Eat Your Veggies

I eat several meals a day and spent time considering, planning, preparing, and cooking meals for my family.  Early this year, Tim and I started to change our diet for health reasons related to long-term stress and related hormone imbalances (see this previous post for more info).  In the past couple weeks, we've also been watching a few other new-to-us programs on similar issues:  Food, Inc. (a documentary on where food comes from in the US) and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (a tv show on ABC about changing the way America eats). 

I can't believe how few veggies most Americans eat!  Ok, I can.  I never used to eat veggies myself, unless you counted the pea/corn mixture that would garnish my plate at dinner times throughout my childhood.  But for breakfast?  Or lunch?  No thanks-- I'll stick to my meat/carbs/dairy combinations, thank you very much!  I counted potatoes as my veggies-- mashed, boiled, roasted, or fried.  I wish I could blame this entirely on my parents, but honestly I didn't cook many veggies (other than potatoes) in my first years out of the house, either.  Maybe some frozen corn/peas, some potatoes, or a can of green beans, but not fresh real ingredients.  It's only really in the last few years (probably since moving to TZ in 2007 and not having access to the same foods!) that I've learned to cook and prepare a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.  And it's probably only in the past couple months that I've actually started to enjoy the fruits and veggies more than the processed foods.  Why is that?  My theory is that my body was literally addicted to food-related pleasures-- fats, sugars, refined flours, and a whole host of preservatives and chemicals!  It has taken removing them from my diet to actually see that there are better options.  And now, I'm just starting to really appreciate the whole, real foods for what they are-- high quality fuel for my body! 

I'm thankful for the new USDA Food Guide, which emphasizes filling half your plate at every meal with veggies (and fruit).  According to the CDC via this website, less than 1/3 of adults eat the recommended servings (2 fruit/3 veggies) every day.  Healthy eating takes intentionality.  It is an investment of time and money.  Eating equal amounts of veggies/fruits as carbs/protein really does take discipline and planning.  In addition to getting myself healthy, I also want to be a good example of healthy eating for my daughter.  I want her to grow up with healthy perceptions of food and to learn these healthy-eating principles now rather than having to re-learn them later.  How amazing would that be to grow up with an immune system that's built up by consuming nutrient- and antioxidant-rich foods??  That's an investment!  And if I can get healthier while helping my family grow stronger, then that's a real win-win!

-JLR

Miss Manners

Every generation has trust issues.  Or better yet, the new technologies that create them!

I've been collecting my thoughts for months now and every time I hear of a friend "clearing out their facebook friend list" I think about it again.  It has been the reason why I don't post pictures or stories as often on FB or even my blog... and here's what it boils down to for me at least.  Feel free to chime in if you have other thoughts to add.

• Trust.  If I post something, I'm trusting all those who read/view it to interact with it.  This means leaving a comment or "liking" it or somehow telling me (ie: by email) that you've interacted with my blog/page/wall.  You don't have to comment on or like every picture/post, but occasionally would at least let me know what interests you and who my audience is.
• Give-And-Take.  Getting comments is a bit like having a conversation.  You comment.  I respond.  That's how these internet conversations go.  If I post and you don't comment, then this is a very one-sided (and therefore unhealthy) relationship, isn't it?  Isn't the logical extent of a one-sided relationship stalking or some other dysfunction??
• Balance.  I'm being vulnerable by posting something.  If you read it without responding, there's an imbalance there for sure!  I'm not saying you have to comment on everything, but at least occasionally..
• Manners.  I think it boils down to having good manners and following good etiquette in the facebook/blog realm.  The difficulty (and I understand this!) is that these technologies are still new, so collectively we're still figuring out what's appropriate and what isn't.
• Purpose.  People use facebook and blogs for very different reasons.  Some people use them as a journal and others just to entertain their friends.  These different purposes might lead to different expectations on interactions.  For example, a cooking blog is not personal, so I don't feel the need to comment on it from time to time unless I make one of the recipes and want to communicate my praise.  But for those of us who bare our soul from time to time in the public forum, we perhaps have different expectations.  (by the way, baring one's soul is a generational thing to some extent at least.  I can't imagine someone in my parents' generation wrestling with a spiritual or emotional issue publicly!)

