A number of my blogger friends have been posting running lists of gratitude - and many have been talking about the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (which I have not read - but it looks good and my friend Hippie Housewife is giving away a copy on her blog. Click here to enter the give-away!)
But I like the idea of being thankful, "stopping to smell the roses," and remembering the things in life - big and small - which are blessings.
I'm going to begin listing my "1000 Gifts" (or more?) on my blog here. I'm going to do this for two reasons.
1. I've noticed lately that I'm struggling with a sin I didn't use to struggle with: Pride. I find such ugly, arrogant, and conceited thoughts running through my head about who I am and my "accomplishments" and "abilities." I'm all for being confident and seeing yourself as valuable and full of worth - - but I think my mind has started to believe the twisted version of that - Satan coming once again to steal and destroy that which should be good. I think thankfulness directed to God will aid in keeping me humble.
2. One of the most profound spiritual disciplines I've ever done in life was to keep a daily journal of "God moments" - each night for a few months I recorded where I saw God working that day. He is indeed found when you seek Him. As the duration of that project went on - the places I saw Him continued to grow. As I list things for which I am thankful - I will strive to find those "God moments" as well - - though all of those may not be shared here on the blog.
And, so, here begins my list of Gratitude and Thankfulness - - a list of gifts.
1. Radio (as it's playing in the background right now) - as I've cut TV out of my life for the time being - I've re-discovered radio. There are some great stations in the Chicago area. Moody Radio, great stories and programs on NPR. And, while I'm not a big KLOVE fan - it's the Christian music option here and many times those songs bless me. (And there is also a decent country station for me and my Southern roots)
2. Curtains. After about 19 months of living here - I finally got curtains that cover my window. My sleep is so improved.
3. A Church community. I'm so blessed that God has lead me to a church where the Bible is studied and preached and lived out, where there are people who come together in community and encourage and challenge each other, and where there are places for me to serve.
4. A God who "settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children." (Psalm 113:9) I don't know how long I'll be in this job - and I talk to people on occasion who don't understand why I'm not striving for more in my career - but I am so content and fulfilled here.
996 more to come :)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Cards and such
I've been sending out more hand written cards and letters lately - so of course my thoughts turn towards stationery.
A couple weeks ago I picked up a pack of blank white note cards and envelopes. I came home and started doodling and ended up pretty happy with how some of them have turned out. Here are three of my favorites.
Side note: I have a new fascination with all things sailing and am trying to work up the courage to take sailing lessons this summer.
So - not the most elaborate card-making in the world, but it's relaxing to just doodle away and it's really simple and easy without all the glue and scraps of paper and embellishments in traditional card-making.
I was wandering through an art store the other day and found some stationery I loved and picked it up. They are note cards in the shape of traditional Russian Nesting dolls - - and I pretty much love all things Russian. Amazon Link.
And while I'm writing about letters and mail and such - my friend Lauren is hosting a fun giveaway for mail related cute and fun things - - go check it out and follow her fun blog and then don't enter the contest cause I want that postcard stamp and the only reason I'm telling you about it is because I get two entries into the contest for doing so. :) Link
A couple weeks ago I picked up a pack of blank white note cards and envelopes. I came home and started doodling and ended up pretty happy with how some of them have turned out. Here are three of my favorites.
Side note: I have a new fascination with all things sailing and am trying to work up the courage to take sailing lessons this summer.
So - not the most elaborate card-making in the world, but it's relaxing to just doodle away and it's really simple and easy without all the glue and scraps of paper and embellishments in traditional card-making.
I was wandering through an art store the other day and found some stationery I loved and picked it up. They are note cards in the shape of traditional Russian Nesting dolls - - and I pretty much love all things Russian. Amazon Link.
