Order in Every Day Living

God has really been working with me on the subject of order. I have been working mostly on getting my house organized by establishing everyday routines. This has included keeping my kitchen clean at all times which was a major challenge until I made the decision to "close" the kitchen in between meal times.

This practice was easy to implement because we have set times for meals and even if we are not exactly on schedule, we do not generally eat between meals. I find that by doing this, my kids have a heartier appetite and eat much healthier than snacking on junk in between meal times.

So after we finish eating breakfast, we clear the table (our school desks), and wash all the breakfast dishes. Once the kitchen is clean, then "close" it and we transition into school with a clean kitchen!!

I cannot stress how much easier this one step has made my life. No more searching the dirty dishwasher to find a dish to use. I immediately wash the dishes and put them away or put them in the dishwasher to run it. So there is rarely a dirty dish in the house. What a change from before!

Now as I was reflecting on John 20:5-7, I noticed how after Christ rose, he actually took the time to fold up His grave clothes! How's that for diligence and orderliness?! At any rate, as I meditated on this passage, I thought of how when I leave a room, I also leave an impression based upon how I leave that room. Think of it. Have you ever passed by someone's desk at work and wondered if their house looks the same? It's really the same whether it's messy or clean. I pass by houses and I notice when they are immaculate or when they are not so immaculate. So I think of what Christ's house would look like and if He folded up His grave clothes before He left the tomb, how would a room look when He left out of it? Would it be messy, or would He leave it exactly the way He found it or better?

So this is the task before me, to clean as I go and to always represent Christ in everything that I do. Praise God that His Strength is made perfect in weakness. (II Cor 12:9)

Thanksgiving 2010

Picture: Some of the Thanksgiving food, my cousin Felisha and my Grandmother in the left hand corner. :)

Thanksgiving is by far one of my favorite holidays. I love the fact that my family gets together and I usually get to see cousins that I haven't seen in at least a year or more. This year was no different. I got to see my brothers, several aunts and uncles and several cousins that I hadn't seen in about 3 years.

Our trip from Texas to Florida began on Sunday morning. The drive is long and we break it up by staying the night with my Aunt in Baton Rouge. This time we took our new puppy Alex. The poor thing had motion sickness before we had been traveling and hour and managed to get sick 3 times before we ever got to my Aunt's house. I'm wondering if we should just keep him out of the car, or just take him along on errands more often. Any suggestions on that would be greatly appreciated!

We got to my Mom's house on Monday afternoon and the fun began. My dad bowls and so we met him at the bowling alley and spent a little time with him.

On Tuesday we had a family photo shoot on the beach. I look forward to sharing some of those photos soon.

Wednesday was cooking day. Since we are vegan, there is pretty much nothing that my Grandmother cooks that we eat, so I always prepare something for my family. This year I made Fried Chickn Seitan (found in Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia Simpson) and Tofu Pecan Meatballs. For dessert I made a double layer sweet potato cheesecake using the recipe found here.

I normally am not big into meat substitutes, but my daughter asked me if I would make a chicken substitute to help her resist the urge to have a piece of fried chicken! Let me tell you that the Fried Chickn Seitan recipe did not disappoint! It was fairly easy to make and equally delicious.

Thanksgiving day was great as always. Packing 30 people into a house that wasn't designed for more than 10 or so, is not so inconvenient when you genuinely love (and like) the people that you are packed in with.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for life, family and friends. Praise God for all the wonderful things that He has blessed me with and for the frame of mind to appreciate them. My prayer is that every day of my life will be a day of Thanksgiving!

Why/How I became a Vegetarian

My journey to vegetarianism began in college. I was on campus (Florida A&M University) at the first annual "Be Out Day" in line behind a girl getting her food. She commented that the only meats that she ate were turkey, chicken and fish. My interest was piqued.

The next month, through not intentions of my own, I did not eat any beef and noticed that I did not have any cramps that month. Now to understand how significant this was, you need to know that when I had my first child, I experienced the same pain that I had experienced every month!

I went back to eating beef and the cramps returned. I have not had a piece of beef since. That was 1995. Thus began my journey to healthy living. Next I did research on pork and after finding basically NOTHING positive, I gave that up. In 1997, I was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a church that is well known for it's promotion of healthy living through diet and exercise. I met several people that were vegetarian and did lots more research. I eventually gave up all other meat, fish being the last.

I studied about how the original diet of Adam and Eve was vegetarian and as I longed to be restored fully to the Creator, embracing the original diet of man soon became a part of that desire.

I gave up dairy through no choice of my own. I desired to give it up eventually, but was forced to do so after having my son. He is allergic to cow's milk, and I developed an allergy to milk shortly after having him. Whenever I have milk, my asthma flares and I have trouble breathing. It only took a time or 2 of that to be completely end my relationship with milk! Now my body is so sensitive to it that I can tell within minutes if I have eaten something that has milk in it.

One thing I must say is that there was a time that I had pretty much given up meat, but I would eat it when I went home for the holidays. I could tell such a huge difference in my body. I went from feeling fabulous to feeling almost lethargic from the meat. It was then that I knew that there really was a difference in what it was doing to my body.

Today I don't eat meat, because I believe that my body is the temple of God and that His perfect will for my life is to eat the diet that He created just for me!

Psalm 119

One morning while in my quiet time with God, He impressed deeply on my heart that He wanted me to memorize Psalm 119. My first thought response was "Lord, did You mean Psalm 19?" :) I knew in my heart that He meant 119, because of verses that I had been coming across, ones that stuck out in my mind.

I realize that I already know many of the verses by heart already, either from elementary school or from my personal studies. Of course that still leaves many verses to commit to memory, but I am actually looking forward to the challenge.

As I looked over the verses in my Bible, I notice that they are sectioned off 8 verses at a time. So I am using a 3x5 index card with the first letter of each word on the front and the verse itself on the back. I plan to do a card for each section of 8 verses, 22 cards total for 176 verses, and have them laminated.

I believe that there will be a time in earth's history when believers of the faith will not have access to God's word. It is my desire to have God's word hidden in my heart that I might not sin against Him.

The Path of Life

This morning in my devotional time, I read about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. The children of Israel were surrounded on every side by mountains, water and the Egyptians behind them. It seemed that there was no path for them to take, but that of defeat. But God, through the faith of Moses, carved out a path for them that was only made possible through them exhibiting faith as well.

As I meditated on this passage, I thought about ants. Proverbs 6:6 says "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise". I thought about how ants travel along a path. You can't see it, but it is definitely there. Have you ever tried to wipe away their path? The result is confusion and disorientation. That is exactly what happens to us when we stray from the path that God has laid out for us. We become confused and distraught.

May we take time to listen to the voice that says "this is the way walk, walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21), that we may find fullness of joy in the presence of God (Psalm 16:11).

Be blessed my friends.