Vita-meata-vega-min

This month has been unexpectedly busy- in a good way. The office is up, running and well decorated. We have gotten to spend time with friends and family and we have also been eating a vegetarian diet. Yes, you read that correctly, the couple who thinks that pepperoni is a food group has given up all meat for the month.

We did it for a variety of reasons, mainly health reasons. We ate a lot of processed foods, specifically meat. This diet has challenged us to eat healthier and to be more resourceful with our food choices. We are typical Americans who have a fridge full of food, but continue to eat out and to buy more before we have eaten what we have. We have learned to eat what we have and how to get creative with our food choices (I'm a pretty picky eater when it comes to food combinations, individual foods are ok. But when they touch or are combined, I get a little finicky) so it has pushed me to cook more and think about what we are eating.

We have learned a lot and are looking forward to February's arrival. But, we will add meat back into our diet slowly and in moderation. I like that I feel better, healthier and that we're being more resourceful. I challenge you to give up meat, not necessarily for a month, but for a period of time to see how it affects you.

Now we're off to eat a veggie pizza with some friends!


(For those of you who are unfamiliar with this posts title, you should probably remove your head from the sand and watch an episode of I Love Lucy.)

Uninvited Guests

A few weeks ago we received some mail at the office addressed to a previous tenant or to the "current resident." Of course, I couldn't resist opening it to see what was inside. Low and behold it was an invitation, to a free movie event! I didn't really read the invitation in detail, but got the basic information and called and made our reservation for four.

(Side note- the movie was being played at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville. It's an old, historic theater that has been wonderfully maintained and frequently hosts events and showings.)

Alex, Kraig, Stephanie and I headed downtown to see The Artist. All I knew about the movie is that it was silent and that it won a lot of awards last year. When we got there we realized that we were slightly younger than the rest of the audience and before the movie started a gentleman welcomed us with a nice speech. His speech was along the lines of, thank you for supporting the Wildey and helping us to maintain the building and continue the preservation of the theater, etc.

Apparently, if I were to have read the rest of the invitation, I would have realized that it was an appreciation showing for the Friends of the Wildey, not for the current residents of a building that some one once rented...oops. But, we were warmly welcomed and the movie was great as well as the company. I think that we will soon become friends of the Wildey, if only for free movie showings!

Words

We all talk a lot, therefore we use a lot of words. We have all heard (and know from experience) that it takes 100 good, positive words to cancel out one negative word. What we say has a lot of meaning and most of the time I just say whatever comes to mind, my filter isn't what it should be. But, it has been on my heart lately that I need to be more intentional about what I say and how it represents what I believe and how it's impacting the recipient.

James 3: 4-5 comes to mind,
4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

We have a great opportunity to build one another up with our words, I hope that I can seize my opportunities and not take my gift of gab for granted.

Thoughts about snow...

As a child there is nothing more exciting than snow. It's fantastic, you get to play outside, throw snowballs, make forts, snowmen and snow angels and after you've been dragged inside, you get hot chocolate! Whenever it was in the forecast, I would wake up and race downstairs to look out the front door, on a lucky day there would be a few inches of pure, white goodness! I love snow, always have, always will!

However, as an adult, I have become a little more practical. For instance, if we get the predicted foot of snow, how will we get to church- we're scheduled to teach Sunday school, how will we get to work, how will Moose go to the bathroom (he's a bit prissy and doesn't like being cold)? I suppose we will just have to find out...but for now, I'm going to be excited to play in the snow! Maybe Moose will learn to love it as much as I do. 

When I look at Facebook, it seems like everyone is racing to the store to buy milk, bread and eggs. I'm not too sure why everyone thinks that milk, bread and eggs will save them, but to each their own. If I were going to the store, I'd be picking up marshmallows and hot chocolate, wouldn't you?!