerals in it so with that plus the calories, my body is still getting what it needs just in liquid form. 




The Cleanse recommends a minimum of 10 days and max of 45. My goal is to take it 10 days at a time. After the first 10 days if I feel like I'm done, I'll be done. If I feel like I need to keep up the detox, I'll keep going. 


Our chiropractor said that I'd be surprised how even if I didn't start this as a spiritual fast, it will become spiritual. I believe God made our bodies to connect better with the spirit when fasting. Think about it - God asked the Jews to fast on a regular basis so it would be good for us to do now as well! So, I am committing to spend a good portion of time in quiet time and studying during this fast. I'm focusing on praying for our church. I sense discouragement and hopelessness creeping in to our tiny congregation. I particularly want to petition the Lord for spiritual growth within the hearts of every member and a renewed passion for the Great Commission. Part of praying for my church is praying for my husband. So I'm going to also focus on lifting Jeremy up. That God would protect is heart from discouragement and compromise. 


So that's it! I'll try to update every couple of days so you can help me track my success. Oh, my weight....hmmmm.....actually don't have a scale right now but if it's the same it's been for months....I'm probably about 150 lbs. Hopefully that will go down. We'd love to have another baby and it's hard for us with my PCOS. BUT my PCOS symptoms get a ton better as I lose weight so here's to happy baby thoughts. Lol!

My Purse Has Holes!!

So this morning, I get up and think, I want to read something different today.

So instead of going with the book of the Bible I've been reading from, I picked up my old Teen Study Bible. My sweet grandmother gave me this Bible when I was 13, and I chose it because before each book, there's a brief description of what the book is about and how it applies to our life. I chose to read Haggai.

We don't notice little bitty Haggai very often, but today the Holy Spirit used itty bitty Haggai to show me something BIG.

Don't you love that about our LORD?!?! So exciting and humbling!

The sermons recorded in Haggai were preached in 520 BC but thanks to the Living Breathing Word of God, the message is still relevant today! So the background is that the Jews had returned from captivity in Babylon and were supposed to be rebuilding the temple. But guess what? They weren't fulfilling their calling. And this is what happened: Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, buat are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 1:5,6

Man, oh, man! I feel like this all the time! I'm working away, but have little to show for it. Do you ever feel like this? I especially identify with the holey purse! The people of God heard Haggai's message and responded in obedience to the Lord. They began to once again rebuild the temple and in chapter 2, verse 19, God says, "From this day on, I will bless you." WHOA!! What an awesome thing to hear from the Lord. From this day on, I will bless you. You want to know what really happened? The holey purse became a holy purse.

You see, the Jews were investing all their time and energy in their own homes, but were neglecting the house of the Lord.

I am so guilty of this, my friend!

I wonder what my little church would look like if I invested as much energy and sacrifice into building up the temple (which for us, is the people of God) as I do for my home and family.

Maybe the problem with my holey purse, is that my goal for filling it is so provide wealth and security for my family. Maybe I need a holy purse that seeks to invest in the kingdom of heaven and in the people of God. It's a priorities thing. How many times have I cut back on my tithes so that I have more money for another part of my budget? Just being honest, people. I'm ashamed to admit that God does not often get my firstfruits.

In doing what I think is just common sense, am I dooming myself to a holey purse? Not saying that God always blesses financially for obedience, but it doesn't really matter does it? I teach my boys that obedience is the most important thing. Maybe I need to learn that lesson myself. This morning my prayer is to bring out the holy purse, and toss out the one with all the holes.

Are you Dissatisfied?

On my way home from church tonight, I was thinking about how much God has been teaching me here of late. And I was overcome with a feeling of humility and sense of His grace! Something He brought to my attention this evening was huge for me, and I want to share it with you.

The mother of our sin - Eve. When I think of her, I feel respect and frustration. Respect, because she was the first woman, first wife, first to bear and deliver children, and first female to walk with God. Frustration because of the sinful nature I inherited through her.

Do you know what was at the root of Eve's sin?
She was dissatisfied. She was discontent with the perfect life she was living.

Satan watered that seed of discontent and watched it bloom into sin. Then our Creator was grieved to see the reaping of death in human life.

What about you, oh woman of God? Are you dissatisfied with your life? Are you discontent with the calling God has placed on you as a woman? We think, how foolish, Eve! How foolish of you to have the gall to want more, when you had it all! We have also been blessed beyond measure to abide in this season of God's grace, yet we dare to crave more.

Let me say, that discontent can be a positive thing! We have to become dissatisfied with our sin, before we can grow spiritually. And we should always long to "know more of Christ and His resurrection." But you know the difference, don't you?

Ladies, we have such a high calling to be keepers of our homes and families! Beware of dissatisfaction with your calling, because Satan will also water that seed in your heart, just as he did in Eve's. And look at the consequences of Eve's discontent! I read a quote from a letter written during the Civil War. Apparently, it was a common theme of the time: "There is safety in duty." We've lost that idea in our modern America. The safest place for you and your family to be is fulfilling your calling and duty. This takes SO MUCH maturity and selflessness! I fail on a daily basis! But I am thankful for the Lord's warning to my heart this evening.

Dissatisfaction breeds sin. Discontent breeds sorrow. My calling in my home provides safety. Safety in the will of God and in the shadow of His wings. That's where I want to be!

