Daniel Fast Days 10 & 11

Today’s Devotion: “Day 10- Seeing The Big Picture Genesis.50:20 ‘But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.’

I believe I can say with certainty that Joseph had no idea of all the adversity that his dreams would take him into & if he had of known I’m not sure he would have even began the journey. But as it is with any dream it will take great faith to walk it out. The things that he faced, the rejection of his brothers, sold into slavery, accused of adultery, cast into prison, would be enough to make some of us quit before we ever got started, but as it is with most things in life we don’t necessarily control everything that happens & I believe that is where the sovereignty & the providence of God comes in. If we will continue walking toward His purpose no matter what trouble we encounter we will eventually run into our destiny. This is exactly what happened with Joseph. His ability to stay faithful to the Lord in every trial eventually exalted him to second in command in all of Egypt & the purpose of his promotion was bigger than his life alone. Some of the things you’re walking through may not make any sense to you either but like Joseph you have to stay faithful in the journey. Open your eyes today & begin to See the Big Picture.”

I can empathize with Joseph. I’m sure we all can.  “Dreams” very rarely include the nasty bits of reality that come along with achieving them.  The recent college grad doesn’t think about the menial, mind-numbing tasks they’ll be given at their first job. The desperate “wannabeamom” doesn’t focus on morning sickness, or the complete lack of sleep after the little one comes, or “Baby’s First Blowout in the Bathtub”.  The new groom typically doesn’t stand at the end of the aisle  thinking about the fact that someday, he is going to see his blushing bride on the crapper--she may be 30, she may be 90, but it WILL happen.  The new entrepreneurs don’t think about the hours they’ll spend fending off advertising offers and requests for donations, or screaming at Quickbooks for generating duplicate entries, or trying to figure how many “servings” are in a head of lettuce *raises hand*.  At some point on every journey, there comes a moment, however fleeting (or not fleeting) of, “OMG…why did I do this to myself? This was my DREAM!  This was SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING???”  And in those moments, it can be near impossible to think about the Big Picture.  That each little crappy thing that happens to you is part of a bigger Plan.  That each of those crappy things changes you, in a way that you will need for the future.

As the second season of having The Scoop nears (assuming it ever warms up), I feel those knots re-tying themselves in my stomach. I think about all those un-fun moments that are surely waiting for us:  unexpected equipment failures, employee call offs, purchase orders, finding a new food vendor, and customer complaints and customer “suggestions” (‘I realize you only have this 500-square foot building and no extra space anywhere, but maybe you should get an oven bake your own bread, and get a giant ice cream maker, and you should probably install a drive thru on this building you don’t own, and maybe make your own waffle cones by hand, one at a time as people order them while you have a line out the door...’)… okay, maybe my thoughts on that one are transparent.  It weighs on me a lot.  But I know that God never gives us more than we can handle, so whatever His will, as long as I keep the faith, he’ll bring us through it.

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Breakfast: Smoothie, made from strawberries, banana, blueberries, orange, pineapple juice, and spinach.  Yes, this would be a pretty spot on representation of the “Christmas Poop” smoothie I mentioned the other day.  But don’t judge by the color—it’s actually really tasty.

You can see now why I cried.

Lunch:  Vegan Minestrone

Dinner:  Trivia night again!  I tried to pick up some brown rice veggie sushi rolls for the Hubs & I, but when I got to the market they were already shut down and there weren’t any in the case.  So the Hubs (being the wonderful man he is) brought me some chips & salsa & a banana from home.  Then we split an order of herbed fries at trivia.