Almost a year ago I added a Feedjit module on the right side of my blog.  It tracks the location of everyone who reads my blog.  Thanks to having friends around the world, I generally know who has been reading and how often.  I'm starting to feel, though, that this is not enough, so I'm considering a sign-in feature.  Facebook doesn't allow Feedjit-type features, so I'm now considering cutting down my FB friends list to those who actually interact with me.  I have lots of people on there that I never talk to.  Perhaps I'm the only one who really cares about this sort of thing, but I have the feeling I'm not... how do you maintain your privacy without merely keeping all your thoughts out of the blogisphere? 

-JLR

My Little Tantrum

But I don't want to leave Langley! 

I know, I know... I sound like a two year-old.  But that doesn't change the fact that the past two years have held some of my fondest memories, my closest friendships, and one of the healthiest seasons that my little family of three has ever had, spiritually and emotionally.  Physically we've had our battles, but the access to amazing healthcare (ie: my naturopathic doctor and our TWU clinic doctor, who knows us by name!) has been so stellar that even that has been a blessing!  We have incredible friends, we have a terrific church, we have valuable work and roles here.  And now it's time to move on.  I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt.  It hurts a lot.  It makes me sob and cry out, "Why God, why!?!" 

"Because you're not done, Jeana.  There's still work to do."  I know this.  And in one sense I am excited and eager to get back to this work and to our new home in Tanzania.  But in another very real sense, this sucks!  The emotional stress of frequent goodbyes and international moves is by far my least favorite part of being a missionary.  

Random fact... I sometimes have projectile tears.  That's right.  I sometimes cry so hard that the tears practically shoot out of my eyes because they can't get out of there before new ones are already on their heels... and there will no doubt be many more tears in the weeks to come. 

Langley, BC has been by far one of our favorite places to live and work.  I'm so thankful to have had the chance to live here... BC truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Two weeks to go.

-JLR

Freedom

I used to think that freedom in Christ-- when it came to food-- meant that I could eat whatever I wanted.  In this process to get my body back in order, my doctor has also recommended a few very specific dietary changes to go with my supplements.  These include switching to a more whole foods diet, cutting sugar (as much as possible), cutting processed foods (completely, if possible), eating protein (eggs) with vegetables as breakfast, and reducing gluten and dairy intake.  For someone who grew up thinking that vegetables were mostly garnish on the plate, this is a completely new way of thinking.  I had patterns of eating that were largely carb-heavy-- breads, pastas, potatoes, etc.  A few weeks ago a friend emailed me in response to an email about this and said that she is praying, "that this will be an exercise in freedom for you in that you will feel the freedom to not choose what you crave but what you know is good for you."  Woah!  I had always claimed 1 Corinthians 8 as Biblical proof that we can eat whatever we want and not have dietary restrictions!  Is that the wrong way to look at the passage?  Here it is so you can read it again, too:  

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one.  For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"),  yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.   But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.  Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?  So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.  1 Corinthians 8:4-13

So what I'm learning and praying about now is that God would free me from my food addictions.  I hope that in eating this way I can be mastered by nothing-- not even food!-- and that I can use food instead as fuel for my body.  If that means completely revamping my diet, then so be it!  If that means cutting out the foods I think I want more than anything else, then God, I pray for the grace I need to get through those cravings!  

So the new verse I'm clinging to (as I still figure out 1 Cor 8!) is 1 Corinthians 6:12: "Everything is permissible for me"-- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"-- but I will not be mastered by anything.