And while I'm writing about letters and mail and such - my friend Lauren is hosting a fun giveaway for mail related cute and fun things - - go check it out and follow her fun blog and then don't enter the contest cause I want that postcard stamp and the only reason I'm telling you about it is because I get two entries into the contest for doing so. :) Link
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sewing Projects
Some of these projects are recent and some are just pictures that were in my "sewing" album - -
 | |||||
Last fall I got tired of trying to find a purse that was comfortable to war, had enough space for all my junk, and had a long shoulder strap to sling across my body. Cross-the-body purses make life so much easier when you transport yourself by foot half the time - it's also a lot easier while grocery shopping. Anyway. Couldn't find one, so I made one. Wandered down to the fabric store to look through patterns early one Saturday morning, bought everything I needed, and then set up camp at the dining room table with my sewing machine and started plugging away for the rest of the day. I got it mostly finished in one day except for a few finishing touches that I finished up later. Here it is!
 |
| Looking inside, lining, pockets, and magnetic snaps! |
Next is my first "upcycled" project - created as recently as last week! I had a sweater that was bit of an odd shape - but I liked the pattern - so I just turned it into a scarf. Not complicated at all - I feel guilty even calling it a sewing project. Cut out some long rectangles of fabric, sew together. voila!
And here is my favorite! I made this on Sunday. This was previously a skirt - but I never really wore it for a variety of reasons even though I LOVE the print/color. So, I cut up the back seam, removed the zipper, and cut off the waistband. Then I pleated the skirt, hemmed the raw edges, and sewed it back onto the waistband and trimmed off the extra waistband material. The black ribbons are from packaging from a blanket - they were tied around the blanket and I thought they might come in handy one day so I saved them. I sewed those into the waistband and ended up with an easy tie. I think it took me two hours total - so simple! I may go back and add a pocket and a "bib" to it in some nice black material - we'll see. I probably could have easily cut out a section of the skirt to make a bib and pockets - but I wanted a really full apron. And, yes, for the picture below I did put on pearls specifically to take this photo.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
I Put my TV in my Closet and Started Living Intentionally
About a month ago I purchased a roku. It does what it says it does - it streams Internet based video to your television without needing to hook your computer up to your tv. My laptop is old and doesn't play video well and we don't have cable - so the idea of being able to watch hulu or netflix in my room was appealing!
And, that's exactly what I did. I watched hulu in my room. Come to find out, having access to thousands of tv show to watch whenever you want - - not necessarily a good thing! ;-) I'd turn on something for background noise while I did other more productive things -- but soon found myself sucked into the time-waster that is television. I finished watching the few shows that I keep in my hulu queue - and went on a search for something else to entertain me - - other prime time TV shows that I had never paid attention to in the past. I suddenly needed to watch all the episodes from season one forward.
Needless to say, my time was getting wasted. And, prime time TV is often anything but "true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise." (Phil 4:8) If time-wasting wasn't enough -surrounding myself with the glorification of envy, vengeance, lust, and greed was certainly not a beneficial activity.
So, I told my self that I should cut back. That I should not turn on the roku box after I got off work at 11 p.m. and instead, go to sleep. That I should make sure I got other things done first. And all that talking to myself didn't really do much good.
Then a couple weeks ago the sermon at church was on Matthew 5:27-32. That passage includes these verses
The pastor talked about warning signs in our Christian faith. As if you're driving down a narrow winding mountain road and signs warn you to take the curve carefully - - you can heed the warning signs and make it safely down - - or you can rest confident in your own understanding and speed down the road before flying off the side of the mountain.
The combination of the couple of weeks of me fighting with what I knew I should do (less TV) and what I wanted to do (relax and be entertained), the realization that it was often a harmful activity rather than just simply being a pointless activity, and the sermon that focused on verses instructing us to cut off that which causes me to sin meant that I came home from church and unplugged my TV. I then put my hulu and netflix accounts on hold - making it a little more complicated than just sticking in a plug in order to watch TV.
And all of this dovetailed with another common thread of my thoughts and prayers lately - living intentionally. Using the 24 hours I get each day with purpose. Not productivity - - but purpose. So I started a list - things I wanted to do, things I needed to implement into my life, etc. The next day that I had off work I started the morning by wrapping the TV up in bubble wrap and sticking it in the closet. I rearranged my room and got the sewing machine set up so that it would be easy to use. I put my stationary in arms reach of my desk. I de-cluttered my life a bit - getting rid of things I no longer needed or wanted.
It's been a good week. I've created things, visited with people, been purposeful about encouraging others, filled my ears with praise, and have gotten more (and better) rest. I hope to share some more of this on my blog - especially some of my sewing/craft projects and thoughts on the non-visual aspects of intentional living I am trying to implement.