Best Fries On The Planet.  Thank you Finnegan’s Wake!

~~~

Woo—over halfway through!!!

Today’s Devotion: “Day 11: Enduring Mercy --Psalms 136:1 ‘O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.’

If you look up Endure in Webster’s dictionary you will find that it means to continue in the same state; to last; to abide; to submit; to sustain; to bear; to undergo; to tolerate; That is an amazing fact especially when we are talking about the Mercy of God. His mercy is able to tolerate whatever foolishness you get yourself into. Mercy is “not getting what you deserve.” Now that is good news, not that you are living your life in foolishness, but that even in times when wisdom is not employed the Lord’s mercy never changes. His promise to us is that he will never leave us nor forsake us. We need to be thankful for his great mercy & allow that same mercy to flow out of our lives to others.”

Mercy is a true blessing.  We’ve all needed it from time to time, whether from God or from others.  I am the first to admit that I am flawed, however well intended.  One only need look as far as this morning, when I accidentally dropped an F-bomb while grabbing hot bread from the toaster.  If we tried to keep track of all our shortcomings throughout the day, we’d end the day feeling like utter failures.  But just as the troublesome screaming toddler is still loved by his stressed-out mama at the end of the day, God still loves us too, no matter how bad we screw up.  I’ve heard some agnostic/atheistic people state that “God” is just a substitute parent for immature & emotionally needy adults, because the God/Follower relationship so closely mimics to that of a parent/child relationship.  But the Bible states that “we are made in His likeness”; it just makes sense that our most hard-wired, intimate human emotion-- the unfailing love of a parent for a child (no matter how demanding & seemingly unreciprocated at times)-- would be the same that God, who created us, has for us.  Perhaps that’s circular logic, but it makes sense to me.  As teens, our parents are uncool and overbearing…but as we grow, we realize just how wise they truly are, and just how forgiving they’ve been to us. So we try to show them more appreciation, and try to love them as hard as they love us.

Breakfast: ½ whole wheat flatbread + 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, and an apple

Lunch: I had high hopes of getting a brown rice veggie sushi roll at the local supermarket….but alas, the Sushi Dudes told me they were out of brown rice.  They politely pointed at the brown rice rolls that were already out on display, but all of them contained meat.  BOO.  So it was a salad bar instead, with some Greek dressing with no sugar that I found after several minutes of searching (seriously…nearly all dressings seem to contain sugar. Even the “olive oil & vinegar” dressing I picked up.  Stop with the sugar!)

Dinner: Salsa Rice!

 

This is probably the ONE dish that we’ve had since on the Fast that was already a regular in my repertoire. We LOOOOOVE this dish.  So fresh and still filling.  And here, you get a little glimpse into my Typical Thursday evening routine—looking through the sale ads while we chow down.  I know, I know…our lives are uber-glam.

$1.68/lb for asparagus?  Looks like I’m cookin’ some asparagus next week!

So…tomorrow….Valentine’s Day!!! (…???)  Perhaps you’re wondering how we’ll navigate the Day of Chocolate & Champagne & Oysters & Cheese & Other Delectable Non-Fast Friendly Things?  ….Yeah, us too!  Tune in & we’ll see how it goes!

Daniel Fast Day 9: No worries, and minestrone!

Today’s Devotion: “The Battle Is The Lord’s. 1 Samuel 17: 45-47 ‘Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.’

This is one of my favorite stories found in the bible & I guess it could be because I’m shouting for the underdog in the story. But upon further examination, we find that David never was the underdog. He was one up on any enemy he faced because he had the Lord on his side & had realized that he would fight his battles for him. He referenced past victories with the lion & the bear to reinforce his faith as he stood before this giant, & that is the same thing we will have to do if we want to stand against any giants that would come in our lives. There has to be a beginning established for us to stand in faith, so today let this be yours. Instead of trying to fight your enemy with your own strength, place whatever giant your facing into the Lord’s hands & stand in faith decreeing the word of the Lord for your life. The Lord will not fail you & you can finally find that place of rest you have been looking for. Go ahead & go for it, everything changes today.”

