It's Over!!! ...Or Is It? Day 30

My, how time has flown! Today is Thursday, September 30, meaning it's the last day of September, meaning it's the official last day of my fast food and Facebook fast. Let's recap on how it went.

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Some days it was easy.
Some days it was hard.
I don't really miss Facebook.
I miss fast food like crazy (especially Checkers).
I've saved money by planning to eat food in advance instead of stopping by BK in my rush.
I've saved time/used time better by not having Facebook as a distraction/time-waster. 

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There you have it, folks! I'm not sure whether or not I'll be back on Facebook yet or not. There are people on my university campus I could probably reach better through Facebook, but we shall see. As far as fast food is concerned, this month has been a good exercise in discipline for me, as well as watching my funds. (Which is why it's pretty cool that the Walking Worthy young women's class at Calvary Chapel is going through the book Money and Possessions: The Quest for Contentment by Kay Arthur! Very timely. I have only been to one class so far, but I look forward to continuing to grow with these young women in the area of biblical financial stewardship.) I don't doubt that I'll be eating fast food again, I just hope to continue watching my budget and intentionally make better food choices.

Some of the ladies at the Walking Worthy young adult women's class.

Two of the ladies! And the cutie who kept getting passed around. :) 

It was her birthday the same day! 

My Facebook & Fast Food Free Life: Day 16

Whew, try saying that title five times fast! Hehe :)

I've gotta be honest guys, I went back on Facebook. Wait! Wait! Before you get that accusing look on your face and before I knew it! crosses your mind, let me explain. I did a presentation for my church this past Sunday on the missions trip to Cape Town, and what I didn't do before I deactivated my Facebook was go on my teammates' pages and borrow their pictures (don't worry, I had their permission!). So I signed on and got a few pictures from the trip and deactivated my Facebook profile once again. It really wasn't hard to do! Granted, I did sneak a few looks at some friends' profiles, while I was on, but I don't miss Facebook at all, to be honest.

Now about the fast food... I don't miss it that much, but I definitely do miss certain places. Like Checkers. I have been craving me some Checkers! I can't guarantee that I won't speed over there and buy a Big Buford, medium fry and medium vanilla shake as soon as October 1st hits. Yes, I already know what I want. I've been buying more foods to make at home since I've stopped eating fast food, and I try not to leave home hungry. That alone reduces the temptation to roll up to the McDonald's drive through window for a dollar fry. I hope chips don't count as fast food though, because I've discovered these Utz Sea Salt kettle chips that are amazing, especially when paired with a cold sub and a lemonade from Wawa. Yummy delicious! Don't plan on giving that up anytime soon :)

Right now it's not looking like I'll be getting Facebook back anytime soon, which is fine by me! I love the time I have on my hands and the things I'm able to get accomplished during the day, like stuff for my siblings (three of which are in high school and in need of chauffeuring), cleaning, running errands, and blogging (woohoo)! I also have no excuse (not like I did before..) for not spending time with Jesus, both in the Word and in prayer during the day. There's really nothing like sitting at His feet, listening to Him speak, then going and doing what He says--and not being rushed because of a (seeming) lack of time! Life is good. Definitely not easy, but as I read in my Word today, any light afflictions that I face are not only momentary, but they are also working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight in glory as I spend less time focusing on the seen and temporal things and more time focusing on the unseen and eternal things of Christ! (see 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Have there been any things in your life, either past or present, that you've been led to give up? If so, how have you dealt with the absence of that thing in your life? Did you replace it with anything? For example, when I want to spend time online, I'll read more blogs or go on Hulu (every now and then), which I didn't do much of before deactivating my Facebook! Or I'll just not get online at all, and I'll read, clean, or nap. Hehe. But enough about me! I'd love to hear your stories. :)

Letting Go of the Fatty Inside Me: Day 1

Surely you've already assumed that this is about food. And you're right. And you're probably also thinking, "Ashley, you weigh barely more than a feather, so you could hardly be considered a fatty!" If only you knew how big I really am how much I eat! ESPECIALLY when it comes to fast food. From McDonalds to Checkers to Burger King to Chic-fil-A (yes, I said it. Chic-fil-a), I can throw down on a cheap (monetarily) and costly (to my health) meal at just about any fast food joint.