And, that's exactly what I did. I watched hulu in my room. Come to find out, having access to thousands of tv show to watch whenever you want - - not necessarily a good thing! ;-) I'd turn on something for background noise while I did other more productive things -- but soon found myself sucked into the time-waster that is television. I finished watching the few shows that I keep in my hulu queue - and went on a search for something else to entertain me - - other prime time TV shows that I had never paid attention to in the past. I suddenly needed to watch all the episodes from season one forward.
Needless to say, my time was getting wasted. And, prime time TV is often anything but "true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise." (Phil 4:8) If time-wasting wasn't enough -surrounding myself with the glorification of envy, vengeance, lust, and greed was certainly not a beneficial activity.
So, I told my self that I should cut back. That I should not turn on the roku box after I got off work at 11 p.m. and instead, go to sleep. That I should make sure I got other things done first. And all that talking to myself didn't really do much good.
Then a couple weeks ago the sermon at church was on Matthew 5:27-32. That passage includes these verses
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
The pastor talked about warning signs in our Christian faith. As if you're driving down a narrow winding mountain road and signs warn you to take the curve carefully - - you can heed the warning signs and make it safely down - - or you can rest confident in your own understanding and speed down the road before flying off the side of the mountain.
The combination of the couple of weeks of me fighting with what I knew I should do (less TV) and what I wanted to do (relax and be entertained), the realization that it was often a harmful activity rather than just simply being a pointless activity, and the sermon that focused on verses instructing us to cut off that which causes me to sin meant that I came home from church and unplugged my TV. I then put my hulu and netflix accounts on hold - making it a little more complicated than just sticking in a plug in order to watch TV.
And all of this dovetailed with another common thread of my thoughts and prayers lately - living intentionally. Using the 24 hours I get each day with purpose. Not productivity - - but purpose. So I started a list - things I wanted to do, things I needed to implement into my life, etc. The next day that I had off work I started the morning by wrapping the TV up in bubble wrap and sticking it in the closet. I rearranged my room and got the sewing machine set up so that it would be easy to use. I put my stationary in arms reach of my desk. I de-cluttered my life a bit - getting rid of things I no longer needed or wanted.
It's been a good week. I've created things, visited with people, been purposeful about encouraging others, filled my ears with praise, and have gotten more (and better) rest. I hope to share some more of this on my blog - especially some of my sewing/craft projects and thoughts on the non-visual aspects of intentional living I am trying to implement.
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Fat Christian. Temples Don't Have to Be Thin
Follow up on my earlier post:: Fat and Happy (And I know I have some questions from the comments on that entry to answer. Feel free to ask more here and I'll try and do a Q and A post soon. Hopefully sooner than this appeared now that the holidays are over :) )
If you've been in church for any length of time chances are you've probably been given instructions on your body size. Perhaps a diet/weight loss group met at the church (I've even seen them promoted as Bible studies) After all, we're suppose to honor God with our lives and our bodies - and that means being thin and "healthy," right?
(Edited to clarify: I've never heard a sermon on the topic of being thin. When I say "given instructions" I mean it has been used as an illustrative point, or has been mentioned (even in lighthearted tones), or statements that assume fat is sin have been made.)
As a teenagers I remember thinking in my moments of struggling with self confidence that if I was thin I could be a much better Christian - after all - if I could be pretty and popular then I could talk to more people and have more influence, right? I remember once as a teen-turning-adult kneeling at the altar and literally crying because I just couldn't do it..I couldn't manage to get thin - and I felt like a failure as a Christian. I've heard diet and weight loss preached from the pulpit more times than I can count.
I want to start off by compiling a list of verses in the Bible that talk about Body, Health, Food, Eating, etc and look at whether they are discussing being fat or not. I've compiled these verses from both my own memory of passages that I used to support my weight-loss attempts years ago as well as verses I found by doing a google search for "verses on healthy living" or variants. A lot of people use the Bible to support the idea that a good Christian is a thin Christian. . and I think that is wrong and unsupported entirely. I know of many more non-Christians in the Fat-Activist and Health at Every Size circles than I know Christians and I find that sad.
