Hungry for Change .6 Finale

Broke my fast!Yesterday I finally broke the oatmeal, beans, and rice fast! I woke up that morning feeling pretty good, not to worried about the day, had my last bit of rice for lunch and waited for dinner! It was scary a bit how excited I was to eat. It was not so much that I finally got to eat, because I had food all week, it was more just the variety of tastes and flavors that I got to experience again.

I broke the fast with friends, and it was a great time. My stomach definitely filled up way quicker and I had some sliders and fries, which probably equaled how much food I ate in a few days. But it is over, I have done it, and we are already making sure this is a part of our lives for the future. It is great to be reminded about what others are going through, to take part, and not just go on with our days. So some friends and I have decided about every 6 weeks to do some sort of fast, to remember others. We also decided to start having weekly pot’luck style dinners where we can all contribute and make a meal together [which excites me so much as this is how I see the body of Christ living together].

But a few major things I have learned from this week…
- I am blessed with everything I have. From my car all the way down to the clean socks I put on, to my family and friends who are there for me.
- I am very self focused.
- God is provider of all strength.
- I can do what seems imposible with help from God and friends.
- I don’t need to eat as much.
- I spend a ton on food.
- I have to be a part of the change.

There could be so many more as well. But I challenge you to stop. Look at your life. And start challenging the ways we live and start living for others.

It may be to do the fast on your own…1lb of oatmeal, rice, and beans.
To stop eating out so much.
To start eating with others more.
To help out others.
To go and do!

I end it with a parable…

The Final Judgment (Listen)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For iI was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

If I’m not living for others, I’m not living for God.

2012
05/19
CATEGORY
Hungry for Change
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Hungry for Change .5

Finished the last full day of the fast, and let me tell you it was a hard day! At first it seemed like any other day and I was doing fine, but by the end I was in a whole new state of mind.

We had our youth ministry night so I had to use my brain a lot, which was not working at full capacity and I felt like everyone needed to talk. I was pretty much running in circles at time and really didn’t even know what I was doing. And then I had to set up the church for our ‘break the fast’ meal, and man was I not a happy camper. Luckily no one was around, I turned up the music, and was able to get through the night without breaking anything.

This is when I realized I have never been so happy of looking towards Friday so I could actually eat food. But also amazed of how my life was focused on eating all the time. And like I have said before, those 4 billion living on less than $2 a day don’t get the choice of going and getting what they want on Friday.

SIDE NOTE: The 4 billion people are not just living on $2 of food a day, but on $2 for their whole day! From transportation, food, medical, and anything else! $2 for the WHOLE DAY!

This week I have been through all the emotions: sad, mad, angry, happy, grateful, joyful, blessed, frustrated, irritated, and depressed. It has truly been an eye opening experience and a heart tugging one as well. I have learned a lot about my ways and myself. That is mainly why I write these posts, so that in a few years, months, weeks or even days I can come back and re-read these and never forget!

After this week I have a new motto for my life, not sure of how it will play out, or what it is going to look like. But I know I want my life to mean something. I want my life to be an adventure. I want my life to be influential on others. And most importantly I want my life to be used by and for GOD.

If I am not living for others, then I am not living at all!

2012
05/18
CATEGORY
Hungry for Change
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Hungry for Change .4

Made it over halfway on the Hungry for Change fast! Yesterday morning was going pretty goo, and wasn’t really feeling to overwhelmed by eating so little, but later in the afternoon it was starting to hit me pretty good. It really took me back when I realized how there are people [around 4 BILLION] who are probably having the same feelings in their gut today just like I am! And they don’t get to wait until Friday to eat a normal meal again, they have no clue when or where their next meal is!

That gets me so fired up!! Not just to make a change in my life, but trying to impact others as well [the wealthy (us) and the poor]! And yes, there is always someone who lives off more, but check this website out and realize how wealthy we are How Rich Am I But first I must change myself, before I can affect anyone else!

My housemates and I were talking last night about how the week is coming to a close, and asking the question, how is this really going to make a change in our lives? What are the actual steps we are going to take, that we have to take, because of what we have felt, read, realized, and lived out this week.

This conversation all coincides with us looking at a website called mint.com, where it takes your bank account and shows you a break down of where you spend your money. And for the three of us there, the amount we spent on food made the other expenditures look like a child’s allowance!