Now before I get too ahead of myself, let me clarify something. The fatty inside me consumes more than just food. It also consumes a ton of....here's a hint, it also starts with an "f"! Think, think, think.... Okay, okay, I'll tell you! Facebook! I'm sure you're probably like, ummm consuming Facebook? Is it really that serious? Well, for me it is. I definitely believe there can be too much of certain good things, including Facebook. I love being updated on my friends' lives, seeing the latest pictures of what is going on in their lives, and keeping in touch with people I haven't seen in years or people too far away to keep in touch with them otherwise. What happened in my case was I began viewing too much of a world that wasn't real. Sure, life looks great when we've got our make-up on, showing our best sides, friends, family, school, and church fairly ordered and pretty close to perfect. What I've come to realize though, and what the Holy Spirit had to tell me is that by spending an inordinate amount of time on this glorified social networking site, I can lose sight of the realities of what is occurring in my own life, as well as in the lives of the people whose pages I tend to frequent. Most of the time people only show you what they want you to see. Taking this into consideration, knowing my imperfections and the things I would love to have better or changed in my life can lead me into a state of discontentment, which is not at all honoring to God.

It was more than just me consuming too much fast food and Facebook. They were consuming me! My time and energy seemed to evaporate as I made one more stop at McDonalds or checked my Facebook for the billionth time that day. God has really convicted me, and a couple Scriptures come to mind about this.

Redeeming the time because the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5:16

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20

According to Blue Letter Bible, "redeeming" in this context means to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good. I have read elsewhere that it also means to take advantage of or to seize the opportunity. Time is so precious, and most of us don't realize it until we look backwards at lost time, seeing how quickly life is moving. I would hate to look back and think, Wow, I was a horrible steward of my time! I spent more time on Facebook than I did with Jesus or ministering to people or sharing the gospel! My days seem incredibly short when I spend the majority of them on the computer, and I can only wonder how much time I'll have left over with no Facebook at all.

The verse in 1 Corinthians actually deals with sexual immorality within the context, but I believe it has application to the way I eat as well! I may be skinny on the outside, but it would really suck if I (God forbid!) suffer from a heart attack at the age of 25 because my arteries are so clogged from the exorbitant amount of junk I can consume several times a day. I don't think I'm honoring God with this body He has blessed me with  by eating food that is not good for my health (bad steward of my body/health), eats up my money (bad steward of funds), and evaporates my time (bad steward of time.... Hmm, I'm seeing a stewardship theme here!) My new life was paid for in the death of Christ, and since I'm no longer my own, I can hardly consider it only my business how I take care of myself. The Spirit lives inside me!

Anyways, let me stop being long-winded and get to the point. Remember when I had a fast food fast back in December? Well I'm having another one, but this time I'm adding Facebook to the fast! I deactivated it around 12:01 AM today, and it's like a weight is off. (Interesting, huh?) As of right now, I feel no compulsion to go back to it at month's end, but we'll see. Fast food is a different story, hehe. I'm definitely giving myself an opportunity to let the self-control fruit of the Spirit begin to flourish. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Food, Food, Glorious Food!!!

Food to Eat
So during the month of December 2009, I was on a fast. From food. And not just any food...fastfood. Nearly every place that had a drive through was out for the entire month. Now some of you are probably like, 'Oh, no big deal.' Noooo, let me explain. I eat (well, ate) fast food all the time. May not be able to tell it from looking at me, but I am an addict to all things junky, fatty, and cheap!!! (Sad, I know.) Among those places that were hard to give up: Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Checkers. But alas, I got pretty convicted about the type of food that I put in my body (no, I don't think eating fast food is sinful! hehe. I just had no sense of moderation.)

Think about the Scripture in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17:  "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."  An analogy I heard went something like this:  If you have a really nice luxury car that you spent a ton of money on, one with a state of the art engine and functions, would you put cheap gas in it? No, because that could lead to your car's engine dying out on you faster. So why put junk food into our bodies? So...does eating junk food all the time mean that I'll die sooner...uhh...maybe...lol.  (okay, -muffles laugh- not funny). Actually, it is funny, at least I know where I'm going when I die (if you don't, ask me how I know!)!! But how horrible would it be for me to die at the tender age of 20 due to my heart/arteries giving out on me because of my, at best, unhealthy eating habits? Not so pleasant, huh? Okay, done rambling. Changing what I eat opened up opportunities to cook more, and also to discover new and exciting recipes made totally from scratch! Yum!