The Bible makes no value judgments on the size/weight of people as far as I can tell (if you know of a verse, please let me know) - there are verses, as we will see, that talk about food and gluttony and honoring your body - but those don't mean "don't be fat." And, of course, I'm going into this with the understanding that fat does not equal unhealthy. (I'll get to the more academic/scientific post about why that is one day - in the meantime feel free to check out this post by a Fat Activist. Disclaimer - it has cussing.)
I do believe that God desires for us to care for our bodies, to be good stewards of our bodies.I don't believe that being fat is anti-care - and actually believe that for many people the devotion to being thin is actually unhealthy and dishonoring to their bodies.
When I saw this first one on a list of Bible verses supporting dieting - I was appalled - this verse is so powerfully about loving your body, not hating it, that I'm amazed that it is so blindly accepted as "thinspiration"
Psalm 139: 13-16 (emphasis mine)
I guess the twisted reading of this is that since God made us we should be the best that we can be and the best is thin.
There are other verses that talk about us being made by God/in God's image that people use the same un-supported reasoning for. See: Genesis 1:27
But it's not there - that's making it work for what you want. What those verses say is that he created me and saw both my frame and body before they ever came to be - - and that he made that fearfully and wonderfully :) That I am created in the image of God.
It does not say I was created to be thin. It just doesn't.
These next three are ones that I have seen used most often as a an order or directive to "be healthy" (health meaning thin)
1 Corinthian 6:19-20
Let's just back up a few verses and read something fabulous I like to call context - the passage is talking about sexual immorality. We are not do dishonor the temple of God by engaging in sexual immorality. But if we're going to take the verse out of context and talk about honoring our temple period - then let's talk about the hazardous effects of yo-yo dieting and how it weakens the heart and the immune system and the strain that strenuous exercise puts on the body. (And how for the majority of fat people in the world those things don't even make them thin)
Luke 2:52
This is the "shame" verse for me. As a teenager a group at church that I participated in used this verse to encourage "growth in all three areas" - we talked about being wise, loving our neighbor, and being of good "stature" - - which meant for that particular group that we tracked push ups and sit ups and such. Growing in stature to be like Jesus meant being fit. Now, the person who organized this focus had one of the most positive spiritual effects on me from any person in church leadership from their example as a humble servant - so I certainly hold no ill will towards that person. But, the group was definitely not an exercise group - it was another enjoyable activity - and I stopped wanting to participate in that enjoyable activity because I was afraid my "stature" would be too poor.
And just what does "stature" mean, anyway? From Strong's it is the Greek helikia - meaning -
Romans 12:1-2
It does say LIVING sacrifices - so it's probably going to be safe to assume I shouldn't kill myself with unhealthy dieting, right? ;-) This is like the Psalm verse to me - it's been twisted - yes it talks about honoring God and specifically mentions our body - - but no where does it say or imply that that body should be thin. Insinuating that your "holy and pleasing" body is a thin body is our society's obsession with a "good" body being a "thin" body.
Let's look at some "food" verses that talk about eating:
1 Corinthians 10:31
and let's try that context thing again - - the passage is about eating food bought in the market, eating food at the homes of others, and abstaining from food that was offered as a sacrifice. From my understanding the command to not cause others to stumble has to with abstaining from the sacrificed food - not with abstaining from a slice of pizza in the fear that fatness is contagious. Other translations say "give no offense" rather than "do not cause anyone to stumble"
There are verses that deal with gluttony - typically describing someone as a glutton and often paired with "drunkard." It's also one of the seven deadly sins..
Gluttony is not the same as being fat - gluttony is an excessive desire for something. (In this case we're talking about food.) I have often heard gluttony compared to fatness though - I've heard pastors and others say things like, "I do not want to be a fat person who walks around showing off my sin of gluttony." I once knelt at an altar - praying over a trial in my life - and had someone come up to me to pray with me - I didn't speak to that person bu they prayed.that I might be released from the sin of gluttony.
Being fat doesn't mean you struggle with gluttony. There are people who binge eat - and those people can either be fat or thin - - and that binge eating can be symptomatic of disordered eating. If anything though - gluttony is actually something our society supports.