I know a big way I can change is by the way I eat and amount I am spending on food! To not go out as often or buy so much at the coffee shop. To start eating portions that are more acceptable and not having to pig out on almost every meal. To start going to the store and buying food, and cooking again! To make meals with the housemates to save on our spending. And most importantly, thank God for everything He has given me!

(Calorie Counter) 4 billion peoples reality everyday!

2012
05/17
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Hungry for Change
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Hungry for Change .3

Made it another day on oatmeal, beans and rice! If you didn’t know I hate beans, so it has been a bit of a challenge putting those down every meal, but so far I have finished them all off! I have also been drinking a lot of water and more tea this week than all of my life combined! But it has been great to see how much less I can live off of when I am drinking so much more liquids, and probably closer to the recommended amount to drink in a day.

But last night was great because I got together with friends and had a beans, rice and tea party! We all ate our small helpings together and then had a bunch of tea! It was great to have good conversation and to get our mind off of food, but a lot of our conversation was about food!

As the night was closing down we started to talk a little more in depth about the whole fast and the idea of eating/going with less in our life [I don't know if it was the beans talking but we are really learning a lot about ourselves through this one week on less].

There are two big points I pulled from the conversation and these are only fragments of what we talked about. The first main idea was about; is this fast really going to change us, or is it going to be a camp high? Yes we have thought a lot this week on how much we spend so much of our time and money on food alone. But is this going to make a long lasting difference in our life? Or are we going to, on Friday, stuff our faces, say it was a difficult week, and we are glad we don’t have to live like that on a daily basis?

Was all this week about seeing if we could eat less? Because if it is, we have truly missed the meaning behind the week for sure. So if it is teaching us more, what is it? Yes it is teaching us about the amount of food consumption we eat, but what else! And this idea of how we need to change came up. We must start living our lives not for ourselves but for others [and as an American that may be impossible to do]. It is easy for us to put change off, because it is difficult, challenging, we will have to surrender from our “normal” tendencies, people will make fun and question what we are doing… but is that not the life of JESUS? [I could write a lot more on this, but my word count is getting high, so maybe another day I will continue this topic of change...or you can read pretty much any post I have written in the last month as well on the change we need in our lives!] I just pray that this week actually makes a life long change, seeing the blessings I have, questioning what am I spending my money on, because where I spend my money is where my heart is at. So I pray this is not just an amazing week, but changes me for life!

Another big idea in our conversation was about spending less on me and more on others. At Vintage Faith Church on Sunday Joe talked about how the average Christian will give 2% of their income to the church, and the church will give 2% of that away to help others. 2% of 2% is pretty small! [this may not be you or your church, but this is the average among all churches].

And going along with this idea of not focusing on me, or putting me first really hit this idea home. And I remembered back to high school, [which is getting to be a while ago] about a talk on how amazing it could be if for every dollar we spend on ourselves we also give a dollar away, [I am not sure if it was on everything, or if it was on nonessential items]. So if you wanted to buy a pair of $100 shoes, you had to donate $100 as well. So if you didn’t have the money, for both the shoes and the donation, you had to save up double the amount before you could buy it. Not buy it now and then say you would save up later, because we all know that wouldn’t work out! This would make us stop and think about what we are really spending on, and if we really ‘need’ that new hot thing or not!

Think if every Christian started spending not so much on themselves but on others, how much of a change that would make in the world, or at least our town. And the affect that would have when people see Christians actually loving on others, and not just criticizing life styles. So this may be a good start, if we actually do start!

But no matter what, if you or I want change our lives, we must first get up and go before God can use us on this adventure. WE have to jump off the cliff so we can learn how to fly. It is easy to talk the talk, but even harder to walk the walk!

What is one way you can change to focus on others? [Now lets GO and DO that!]

Tea Party!

2012
05/16
CATEGORY
Hungry for Change
rant
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Hungry for Change .2

Hungry for Change day 1ish in the bag! The fast started on Sunday night with our first meal and I have completed officially a full day, on rice, beans, and oatmeal.