I had been craving some oatmeal raisin cookies since Thanksgiving!! But sadly, they weren't on the menu last year...but last month (yeah I know, it's been a while now), I finally got to make some!! I searched high and low for the perfect recipe (online of course, hehe), and settled on this one by Elise at http://simplyrecipes.com/. VERY VERY good choice!! Not having a mixer made fixing the cookies a little harder to do (it got lost during one of the past 3 moves!). Let's just say, my arm muscles should be pretty strong from mixing that thick dough! One thing I did do in the recipe was soak the raisin in one egg and vanilla extract. The raisins did plump some, but weren't fat like I expected (which is sad, 'cause I love chubby/fat things!). Either way, the cookies were great. Later in the month I made a variation of the cookies (chocolate chips instead of raisins) per my younger sister's request for her birthday (which happened to be on Christmas!). Anyways, I encourage any and everyone who likes oatmeal raisin (or oatmeal chocolate chip) cookies to make them!

I made another type of cookie in..December? I think. Either way, I've used the recipe twice since then because I (and my family) so enjoyed them! They're sugar cookies, and they are yummy delicious and tasty! The recipe is really simple. I tweaked it a bit, and it's still awesome. :)

2 3/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 egg
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
couple dashes of cinammon (optional)

1)  Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, stir together the flower, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2)  In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until it's smooth. And egg and vanilla and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually blend in dry ingredients (but don't overmix!). Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place in ungreased pan/cookie sheet.

3)  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand on the cookie sheet 1-2 minutes before removing.

4)  Enjoy! :)

I could really go on about food forever, but I think I'll try to stop soon! (Yeah, not yet, hehe.) A really nifty idea (at least I thought so) if you run out of chips to go with your did (and just so happen to have tortilla shells in your fridge!):  cut the tortilla shells into triangles, and fry lightly. Takes less than three minutes, and they're really tasty! I salted mine, and if you want to do the same, salt them while they're hot!!

Okay, last things (yes, I know, I'm such a fatty!). Something that super excited me was that I learned how to make eggs over hard! I already knew how to make them sunny side up and scrambled, but I hadn't mastered over hard. The trick, for those who'd like to try it, is to pierce the yolk before you flip it over! Ta daaa!! (Actually, you shouldn't have to flip it over, but I'm not on that level yet lol).  And since I'm on this cooking spree, hopefully I'll get to make these yummy looking and sounding lasagna rolls that I found on My Italian Grandmother, and maybe some Orange Oatmeal cookies (I'll keep you posted on that...). Mm-mm-good!

Spiritual Food

Right now I'm reading a book called Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur.(Shout out to the bestest for the recommedation!) Finished the fourth chapter today, and already it's been so great to be reminded of the promises God has made and keeps for His children!! It's a big encouragement to me, especially during this awkward, and sometimes frustrating stage in my life (more on that another time...). Other than than, I've been studying the book of James and the Lord has been teaching me so so much! (More on that later as well, otherwise this post'll continue forever!) Last thing with my "spiritual food." So I'd been looking into summer missions trips through Impact Movement and through Campus Crusade for Christ for a while. One of my goals for 2010 is to go on at least 2 missions trips, and what better time than the summer to go! With God's leading, I was able to narrow it down to my top four choices (Tennessee, South Africa, Mexico, Indiana), and with much prayer, put Cape Town, South Africa as my first choice!! If you look reaaallllyyy closely at the picture, in the bottom left corner, you can see the little dot that's Cape Town. I'm already sooo excited about the summer (and I technically haven't even heard back yet, hehe)! Sometimes I wonder if this is how Jabez felt when God granted his request of enlarging his territory...Nothing like knowing the Creator of the universe wants to use me! (and you!). :)

Computer Food

I'm always on Facebook!! Alas. My freshman year at Howard, I was voted "Facebook Queen" by my floor in my dorm. Is that an award I should be proud of? I'm not quite sure... Anyways, you're probably wanting me to get to the point; what does Facebook have to do with food? Well. I have been playing this highly addictive game called Cafe World. Basically you gain points by "making dishes" and "serving" them to customers. Who knew that such a simplistic game could be so...well, addicting!! So there's my "computer food" for ya :)


Food for Thought

"Christians may not tell lies, but they do sing them." When I first heard someone say this, I had to sit back and think about the statement. I mean, to be honest, Christians do tell lies (though I hope it isn't habitual, and when it does happen that we repent and let our mouths and lives speak truth!). But when I stopped over-analyzing the statement, I was actually quite convicted. I can think of times in church services in times past when I found myself mouthing words instead of singing them aloud because I felt like a hypocrite. "I Surrender All" is an example. I definitely can't be singing that hymn if there are things in my life that I'm not allowing the Lord to completely take over! So yes, that's my food for thought; not only should we think before we speak, we should think before we sing.

And this is me, signing off on food for the day. Hope you were well fed! ;-)