Now, just keep me away from those Timbits!  :)

-JLR

Controversy

Tim has told me that the reason I don't get more comments on my blog is because I'm not controversial enough.  It's true.  I value peace and while I'm working on not being as much of a people-pleaser, I honestly just don't like it when people disagree.  As I learn more about myself I realize it's not as much the disagreeing I dislike, but the value judgments that go with disagreements-- "you must be stupid to believe x, y, or z!"  My desire to have the "right answer" goes all the way back to my school days of being the teacher's pet and probably even before that.  As a result, I find that I mentally rate/rank my blog post ideas based on what might offend which of my readers and what angle on any topic would offend the least number of people... that's hard to do when I know people from so many nationalities, cultural backgrounds, political leanings, and even different denominations in the church!  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm likely to postpone my post or even abandon my idea altogether!  I may start to post those thoughts more on here.  Not because I'm trying to stir the proverbial pot (though I have been known to enjoy that on occasion), but because I am who I am and this blog is where I put my thoughts.  Or where I should be free to put my thoughts.  And it's ok to think differently than others-- even other Christians (gasp!)-- and engage with others in meaningful conversation on issues that really matter... it is, right??  We can all be adults here and have an intelligent conversation, right?  We shall see...

So has anyone else been following the drama on the Rob Bell book that's going to be released in 11 days?  :)

-JLR

Diarrhea of the Mouth

Have you ever felt this way? Like any and all attempts to hold in your words were absolutely futile? I've been feeling like that a lot the past few weeks. Typically it is in relation to culture. I can't for some reason talk about the differences between cultures without imposing judgment and negativity on one side or the other... take Halloween candy, for example. Last year we were completely thrown off-guard that Halloween candy was so different here in BC. It turns out that there is more influence from the UK, so there are more Cadbury products (and other companies, maybe??) and "weird" things like CoffeeCrisp, CrispyCrunch, Wonderbar, Aero, Caramilk and Smarties (the chocolate M&M-esque kind). They're not our favorites, but not because they are inherently BAD... they're just DIFFERENT from what we grew up with. Our tastes are more accustomed to Reeses, KitKat (even the KitKats here taste different bc they are from a different chocolate company), Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, M&Ms, Hershey's, etc, etc, etc.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make (and maybe not succeeding at...) is that I don't know how to process those and other differences without imposing judgment. Most of the time I just keep it in or talk about them with a few select people who know about my lack of a filter when I'm processing externally. But is that really better? James 3 talks about the tongue as a rudder and how it directs us to where we will go. It also says that it is impossible to tame the tongue. That's probably because the tongue only exposes what is already in our hearts. Matthew 12:34-36 is pretty clear about how it is because of what is in our hearts that we say what we say. But doesn't the Sermon on the Mount take all of those things to a heart level? If we hold them in our hearts but never speak on them, is it any better? Won't they come out in some way or another? The truth is, I think part of me resents the fact that I'm always the one caught between cultures. It's hard being a cross-cultural worker and always having to fit in with the host culture. Especially when every time I give up a bit of my own culture, I fit in less in the US when we're back! Why is it always me that has to change? If I keep changing, how will I ever know who the real ME is?? It's pretty draining. But if we're going to keep living the nomadic lifestyle we're living (Canada, Tanzania, wherever), I'm going to have to get at the roots of what is causing me to have diarrhea of the mouth... and for some reason stopping it up (think verbal Immodium) is not really going to fix the real problem. :)

-JLR

Five People Who Annoy Me on Planes

I just finished seven different flights in about a month. Four of them were around 9 hours in length. With these experiences freshly in mind, I’m honored to present:

Five People Who Annoy Me on Planes

1. The Rush-an. These people will knock over little old ladies to get on/off the plane first.

2. Cologne guy. They need to have a separate section for these people in the back of the plane.

3. B.O. guy. Put on some cologne. Seriously.

4. The Natural Lighter. The whole plane is dark. Except for one window. WHY won’t you use the overhead light to read? Do you not see people trying to sleep?

5. The Cell-Phone Addict. WHAT is so important? Turn off and put away the phone when they ask you to. And quit hiding it under the chair like you’re in 4^th grade. And you are not the exception.