It was not bad for most of the day until late afternoon, when I could tell I was getting pretty hungry, so I ate some rice and beans. The meal was not great but I drank a lot of water. The strangest part of the day was how I was thinking about food a lot; more than on any normal day for sure. What I wish I could have to eat, what will be my first meal after the week is over, why I miss my food, the smells from downtown and in the Abbey coffee shop! It was strange for me to have so much of my thought and attention on food.

But it made me realize just how blessed I am. How I have never struggled with what I was going to eat, to the point where I never even thought about it. This opened my eyes to the reality that those who do live in poverty ,and less than $2 a day, have to think about this all the time! It must be what they always are thinking about. Where is my next meal coming from, what can I eat, how can I get food in my belly!

I also wonder if those in poverty have as many options as I do. Because this week I know all I am going to eat is beans, rice, and oatmeal, so I don’t have to think about what my meal is going to be, or what option I am going to have today. If all I ever ate was beans, rice, and oatmeal all my life, would I still think about it so much…

No matter what I am God has blessed me with living here and giving me food freely. I am starting to realize how much we abuse what God has given us. Even to the point of a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I never thought of it as a blessing from God, but now I am truly starting to see how blessed I am.

Thank you Lord for what you given me, my blessings from the breath I take to the thoughts I make. My prayer is that I honor you with all of me, and all the stuff you have given me!

2012
05/15
CATEGORY
Hungry for Change
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Hungry For Change

Vintage Faith Church is in a sermon series called; A Hole in Our Gospel. We have been talking more about what we need to do as Christians and how to live our lives. And there is an organization called, Trade as One, who does fair trade, and is based here in Santa Cruz who does this program: Hungry for Change.

So what we do is have one bag of oatmeal, one bag of rice, and a bag of beans to eat for 5 days. We are doing this to fast, and experience how it is like to live on what most of the world only has to spend on food (around 3 billion people live on less than $2 a DAY!!).

So here I am going to be: posting on what I think of during the week, probably talk about how hungry I am, and share what I have learned.

So the week begins…

Yesterday I got to soak my beans (for 24hours) and today I cooked them. Tomorrow I will make my rice I get to eat as well. And I actually did not even eat my first meal, I was pretty full from lunch (I filled up, probably not the point or a good way to start) but I thought it would be good to save up at least one meal so I can have a double portion towards the end of the week :-)

But something crazy has already came up. A lot of my friends from church are doing HFC as well, so after church tonight we were hanging out and the crazy/sad thing was we normally go out to a placed called BURGER, which serves burgers, and we eat!!

It was crazy to stop and try and think about what we were going to do, since we were not going to go and destroy some overpriced food. It was crazy to see in just the first few hours really, how much our lives are focused around food events and how we do not even take it for granted.

So yes my eyes have been open already, and shortly my stomach will be sore as well.

What food would you most miss on a week long fast of beans and rice?

2012
05/14
CATEGORY
Hungry for Change
rant
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1,000,000 5280 feet in a 1,000 356 days

I cannot stop thinking about the book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and my first post does not do the book justice.  So I decided to write a little of what I have been thinking since reading the book.

The main theme of the book is about our ‘Story’.  Our Story is living our lives like a movie!  He studied movies and how they become great, and wanted his life to represent a movie we never forget!

So he asks…

What is my story saying?

 “A Story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.” 48
We live in a life of trying to establish comfort and stability.  So when we have conflict in our lives we try to attain the comfort we once had.  Which either changes us or we revert back to our old self.  But no matter what…

“But the want was not enough.  My desire to live a better story didn’t motivate me to do anything.” 98
It is so easy for us to think about doing, or even just the talking sometimes satisfies our desires.  Often I would talk about wanting to be more physically fit, but would never do anything.  I desired to live a healthier life, but I never DID anything!  But finally I started to get up and do something about it, I went to the gym, and stopped only talking about it, which is good but…

 “I realized the Voice, The Writer [God], was trying to make a better story, a more meaningful series of experiences I could live through.” 87  
We can try to have an ok story on our own, but God wants us to have the best story possible.  God gives us those scenes to live through, overcome, desire, dream up, and give to us, so we can have a great movie and not be “boring” movies…

“The ambitions we have will become the stories we live.” 124

God will give us these ambitions in our lives, and once we start going after them our stories are going to be so much greater!  Even the process of reaching the goal will be a great story…

An epic story is attained by “a characters wants must be very difficult to attain” and “The ambition has to be sacrificial.” 156

If we live for ourselves the story can still be very boring, but once we start living for others and doing tasks that seem impossible and only accomplished because of God makes our lives epic! and a great story which wont be forgotten!