"I'm staring my diet on New Year's Day - so I'm eating a ton of crap for Christmas!"
"If you can eat this 5 lb sandwich and a pound of fries in 30 minutes then we'll give you a t-shirt and everyone will cheer you on!"
"I'm sad. So I'm going to eat a tub of ice cream and I deserve it because I never eat ice cream."
I'm still reading my way through Linda Bacon's Health at Every Size and learning a lot and seeking to make my body healthier. That will be another post. But, I hope, that these ramblings of mine have prompted at least someone to reconsider their society-driven assumptions that God wants us to be thin.
I'm going to try to do a part 2 of this post in which I discuss some of the positive food passages on feasting and tasting and enjoying food for a variety of reasons. For example, one of these verses is Acts 2:42 where we are told how one of the devotions of the early church was the "breaking of bread." We are commanded TO eat - break bread together, fellowship, share meals. It's part of community. It's part of what humans do to come together. Sprinkle a community meal with a million rules about points and carbs and worry about judgments on your plate and you're losing something (and what you're loosing is most likely not weight!) I also hope to do a more "narrative" post on Fat within Christianity rambling about some of my observations and such regarding attitudes about fat in the contemporary Church. More on that later. :)
If you've been in church for any length of time chances are you've probably been given instructions on your body size. Perhaps a diet/weight loss group met at the church (I've even seen them promoted as Bible studies) After all, we're suppose to honor God with our lives and our bodies - and that means being thin and "healthy," right?
(Edited to clarify: I've never heard a sermon on the topic of being thin. When I say "given instructions" I mean it has been used as an illustrative point, or has been mentioned (even in lighthearted tones), or statements that assume fat is sin have been made.)
As a teenagers I remember thinking in my moments of struggling with self confidence that if I was thin I could be a much better Christian - after all - if I could be pretty and popular then I could talk to more people and have more influence, right? I remember once as a teen-turning-adult kneeling at the altar and literally crying because I just couldn't do it..I couldn't manage to get thin - and I felt like a failure as a Christian. I've heard diet and weight loss preached from the pulpit more times than I can count.
I want to start off by compiling a list of verses in the Bible that talk about Body, Health, Food, Eating, etc and look at whether they are discussing being fat or not. I've compiled these verses from both my own memory of passages that I used to support my weight-loss attempts years ago as well as verses I found by doing a google search for "verses on healthy living" or variants. A lot of people use the Bible to support the idea that a good Christian is a thin Christian. . and I think that is wrong and unsupported entirely. I know of many more non-Christians in the Fat-Activist and Health at Every Size circles than I know Christians and I find that sad.
The Bible makes no value judgments on the size/weight of people as far as I can tell (if you know of a verse, please let me know) - there are verses, as we will see, that talk about food and gluttony and honoring your body - but those don't mean "don't be fat." And, of course, I'm going into this with the understanding that fat does not equal unhealthy. (I'll get to the more academic/scientific post about why that is one day - in the meantime feel free to check out this post by a Fat Activist. Disclaimer - it has cussing.)
I do believe that God desires for us to care for our bodies, to be good stewards of our bodies.I don't believe that being fat is anti-care - and actually believe that for many people the devotion to being thin is actually unhealthy and dishonoring to their bodies.
When I saw this first one on a list of Bible verses supporting dieting - I was appalled - this verse is so powerfully about loving your body, not hating it, that I'm amazed that it is so blindly accepted as "thinspiration"
Psalm 139: 13-16 (emphasis mine)
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
I guess the twisted reading of this is that since God made us we should be the best that we can be and the best is thin.
There are other verses that talk about us being made by God/in God's image that people use the same un-supported reasoning for. See: Genesis 1:27
But it's not there - that's making it work for what you want. What those verses say is that he created me and saw both my frame and body before they ever came to be - - and that he made that fearfully and wonderfully :) That I am created in the image of God.
It does not say I was created to be thin. It just doesn't.
