The Unexpected & Unforeseen Week during our 7 Experiment: Adoption

Oh this guy! He is my precious, sweet, sensitive, smart, caring, prayer warrior. The boy has had a passion for prayer since he was 4 years old when he would get this intense, immediate, need to desperately have a photo of what God had put on his heart to pray for.

I was first introduced to his deep sensitivity just two weeks after we brought him home from the Philippines. I was reading him a book by Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman,  Shaoey and Dot, when the boy brought me to tears.

 

We turned to the page where there are babies in an orphanage all lined up in cribs. Nate, who was about 9 months in size at 2 years old, leaned into the book and kissed every single baby pictured on the two pages. I am telling you I was undone. I will simply define it as a precious moment that contained too many emotions for words. 

In the 7 years since that time he has remained a faithful saint who seeks God with the the worries and concerns of his heart for this world. He is deep, and it always surprises me what he comes up with to pray about. He is always thinking on a level I didn't know he was capable of. 

So back to present time, here we are finding ourselves in the middle of the food month on our 7 Experiment. Nate had chosen the Philippines for a week's focus of fasting, prayer and food. He was so very determined to dive into a week of intense focus. He had things pressing on his heart for such a time as this. The first day as he was bringing up things we could pray for his homeland he was popping out all kinds of stored up prayer treasures he had tucked away over time. One such thing was..."Oh... and pray for eveyone within a 1 mile radius of the hurricane that hit - there was a lot of destruction and injured people" What???? Where and when did he hear this and tuck it away in his heart? 

Day two into our week and the boy was beginning to show signs of fatigue. He was distracted, having problems focusing and praying. The next day he woke up and came to the table for school, we were doing prayer time and he wanted to share a nightmare he had. His Grandfather in the Philippines had found him by searching his name and he requested that Nate return to the family in the Philippines. He had to leave us and he did not want to go. Of course instantly my heart went out to him. I hugged him and told him that must have been such a terrible feeling. I forgot to clarify one thing though....

As the days of the week passed I am watching him turn even more distracted, disconnected and now he is beginning to seem uncaring of things that would typically break his heart. He literally cannot pray now, he has no words as we gather. We had our prize rabbit run away (which we believe may have been due to Nate forgetting to close the door) and he just didn't seem to even care. So uncharacteristic of him.

As I was sitting there so discouraged, ready to toss in the towel on this 7 food thing. Ready to I don't know what with Nate's flip in personality, feeling some heaviness in my spirit all week and not seeing how to pull this family out of the muck. God gently reminded me... "You forgot" ... "Tell him" 

I approached the topic with him. "Nate, have you been worried every day about being taken away from us?" "Has your nightmare been bothering you ever since you had it?" He instantly heaved forward and grabbed his stomach saying "Ouch" "My stomach hurts" "I feel sick". I sensed this was not a true physical illness but a spiritual one. So I pressed a bit more. 

I pulled the little guy up on my lap and apologized. "I am so sorry Nate. I forgot to tell you...you are safe. You are ours. You belong here. You are protected here - you are a US citizen" and "You know what Nate - more than anything else - your Abba Father cares SO VERY MUCH for you - he is bigger than anything else in the world and he's got your back!" . As we prayed I could see him physically lighten - he began to smile for the first time in days. He was relaxed and snuggling into me. Once again I could tell he had found his security of home. 

At the same time this weeks focus on the Philippines has also stirred up in me a BAZILLION emotions about his Mama. Anytime we talk about her and what she did for him I become a puddle of tears for a couple of days. I cannot even fathom. AND let me tell you - if she knew this little guy- if she could see his adorable face, hear his precious words and know his heart, there is not a chance in this world she would let him go. He is such a treasure. As my heart greatly rejoices in having this tender heart as my son, my heart breaks for the Mama who gave birth to him at a hospital.  

I have played out his arrival into the world in a mental movie many times... 

She arrived at the hospital all alone, scared and sad. She had absolutely no way to care for this precious one she was carrying, no money, no food, no shelter. As she was writhing in pain the nurse handed her forms to fill out. Between contractions she filled out the paperwork with all false information so she could not possibly be found. After a few hours of painful labor, she rested and spent some time holding her precious, brand new baby, she then gently got out of bed, laid him down and snuck off into the night... never to be seen again. 

I can tell you most of those events are in fact truth. I can't tell you what she looks like, I can't tell you the motivation behind her choices. I can tell you - I LOVE HER deeply! I think she was brave & beautiful.

We didn't see any of this weeks story coming. We were eagerly anticipating a week full of joy, celebration and prayer for the hurting in this country. I never for one second thought it would dig up some deep, painful questions. I believe though these are the defining moments in our life where we live out the love of Jesus authentically. Nate needed to go through this, we needed to go through this. We needed to seek God for wisdom in how to navigate this. We needed to walk it with Nate and show him how we respond when we feel under attack. And guess what? God showed up and did what only He can do - He brought light into a situation that seemed full of confusion and despair. 