“And if your friends are living boring stories, you probably will too.” 160
[This is just awesome! Check yourself before you wreck yourself!]

I could keep going on but I am going to stop there, and let you read an excerpt from Donald Millers Blog that sums up the idea pretty well…

Ask yourself before your next major decision “If I were a character in a story, what decision would make the story more interesting?”

You’ll be surprised at how differently you feel about the decision. You’ll weigh safety over excitement, risk over comfort. You’ll likely decide to love people more, quit your job, bring home roses, leap off the cliff into the water and so on. Great characters in exciting stories don’t sit around on the couch playing it safe. They get up, move, try, fail and risk it all again.

 Living a great story costs something.

 People who live great stories know failure isn’t a judgment, it’s an education.

 In America, the stories we are living are boring. And people are suffering the emotional consequences of the American dream. They hate their lives. We live vicariously through television shows and gossip magazines because our lives are insufferably meaningless.

Whatever will work in a story will work in life, too. After all, we are each living a story. If our story is boring, it’s because we’ve chosen a safe route.

 What if your life could be as inspiring and as interesting as the shows we watch on television?

 So, today, ask yourself “If I were a character in a story, what could I do right now to make my story interesting?”

 And then do it. Why? Because you are a character in a story. You always have been.

 The American dream got hijacked. It’s time to take it back. Lets turn off the television and start living a better story today.

2012
04/25
CATEGORY
book reviews
rant
thoughts
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A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years was written by Donald Miller.  Don is a great writer, super easy to read, uses lots of personal stories, and has great nuggets of amazingness throughout the book as well.  I read the book in two sittings.  I read for two hours and went through 170 pages, I had to keep turning the pages to see what he was going to say next.  Some may not love Don’s writing style or enjoy all the stories, but it keeps me interested and wanting more!

The book is following the process of making the movie Blue Like Jazz, as well as with many other stories throughout his life.  But while working on the movie he realizes his life was boring, dull, and un-rememberable even to himself.  So he stops and looks at what it takes to make a life in which is rememberable, epic, life giving, and truly a story worthy of living.

This book doesn’t give you the 5 points to living a better life, or how to make your life into a movie.  But Don talks about general truths in our lives that we are proud to be part of, stories we remember, and the differences we can make in others lives as well.

I would highly recommend picking up this book and reading it. And if you are going to read this book, don’t read all my quotes below.  You will have your own lines to underline in the book!

I am excited to start not just reading about the changes I can make in my life but actually to start living those out!  To make my life a great story!

 

Here are just a few of the quotes I underlined along the way!
[I have written a lot for my own memories, and so I can go back and see them easily! But as you can tell just go get the book and read all of it!]

“When we watch the news, we grieve all of this [tragedy], but when we go to the movies, we want more of it.” 31

“The great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in.  We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller.” 32

“My uncle told a good story with his life, but I think there was such a sadness at his funeral because his sotyr wasn’t finished.  If you aren’t telling a good story, nobody thinks you died to soon; they just think you died.” 38

“A Story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.” 48

“We get robbed of the glory of life because we aren’t capable of remembering how we got here.” 58

“Most of our greatest fears are relational.” 66

“A character is what he does.” 72

“A character is what he does remains the hardest to actually live.” 74

“I realized the Voice, The Writer [God], was trying to make a better story, a more meaningful series of experiences I could live through.” 87

“Why didn’t I trust God?  I believe he was the Writer who was not me and he could write a better story than I could, but I did not trust him.” 89

“I trusted him, and I knew he wold guide me through a better story.” 91

“But the want was not enough.  My desire to live a better story didn’t motivate me to do anything.” 98

“The great stories go to those who don’t give in to fear.” 108

“I began to realize the stuff I spent money on indicated the stories I was living.” 121

“The ambitions we have will become the stories we live.” 124

An epic story is attained by “a character wants must be very difficult to attain.” and “The ambition had to be sacrificial.” 156