These next three are ones that I have seen used most often as a an order or directive to "be healthy" (health meaning thin)
1 Corinthian 6:19-20
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Let's just back up a few verses and read something fabulous I like to call context - the passage is talking about sexual immorality. We are not do dishonor the temple of God by engaging in sexual immorality. But if we're going to take the verse out of context and talk about honoring our temple period - then let's talk about the hazardous effects of yo-yo dieting and how it weakens the heart and the immune system and the strain that strenuous exercise puts on the body. (And how for the majority of fat people in the world those things don't even make them thin)
Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
This is the "shame" verse for me. As a teenager a group at church that I participated in used this verse to encourage "growth in all three areas" - we talked about being wise, loving our neighbor, and being of good "stature" - - which meant for that particular group that we tracked push ups and sit ups and such. Growing in stature to be like Jesus meant being fit. Now, the person who organized this focus had one of the most positive spiritual effects on me from any person in church leadership from their example as a humble servant - so I certainly hold no ill will towards that person. But, the group was definitely not an exercise group - it was another enjoyable activity - and I stopped wanting to participate in that enjoyable activity because I was afraid my "stature" would be too poor.
And just what does "stature" mean, anyway? From Strong's it is the Greek helikia - meaning -
So, basically Jesus grew older and taller. I'm pretty sure I can handle that. (Well, maybe not taller now..but I could then.) There is that "comeliness" word in definition two - but we're told elsewhere that the Messiah would not have any appearance that would draw us to him.1) age, time of life
1a) age, term or length of life
1b) adult age, maturity
1c) suitable age for anything
1d) metaph. of an attained state fit for a thing
2) stature, i.e in height and comeliness of stature
Romans 12:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
It does say LIVING sacrifices - so it's probably going to be safe to assume I shouldn't kill myself with unhealthy dieting, right? ;-) This is like the Psalm verse to me - it's been twisted - yes it talks about honoring God and specifically mentions our body - - but no where does it say or imply that that body should be thin. Insinuating that your "holy and pleasing" body is a thin body is our society's obsession with a "good" body being a "thin" body.
Let's look at some "food" verses that talk about eating:
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—
and let's try that context thing again - - the passage is about eating food bought in the market, eating food at the homes of others, and abstaining from food that was offered as a sacrifice. From my understanding the command to not cause others to stumble has to with abstaining from the sacrificed food - not with abstaining from a slice of pizza in the fear that fatness is contagious. Other translations say "give no offense" rather than "do not cause anyone to stumble"
There are verses that deal with gluttony - typically describing someone as a glutton and often paired with "drunkard." It's also one of the seven deadly sins..
Gluttony is not the same as being fat - gluttony is an excessive desire for something. (In this case we're talking about food.) I have often heard gluttony compared to fatness though - I've heard pastors and others say things like, "I do not want to be a fat person who walks around showing off my sin of gluttony." I once knelt at an altar - praying over a trial in my life - and had someone come up to me to pray with me - I didn't speak to that person bu they prayed.that I might be released from the sin of gluttony.
Being fat doesn't mean you struggle with gluttony. There are people who binge eat - and those people can either be fat or thin - - and that binge eating can be symptomatic of disordered eating. If anything though - gluttony is actually something our society supports.
"I'm staring my diet on New Year's Day - so I'm eating a ton of crap for Christmas!"
"If you can eat this 5 lb sandwich and a pound of fries in 30 minutes then we'll give you a t-shirt and everyone will cheer you on!"
"I'm sad. So I'm going to eat a tub of ice cream and I deserve it because I never eat ice cream."
I'm still reading my way through Linda Bacon's Health at Every Size and learning a lot and seeking to make my body healthier. That will be another post. But, I hope, that these ramblings of mine have prompted at least someone to reconsider their society-driven assumptions that God wants us to be thin.
I'm going to try to do a part 2 of this post in which I discuss some of the positive food passages on feasting and tasting and enjoying food for a variety of reasons. For example, one of these verses is Acts 2:42 where we are told how one of the devotions of the early church was the "breaking of bread." We are commanded TO eat - break bread together, fellowship, share meals. It's part of community. It's part of what humans do to come together. Sprinkle a community meal with a million rules about points and carbs and worry about judgments on your plate and you're losing something (and what you're loosing is most likely not weight!) I also hope to do a more "narrative" post on Fat within Christianity rambling about some of my observations and such regarding attitudes about fat in the contemporary Church. More on that later. :)
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