Next weeks focus: India. Have I told you yet I am headed to India in a couple months? I am praying God allows this to be a week of strengthening and learning. It will be what it needs to be though. The battles make us stronger in the fight as we learn to pick up our weapons and face it head on. 

For today... we will rest and rejoice - for God is GOOD! and...

WE ARE F-A-M-I-L-Y!!!

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. 

-Eph. 6:12 the Message

-Simply Sublime

Our Family's 7 Experiment: Teaching Kids to Care About the WORLD

Welcome to our family's 7 Experiment : A Mutiny Against Excess

If you haven't read any of Jen Hatmaker's books it is time you started. She is hilarious and challenging-ly real. Her 7 book was a must read for me on a trip to Africa. (I shared about this briefly in a post in May when we did a mini 2 month experiment before heading to Africa again) Anywhoo - it so lined up with all I have been struggling with just-so over the last few years. The balance between loving the less fortunate and keeping up in our culture is enough to make people think they have gone bonkers. Myself included.

One thing has really confused & frustrated me over the last few years. The world appears to becoming smaller, we see more on TV, more people are going on mission trips, more charities are on the rise. We are acutely aware of the desperate need that the majority of the world faces, no doubt. In fact, it is hard to go anywhere without having a reminder of someone in need - from a homeless person, to starving children in Africa - we see it often. 

At the same time we are staring these tragic situations in the face we are also increasing what our "NEEDS" are. What used to be things only the very wealthy would do are now becoming the norm. For example... I have never been to a spa, I have never had a pedicure. WHAT???? You WOULD NOT believe how shocked people are by this. How could this be? EVERYONE needs deserves some pampering after all, right? 

With our children we are potentially creating a bit of a mess - on one side of our mouths we are sharing about caring for others, on the other we are teaching them to go all out for themselves. It seems to me we are talking A LOT about one thing and doing A LOT of another and I can't see how this is going to play out with authenticity. I am afraid our kids will have head knowledge to talk about caring and heart knowledge to think about themselves first and foremost. It seems to me this poses a bigger problem than just being uniformed. After all if you don't know, you don't know...but if you know and you remain unchanged...well?

SO... our family is taking steps to keep a strong focus on LOVE in ACTION for those in need for the next 8 months. We will be focusing on the EXCESS in which is so prevalent in our culture. Our hope is that the family discussion time & prayer paired with the different challenges from month to month will in turn be a lifetime of changed focus for all of us.

I also love that this is a type of fast that will last over 7 different months including clothes, waste, media & more. Over the years our family has fasted several times a year - but this is going to really allow us time to focus on a lot of areas and to see what God is asking us to have a heart for. LOVE it! 

Month 1: Food

This month our family has picked countries that will have a one week focus. We will eat the food they eat in each chosen country. We will also spend some time learning about how they struggle and what we can pray for throughout the week. We will be praying for those in leadership positions in those countries as well. We are placing a big focus on hearing from God about what we can do individually and as a family. 

Our first week of our food challenge month is Africa: Kenya & Tanzania (we couldn't pick just one when we love both). We will be eating a lot of rice and beans this week, bread and tea for breakfast, pilau (rice dish) for dinner. Following our first week we will be in the Philippines, India and one other country.  At the end of each week we will have a celebration where we serve guests a few added dishes - the kids will present what they have learned and we will eat together and pray. 

I am SO excited to share this journey with you. I know we are all eagerly anticipating hearing what God has to say to us and seeing where he moves us to in the journey of forever heart & do change. I hope you are too! So keep checking back! 

-Simply Sublime!

BEST & EASIEST Paleo Barbeque Side Dish: Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Since completing our June challenge of 7:Food month with some success, and great learning experiences, we have been trying to keep a clean & simple meal plan. We are trying hard to keep some forever change after our month of deliberate simplicity surrounding our food choices. 

Well, it is sunny out here in the Pacific Northwest, which is rare for June. With the sun comes get-togethers, barbeques, gatherings, festivities...ALL SURROUNDING FOOD! 

This particular weekend we had a family barbeque where burgers and big 'ole dogs would be fired up on the grill. Yummers and at the same time yuckers as the sides are so often the stick to your gut type of filler food. Since we were asked to bring dishes to share we decided on two: 1) grilled veggie & fruit kabobs & 2) my daughter Madison made this incredible triple layer chocolate dessert made with avocado, dates and more hidden deliciousness. (link will be provided when she gets it posted)

 The Kabobs were my work-my-fingers-to-the-bones contribution - haha. Hey, she loves to bake paleo desserts and I am SUPER-dee-duper, crazy, busy fundraising for our upcoming Africa trip. Don't be a judger!