“And if your friends are living boring stories, you probably will too.” 160

“People are just people, even if they are world leaders.” 165

“The reward you get form a story is always less than you thought it would be, and the work is harder than you imagined.” 177

“When something hard happens to you, you have two choices in how to deal with it.  You can either get bitter, or better.  I chose to get better.  It’s made all the difference.” 181

“The key for men to bond was to have them risk their lives together.” 186

“He understood the story was not about him, and he cared more about the story than he did about himself.” 197

“She said she had married a guy, and he was just a guy.  He wasn’t going to make all her problems go away because he was just a guy.” 205

“But I’ve also let go of the idea things will eve be made perfect, at least while I am walking around on this planet.” 206

“Good stories contain memorable scenes.” 209

“It wasn’t necessary to win fot the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything.” 231

“He invites other people into the story with him, giving them a better story too.” 236

God says, “Write a good story, take somebody with you, and let me help.” 247

“Our answer must exist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and right conduct.” 248

 

 

2012
04/23
CATEGORY
book reviews
rant
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Faith

Faith is a very common word used in the Christian community, and rightly so, because Christianity is based on Faith.  Dictionary.com defines faith as 1) confidence or trust in a person or thing, 2) belief that is not based on proof, 3) belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion, 4) belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit,etc., 5) a system of religious belief.

Recently I went to Western Seminary for a class by Gary Tuck, and the class was on the book of Luke.  [The whole class was eye opening and made me interested in going to seminary.]  But right at the end of class we got to Luke 17:5, where Jesus and the disciples are talking, and the disciples ask Jesus, “Increase our faith!”

Sounds to me like a great request to ask, because we all know Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”  So why not ask for more faith?

And Jesus comes back with the great line, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

This makes me stop and think, oh crap, do I even have faith, because I haven’t moved a mulberry tree at all lately!!

But the story doesn’t stop there, even though there may be a break in your Bible, Jesus continues speaking to the disciples in the same breath to the next parable, and this one is a bit less known. [Read it here Luke 17:7-10]

A little strange right?  Doesn’t really explain anything.  Well it didn’t for me at first, then Prof. Tuck talked and it all made sense!

Look at the last verse again, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”

This is the key!  I am the unworthy servant!  I can only do what my duty is!  So what does that mean?

Faith is belief; along with doing what I am told to do!  The best way to have true Faith is to obey!

Faith is more than just belief, anyone can believe; James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

“We must embrace the truth of the gospel and acts accordingly.” [James 2:19 notes]

So when the disciples ask the Lord, “increase our faith,” Jesus’ response is, you have faith, I have already given it to you as a gift, what I want you to do is what I have told you to do.  Then I will tell you well done, good and trustworthy servant.

How amazing!  This may be old news to you, but it is fresh to me, I have faith, I can move mountains, I only have to do what God commands me to do!

Read this -> Matthew 11:25-30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

2012
04/10
CATEGORY
church
rant
thoughts
1 comment

N.T. Wright’s Lent Study

The question I hear so often from people in high school to college; my peers and I even ask myself is, “What does God want me to do with my life?”

This question points to our belief of there only being one shot at doing the right career, and if we miss it, God is going to be pissed. We scare ourselves into doing nothing, and thinking we must have some sign from above to figure out what we are to do!

This is an excerpt from NT Wright on the book of Matthew.

John Henry Newman, the great nineteenth- century writer and eventually cardinal, used to say that each of us has been put here with a particular purpose and calling which only we can do. Our task is to find out what that is and to do it. That remains true whether the purpose is playing the trumpet, cooking meals, planting trees, performing heart transplants or even preaching sermons. Sometimes, of course, it’s a struggle to discover what our calling is.

Sometimes people are quite clear about their particular gifts but have no opportunity to exercise them. But each of us is called to exercise the primary, underlying gifts of living as a wise, loving human being, celebrating God’s love, forgiving, praying, seeking justice, acting prudently and courageously, waiting patiently for God’s will to be done. If we are trustworthy with these gifts at least, God will be ready with his answer: Well done, good and trustworthy servant. To hear those words from an earthly master would bring a glow of satisfaction. To hear them from the Lord of love will be greater than the greatest delight we can imagine.

2012
04/05
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
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