Starving

First of all, I must say that I had some of the best food of my life in Austin Texas!

Little food truck named,

"Shut Up and Eat"

or

"Are You Gonna Eat or What?"

I don't know, but they gave me the sandwich of a lifetime!

Mesquite smoked turkey, shellacked in jalapeno jelly, fried green tomato, chipotle aiole.
 House made chips.

COME ON PEOPLE!

I died.

Second Bar Restaurant, best gnocchi of my life!

I might have licked the bowl when no one was looking.

Coopers BBQ

Brisket, beans, white bread, macaroni and cheese (which the Texas native with me said was one of the best!) pickles and peacan cobbler!

WHAT??

Not pictured was the fried chicken eggs bennedict I had on the way to the airport!
I must go back to Austin just to eat more!

In Austin, I attended the IF Gathering.
A Gathering of 2000 women in Austin, hundreds of thousands of women live streaming all over the world, to come together to be equipped in the name of Jesus and be unleashed out into our communities to make a difference.  We explored the question, "What IF we lived like Jesus?"
In the past few days since being home, I have tried to start unpacking the experience of
the IF Gathering and I've realized a few things.
First of all, I didn't know I was starving going into the Gathering.
Looking at all these pictures of food, I kinda think, "how did I eat all that?"
But an empty belly can hold much.
Just as an empty soul can hold much.
With all of the rich truth that was poured out at the Gathering, I never seemed to be uncomfortably full, like Thanksgiving full.  Instead I just received all that was offered, realizing that my soul has been starving for solid, rich truth for a long time.
My appetite for solid food was awaken as I realized that I've been drinking Spiritual milk for far too long.  I don't know how my faith in Jesus has been subtly watered down over the past few years, still growing and being nourished, but not in a way to produce an abundance!
Just in a way to produce enough to look "productive."
But devouring meal after meal after meal of God's unmistakable truth, spoken from a place of deep conviction and passion did not leave me uncomfortably full, but quite the opposite.
It left me awake, alive and longing for more.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
I often think of Lent as being a season of fasting.
A season of identifying with the suffering of Christ by depriving ourselves of something we enjoy.
I'm not giving up anything today.
Instead, I'm indulging.
For the Lenten season, I'm going to feast on the rich Word of God more than I have before.
I'm going to identify with Him through knowing Him more,
spending time listening, reading and praying.
I'm going to indulge in His rich, delicious truth that not only gives life, but gives life to the full!

Sometimes we don't even know we're starving until we have a meal that awakens all of our appetite.

Healing Powers of the Ocean

There are 2 things I swear by when anyone in my family gets sick - sick soup and the ocean!

I have always firmly believed in the healing powers of the ocean.

Let's be honest, a few hours at the beach cures all!

I recently was hit with a cold and had to miss a family camping trip to stay in bed and get well.

On day 2 of being home alone, I realized that I needed to go to the beach and experience some healing powers of the sea! 

 Off I went.

As I walked on the sand I breathed deeply.

The soothing sound of the waves, the forgiving sand beneath my feet, the briny air that filled my lungs, together I could feel them melting away my cold!

I smiled as I thought back on all the times I've taken a child to the beach on day 2 of their cold. 

Just sitting and looking out at the vastness before us,

unable to wrap our heads around the beginning and end.

I recently read that the percentage of salt in the sea is the same as the percentage of salt in the human body!  Some say that proves we evolved from the sea.  I say it proves that our God has woven a common thread throughout all of His creation and He is constantly surprising us with His creativity and purposes. ( I also think it proves my theory that the ocean has healing powers!)

After my walk I sat down and began to read my Lenten devotional from Ann Voskamp. 

The passage was from Matthew 6:5-13

In this devotional, you slowly read the passage 3 times,

allowing specific phrases to rise off the page and penetrate your heart.

In this passage about how to pray, one phrase jumped up and struck me -

"your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

With the sea air filling my lungs and blowing my hair, I smiled.

He knew.

I didn't have to ask.

He knew.

As a homeschooling Moma, I rarely get a few hours alone.

I don't remember the last time I was sick in bed, literally!  My children cried as they left to go camping without me, "will you ever get better Mommy?" 

 I laughed because I just don't think they've ever seen me in bed with a cold!

But God knew what I needed before I even asked.

I got to spend 3 days home alone.

God's healing powers of the ocean not only soothed my cold, but they soothed my soul.

He knows what I need before I even ask!

Do you know that God is for you?

Do you know that He sees your need and longs to provide?

Surrender today.

Stop going about your business (busy-ness) and open your hands to receive.