I painstakingly chopped up the mushrooms, onions, zucchini, green bell pepper, red bell pepper. I also took the possibly-chop-a-finger challenge of slicing discs of corn on the cob. Oh, yes I did! And - wait for it.... I perfectly sliced each single piece of the pineapple for the sweet, tart addition that these veggie creations needed to create the perfect balance on each precisely and artistically placed skewer! Gotta love it, am I right?

Aren't they B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L???

and they were SO yummy.

I would have some lovely photos of the finished, oh-so-perfectly-grilled, product from our PART-AYYYY - BUT...

we had a wee lil bit of a crank-fest happening due to over-crowding on the host homes grill. Oops! 

For those planning to bring this as a gift-offering to a potluck barbeque... do yourself a favor and give advance warning to the Bar-B Chef, that is if you want to remain on the guest list for the next party.

These really were simple & delish. A MUST try! 

***If using wooden skewers make sure and soak them for a good hour before skewering. 

-Simply Sublime

My journey of 7 begins: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

The countdown is on. What once was a GREAT READ has now become a personal life challenge. Oh, I didn't read it thinking I would end up actually doing, I mean, who would do that? Someone who is crazy town - that's who. Maybe I need to catch you guys up...

In January I read this humorous and challenging book by Jen Hatmaker: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. As I was reading about the excessiveness of our culture paired with her challenge to living out reduction my feet just happened to be walking on African soil. I was on a vision trip to Kenya and Tanzania with a Pastor friend of mine (female) literally laughing out loud over and over again. The book is absolutely hilarious, yet it also brings you to your knees with a humble burden to reduce yourself, reduce your stuff, and increase God in your life.

Fast forward a couple months and I find myself telling my Big Sister (not officially related - but she really should be) about this book. She reads it and guess what? She wants to form a group and start the challenge. Yep - and we aren't talking the 7 week bible study version that is available but the FULL meal deal. (Pun intended)

Our first challenge for our first month is reducing down to 7 food items for a month. SEVEN (7) items of food for an entire month. This includes any beverage outside of water you may want. 7.

We are starting May 1st - so I have 1 day left of food freedom. Then it is down to this: (maybe)

1. Beef
2. Chicken
3. Eggs
4. Spinach
5. Green Beans
6. Apple
7. Almonds

What is totally cracking me up is how my list keeps changing. My family is doing this alongside me - so what I would have picked individually (tomato and avocado) have turned to beef and almonds. I am battling this inside - but feel there is a lesson in this itself. Probably something about teamwork, being submissive.... somehow I will be learning some valuable life lessons by giving up 2 of my 7 wants on my list. I imagine throughout the journey this give-up will rear it's ugly head on more then one occasion. Like when I am just dying for a big ole slice of gooey green avocado on my bowl of dry spinach.  Although now one of my dear daughters is wanting to eliminate a green veggie for tea. It is totally why you think too - the caffeine. (Hey - she is 19 year old, not 10 okay?)  So since we are switching it up for one maybe we each could have our own list? But then, that creates a NIGHTMARE for me in planning and cooking. I mean we have 5 of our immediate family living in the house multiply that by 7 food items - there is potential for me to have to juggle a total of 35 whopping ingredients / food items a day. ARE YOU KIDDING ME PEOPLE??? Who on earth could handle that kind of kitchen chaos? 

Oh yeah, me...On any given night when I am preparing one meal for our family. Typically you will find me tossing around fresh herbs, lots o'veggies, spices, our protein which typically has some kind of homemade seasoning on it. Yep, one meal easily has 35 ingredients. In fact our salads alone usually have a minimum of 5 plus dressing from scratch with another 5 for a total of 10. So I guess I could handle each of us having different allowances. Yet when I am crank-o-muster over food and I am dishing up something I cannot put in my taste tester there is the extreme likelihood I will explode.  Like, totally unleashed, back away from the table kind of fury. So back to the drawing board - the final, for sure selection will be decided by 11:59pm on the 30th of April and it will probably be something each member of our family is willing to ingest for 28 days.

So, check back in. It is bound to be a fun, humbling and exasperating ride. I am just waiting to have my ugly unveiled right before my eyes. I do believe God is going to peel back my eyelids so I see my yuck a little more realistically- of course the purpose of the reveal of it is to be FULLY  embraced and accepted by the ONE who adores me. As I humbly or boldly, standing upright or crawling, singing or crying come to Him he will gently work with me to refine me into something more pleasing to him. (and hopefully more pleasing to my family and friends too) 

I am SUPER excited to be treating this as a fast, expecting revelation and breakthrough. If you would like to jump in we would be happy to have you! You can comment along the way! 

-Simply Sublime!