What annoys you about certain people on flights you've been on?

-TR

Health Insurance

Can I just say that I hate health insurance? I mean, I know it's better to have health insurance than to not, but it sure does seem like a scam. I don't know what the right answers are. I've heard stories of weaknesses in the Canadian system, but to be honest it works well for what we need right now. I hate that we have to again enter into the US system where you have to pay copays in addition to over-inflated premium costs and a substantial deductible... there has to be a better way. I wish I knew what it was and could help implement it, but I'm at a loss.

Back to the stack of medical history forms that are just one small part of our massive short-term international health insurance application...

-JLR

Mixed Feelings

Today I found out that Jennifer Knapp has returned to the music scene. As one of her most faithful supporters in the late 90s and early 2000s, I always dreamed this day would come... but there is a hangup. There always is, isn't there? She has come back to the music scene, but is now a self-proclaimed lesbian. I struggled all afternoon (since reading a few articles online confirming both her return and her sexual status) to figure out how we should respond as Christians. I am a sinner in need of grace and I believe that grace should overflow onto others as well-- and I believe it does. The problem is that in reading Scripture I can't ignore that homosexuality is called sin. I get that we all deal with sin and that none of us is completely free of it this side of heaven. But I want to be free of it. I call it sin and I struggle against it and all that I do not want to do, as Paul wrote. I pray for God's abundant grace to cover it. So the issue is quite clearly that I disagree with Jennifer (and others) about whether or not homosexuality is actually sin. That's the heart of the issue.

So now I have to figure out how to reconcile my respect for Jennifer Knapp as an artist, a musician, and as one who was more than instrumental in my life-- both musically and in faith-- with disagreeing with her over some important parts of Scripture. Anyone have any wisdom to share?

btw, I read this blog post today and felt this guy had such a good perspective and balance between grace and truth. If you haven't been following this story, I'd recommend reading his blog and also checking out the Larry King interview on youtube.

-JLR

Lent

I'm a bit nervous about Lent this year. "Giving something up for Lent" in my experience has always been an optional activity. I don't come from a background where it is expected or required, though I have always known others to do it. Some people give up soda, some give up alcohol, some tv... to be honest, I haven't participated in giving anything up for a number of years. But this year I was thinking a lot about some of the luxuries I could fast from and Facebook continued to rise to the top of the list. I view it primarily as a "water cooler" venue among many friends around the globe. I love it. But I spend way too much time on it. And I don't need it to survive. I have even had to ask myself if I love it more than God. I'm ashamed at my answer some days. But... could I really give it up for 46 days (Lent doesn't actually include the Sundays between Easter, but let's get real... how tempting would it be to check FB just once a week?!?!?)?? Could I really give up Bejeweled and some of my other addicting Facebook games?? The more I realized that my answer was "no" to some of these questions, the more I realized that I probably should fast from FB, and what better opportunity than Lent.

So that's what I'm doing. I'll probably have to blog on here much more often as I detox, and who knows I might actually catch up on my emails! (gasp!) But I'm looking forward to using at least a big chunk of that time for some extra Bible study and staying up-to-date on the Beth Moore study I'm doing now (which is kicking my butt, I might add!).

So there you have it. See ya in a couple months, Facebook!

-JLR

Church Split

Over the past few months, one of our supporting churches has split. Well, perhaps 'split' isn't the right word... it's more 'exploded.' Only a core of people remain and the rest have been scattered to other churches in the area. I don't know which side is right (though I have my suspicions...) and quite frankly it isn't my issue to judge unless everyone wants to present evidence from both sides and have me judge for real once I have all of the unbiased facts... and sorry, but I don't see that happening. I love people on both sides, so what do I do? Tim and I have prayed a lot and have decided it is wise to stay out of it unless we are called in to be reconciliation facilitators (again, HIGHLY unlikely). We have loyalties on both sides and hope to uphold them all and love the Body of Christ (broken as it may be) as best we can.

-JLR