Lessons from the Lord

I know it's been a really long time since I've blogged, but if you recall my last post, I was telling you how I've gotten fed up with the clutter in our home, and I have been busy as a bee lately as I work on decluttering the house. It's been a chore, to say the least! I've had a few blog ideas this last month but just haven't had the opportunity to sit down and write. But this week, the Lord really hit me with something and I felt so convicted. And as this issue applies to me as a mother, I knew that it was a lesson I had to pass on to all my friends who are also mothers. So before you read on, I would like you to stop and ask the Holy Spirit to search your own heart and see if this is an area you need to work on as well. Okay! Here goes!


I have begun making a short to-do list for myself each morning during my quiet time. Usually, there are only four or five items I'd like to do for the day and every available moment, I'm rushing to accomplish something from my list. So one day this week, the kids were playing quietly in the living room and I thought I'd try and do a few dishes from lunch. As I'm frantically washing as quickly as I can, splasing water all over the place (I can't wash dishes without looking like I've been dunked in a pool lol!), Isaac comes in. Immediately, I think, "I've only washed a few dishes! I hope he doesn't really need anything because I'd like to get some more done." Well, his request is that I come play with him. As I pause, debating on whether I want to wash more dishes or go play in the floor with my sons and little friends, The Lord hit me over the head with something. (He tends to like doing that, cause He does it all the time!) I literally, physically, felt myself slump as the Holy Spirit taught me a valuable lesson. I have had the attitude that these requests are interruptions to my day. My day is on that to-do list and I'm desparate for everything to be marked off before the end of my work day. But I have been oh-so-wrong! Isaac is not an interruption to my day - he IS my day! He, and Jeremy and Noah, along with any other friends I may be enjoying that day, THEY are why I'm doing this list. They are the most important reason why I have this home to care for and dishes to wash. Those times I get to run off and work on my list, those are the exceptions and interruptions to my day. My day is my children and my family.


As I dried my hands to go play with my kids, the Lord brought another thought to my mind. As parents, we would willingly give our lives for our children. But are we willing to give our days, our hours, our minutes to them? This is how we show them our love.


My prayer is that I would stay humble before my children. That I would never belittle them just because I can, or that I never admit my mistakes to them just because I'm the parent and I shouldn't have to do that. They need to see that my love for them is bigger than anything else. BECAUSE, in showing love to them, I am showing them the Father. My greatest goal for my boys is that I can one day introduce them to their Savior, and everything that I do in my day should be working toward that goal. Even if it means putting aside that to-do list, getting in the floor and building a tower just to knock it over. THIS is my day, this is my life.

Clearing Out and Cleaning Up!

This week I finally reached my limit on the clutter in our home. For some reason, it hasn't really hit me before that part of the reason our house stays a mess is because we have so many things that don't have a place to be put. So we end up with toys overflowing and books overflowing, clothes piled in every corner because there is no room left in the closets and drawers. Even our cabinet in overflowing because there's too much in there that's been in there for months and not been used. It finally struck me that enjoying our home and allowing it to be a peaceful, restful refuge from the craziness of our lives, is SOOOO much more important than any of this "stuff." This mama's sanity is more important that all this stuff. So I am drastically downsizing toys and clothes. I have enough clothes for three people (all of different sizes lol!) and the boys have enough clothes for ten kids at least! I am not exaggerating! It's absolutely ridiculous. Even Jeremy has a closet of clothes that I've not seen him wear since we were dating so I'm positive that someone else could enjoy those clothes and get more use out of them than he does.
And isn't it just like the Holy Spirit to take a lesson I'm learning in my practical life and apply it to my spiritual life? =) I've started a Bible study by Elizabeth George called Loving God With All Your Mind. In the beginning of the book, she reveals something that taught her alot as a young mom and pastor's wife. She was memorizing Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true..... think on these things." This first phrase really caught her and she began to think about all the things she allowed her mind to dwell on throughout the day that were not true, the truth from God's word opposing lies, and what is real. No more assumptions or gossip within our relationships with others. No more allowing feelings and the rational mind to come before the truth of God's Word about who He is, who we are in Him and our relationships with others within the body of Christ and outside the body of Christ. So the idea of cleaning out my mind and heart started flitting around in my thoughts. Then during Jeremy's sermon last week we were in Ephesians 4 and as I read down I came across verses 14 and 15 - "So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous (literally, dice-playing) men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." There again the Holy Spirit was leading me to this idea of living only in truth. When you think of gamblers, you think of someone who bets there life on chance, losing money, and sometimes life, on the off-chance that that card or that die comes up the way they want it. That is a great example of our lives when we are failing to live and walk in truth. We are creating and sustaining relationships, establishing families, working careers, and even going to church based on untruths. Our lives are too precious to be wrong about God and His Word. When we are not living and thinking on what is true, we're gambling with our own lives. A friend of mine shared with me that she has been working on speaking the truth recently and that it almost a mantra for her as she is at her workplace. I truly believe that the Lord is working in our little church and in the hearts of our people to clean out the clutter, all the untruths, that we allow to creep into our days. I so often allow my emotions and feelings to determine my speech and my daily life, instead of the truth of God's Word and the "real" of my life. What is "real" for me is that I have a husband who is a pastor that needs my constant encouragement and help. I have two young boys who are looking to me to train them in the ways of the Lord. I have several other young lives who look to me for their daily needs and for me to be their playmate and protector. I have a home that the Lord has so graciously provided us with, that needs to be maintained daily. These are the things that are real and true in my life and everything else, along with the rest of the junk in my house, has got to go. These things have robbed us of our joy long enough and I am DONE!