Last night the Hubs & I were flipping through a magazine which had an article called “The Secret Things Men Worry About”.  The list included everything from “I worry about how much I make in comparison to my friends” to “I’m worried that someone someday might beat me up in front of my family”.  I had to tease my husband & ask him if any of the things on the list worried him; for most of them he said no, and added that “he typically only worries about things that are out of his control”.  I can empathize. I was a big fretter back in my college days; things used to really wind me up into a panic.  Everything from “how am I going to get all this homework done?” to “what if so-and-so doesn’t like me?” to “what would happen if I got into a car crash and died and I didn’t have my wallet with me?”  Then somewhere around my 21^st birthday, I decided I was done with worrying. I decided I would take charge, and do the things that were in my power to do, and if something was outside of my control, then there was no point in worrying about it because there was absolutely nothing I could do to affect it. “I cannot control the universe around me; I can only control how I respond to the things that happen to me” was my mantra for a long time.

For the most part, that philosophy has worked out pretty well, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t still worry about things from time to time.  When meeting business contacts for the first time, I’m a wreck inside because I’m horrible at small talk and a total introvert.  Sometimes (and I know it’s morbid) I worry about one of my parents passing away (they’re only in their 60s, so there’s no urgency on that one)…or how my life would change if I needed to help care for them, since I’m an only child.  Since I’m in my 30s and still without child, I definitely worry about being an older parent, and if I’ll have the stamina to keep up with my kids… or I worry about the higher risk of mental disabilities in children born to “older” women (ugh….am I an “older” woman now?).  But aside from that first point, all of these items are out of my control.  I can take classes on how to become better at networking.  But everything else?  That’s up to God.  All I can do is ask Him to reign over any situation in my life, and to help me adapt to whatever He has in store for me.

In the list of things I can control, I used some paid volunteer time to go give blood today!  Partly because they were running low on my blood type, and partly because I figured it was a good opportunity to get free vital statistics, since I was interested to see how my vitals compare while I’m on the Fast to how they normally are.  I was surprised that even with not having had any meat for 9 days and only relying on iron supplements, my blood iron level was still fairly high!  Probably because I’m also not drinking any sodas or tea, since they can leach iron from your system.

And in other news…I’m craving gyros today.  :)

Breakfast: the last sweet potato pancake, w/natural peanut butter, a few toasted pecans, and some pumpkin pie spice; and an orange.

Lunch: Pasta e fagioli! Or Minestone. I’m not really sure which is more accurate.

Dinner: The same!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1-2 cups water
• Two 8 oz cans tomato sauce
• 15 oz kidney beans (pre-cooked is easier—if you use soaked beans, you’ll need to cook your beans for about an hour before adding them in with the rest of everything else)
• 1 cup baby spinach, rinsed and sliced thin
• 1-2 red potatoes, chopped
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used 4 Dorot Basil cubes)
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (we used rotini since it’s what we had onhand)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then add celery and carrots and saute for 1 to 2 minutes more.  Add veggie stock and and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat to low and add remaining veggies, basil, oregano and salt and pepper and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside, coating with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together.  This is done separately so that the pasta doesn’t continue to soak up broth & become a soft mushy mess.

When both are done, place ¼ to ½ cup of pasta in each bowl, and ladle the soup mixture over top.  Ours came out a bit thick (most likely because of cooking the kidney beans from scratch) so it’s almost more of a stew.  But it’s SUPER hearty and really delicious!

Day 8: Beans, more beans, and crying

Today’s Devotion: “Day 8- Renew Your Dream  Psalms 126:1-3 ‘When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.’
The number eight speaks of new beginnings. This is a new year full of new opportunities & a place for a fresh start. The Lord has never failed you & He never will, so leave behind you any mistakes you have ever made & allow the dreams He has placed within you to begin to arise again. Dreams birth the faith necessary for you to fulfill the word of the Lord for your life & you are not the only one to benefit from the fulfillment of those dreams. There are multitudes of people affected by the decisions we make & as we move forward in the Lord we only represent one domino but our movement causes a chain reaction to be released. Yes, our obedience to our dreams can actually activate a dream in someone else.”

This is an interesting take on the “butterfly effect” theory, with a pinch of “cog in the wheel” and “pay it forward”.  I like the idea of being “one domino in a chain”. Little actions can have big consequences.  Someone cutting you off in traffic (or, say… 4.82 miles [yes, I checked] of backed up traffic on your morning commute due to less than 2 inches of snow) can really affect your mood for the rest of the day, and in turn, affect  how you act toward other people.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious and grumpy as I sat in traffic this morning, passive aggressively posting about it on Facebook (because, seriously… 1 INCH OF SNOW, PEOPLE.)

But I really tried to not let it affect the rest of my day.  Because crummy traffic isn’t the end of the world, and if anything, it gave me a chance to listen to more of my audiobook.  Life is all about putting a positive spin on crummy situations.  Sometimes it’s easier than others.
Last Spring, the Hubs & I were in the middle of our own personal nightmare, trying to learn to run a business while working our regular jobs 40-45 hours a week, dealing with employee turnover, having to take time off from our “regular” jobs so we could interview and train new employees…only to have them flake out on us a week later, causing us to AGAIN have to take off from our “regular” jobs so we could cover their shift slinging ice cream.  Then, at the end of our first month, we ran the books and sat there slack-jawed, staring at our first month’s profit report thinking, “we did all this work…for that?”  Between broken promises, broken dreams, and broken equipment, we were each having a mental breakdown.  I cried.  Several times.  I can admit it now.  I bought Dave Ramsey’s “EntreLeadership” book so I could learn to feel empowered about running a company…instead I felt inadequate and like a failure.  Dave preached about having a zealous passion for your business, and I broke down sobbing, thinking “I’m too exhausted to have a passion for ANYTHING!” 

Ice Cream: Both the cause of, and the relief from, all our problems.

The Scoop was supposed to be this wonderful creative outlet where I could exercise my culinary whiz-bang and think up delicious frozen concoctions that would have our customers raving and talking us up to all their friends.  Instead, the end of the month would roll around and I’d be knee-deep in cost control analysis and purchase orders and suddenly remember, “CRAP! I have to come up with the new Specials for next month!”  Oh, and make demos, and photograph them, and make posters for the menu boards, and update the website, and advertise them on our social media sites…the creative portion of my job started to feel like a burden.  

One month I was testing out a last-minute idea for a Specialty smoothie (strawberries & spinach), and….it was brown.  Like POOP brown, with little green & red flecks.  Like a poopy Christmas in a glass.  I cried. Again. (And then I put my big girl panties on & replaced the spinach with blueberries and it was just fine, and very pretty.)  Another time, after a veeerrry long day at my “regular” job plus a couple hours at the Scoop, I came home to discover a displeased customer had blasted us all over social media saying our hot dogs were “worse than the ones at the gas station”.  I cried.  AGAIN.

But eventually…it got easier.  We got into a groove.  We got great employees and didn’t have any more turnover.  I got better at pre-planning my monthly Specials.  We were still exhausted all the time, but it wasn’t as bad. It wasn’t easy, but it was easier.  We even got to take a day off now and then.  And now, I can look back and smile about these things, because no matter where our business goes in the future, all of those experiences helped us grow: as a couple, as entrepreneurs, as individuals.  Life is the best learning experience you can get.

(All closed up for winter. Which is the only reason I have time to blog this much.)

Anyway….on to today’s foods!
Breakfast:  One sweet potato pancake w/ a tablespoon of natural PB, plus a banana (eaten while stuck in traffic)

Lunch: Yummy leftover red beans & rice!

Afternoon Snack: a roma tomato w/salt & pepper, and a handful of baby carrots
Dinner: More yummy red beans & rice!  We’ve only got one serving of that left, so I’m prepping some molto delizioso vegan “pasta e fagioli” on the stove right now (recipe tomorrow)!