Week One of Lent

Just some thoughts/reactions to my first few days of #ExperiLent. Feel free to comment!

Thursday I decided to focus on praying for Guatemala and limiting my foods to their basic staples. Dinner on Thursday was pretty tasty - chicken, rice, white cheese, and corn rolled into a tortilla! For breakfast the following day I had huevos rancheros modified. Who knew beans and eggs would taste good together?! Lunch on Friday, while my coworkers ordered pizza, was the same as dinner. The food was enjoyable but I must admit I felt deprived while my coworkers feasted. I came to several realizations over the past two days. I think part of the problem is that I feast all the time (as many in our society do), and since I am constantly feasting, I neglect the benefits of fasting: growing closer to God, self-control, and enjoying what I feast on. I feast so much that I don't notice it - until I do something radical like limiting my food for 40 days!!

My students think I'm eating Chipotle all the time, which I find funny. Anytime there's beans and rice, it must be Chipotle! (that's a blogpost in and of itself about their lack of cultural education). I noticed that their curiosity and the excitement others showed about the simple diet allowed me an opportunity to speak about my faith and why I am sacrificing in this way during Lent. It felt good to be encouraged by others on the journey.

I am growing in awareness that I have to stop giving in to my desires and wants all the time. Although I enjoyed my food this week, I found myself wanting other foods that I have (juice, apples, snacks, frozen pizza, carry-out) as well as the food of others. I remind myself daily that it is good to deny myself. I have become aware of my entitled thinking - if I can get it then I should have it. While talking to a friend today, I found myself wanting her breakfast instead of mine, even though it's not anything I would normally eat. I wanted it because it was something I knew I couldn't have. Why is it that we always want something out of our reach - even when we wouldn't want it if we had it? Above all, I've learned that I have to stop making it all about me and my wants. Which is SO hard at times! But must be done.

That said, tomorrow is my feast day - and I look forward to the occasion. Instead of being entitled, I will approach the feast with gratitude and thanks for what I have been given. And I will thoroughly enjoy!

"Nothing is so inconsistent with the life of a Christian as overindulgence." - Saint Benedict

Luke 21:34 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life...

ExperiLent 2012: 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor

I'm very excited about my Lent experience, 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor (www.chrisseay.net). So I finally picked a country's staple diet to follow and I picked...Guatemala! I'm going to fast from all other foods (except on Sundays when I feast!) and limit beverages to water and tea. I know that this is going to be a challenge for me on a spiritual and physical level...I just started and I already want something that's not on the list (below). I think this will teach me some spiritual discipline as well. I will add daily devotion to my schedule, something I have been neglecting for a while. I think this will teach me to be more grateful for what I have, as well as encourage me to help those less fortunate than me. And maybe even do missions in or adopt a Compassion International child from Guatemala! I am looking forward to all that I may learn during this Lenten season.

Staple items (not an exhaustive list of what may be available in Guatemala): Black beans, corn, rice, chicken, white cheese, oranges, bananas, onions, tortillas, taquitos, tamales, eggs, corn chips, tomatoes, and avocados.

Reflections on the experience so far:
1. The first thought I had when I thought about the 40 day simple diet: will I have locked bowels?! (Thanks Troy for confirming this thought LOL). But seriously, I thought to myself what type of physical changes will occur while I'm on this diet? Will I gain/lose weight? Energy?

2. Today's trip to the grocery store was probably one of the shortest I've even had. Usually shopping for me is about 2 hours. I walk down every single aisle...sometimes multiple times. Today several aisles were off limits, and I didn't want to walk down the baking aisle for fear of the pain!

3. I have had to think about what foods I am eating in advance, and I have to cook - something I haven't done in a while. Tonight I made chicken tortillas with white cheese, rice, onions and corn. It was pretty yum but I wonder what it will be like a week or three from now. I didn't make time to cook last night, so I had to get up early this morning to make the rice I took for lunch today. I think this will help me be more conscientious about what foods I put in my body and that I need to plan meals in advance.

4. I don't eat two items on the list...hmmm..was that a good idea to pick this list?

Those are all the thoughts for now. I'll continue to post updates during this process. Thanks for reading :-)

At the Table: 40 Days of Solidarity with the Poor (Experi-Lent)

I am excited about this Lenten season, especially since I am participating in "Experi-Lent" with my church (in case you are wondering, my pastor coined that term lol). Around this time every year, the question arises: What will I give up for Lent? In the past, I have given up my ipod and television. This year, I am doing something more radical. On Tuesday night, Pastor Chris Seay spoke at my church about a 40 day Lent experience where he ate a diet consistent with most other countries in the world, those impoverished nations. His diet consisted of: beans, rice, chicken, salad, and tortillas. While in church, I thought that this would be a challenge for me and an opportunity to grow in the Lord.

I've decided to pick a specific Compassion country and eat something from their staple diet. As soon as I decide more specifics, I will post again. I'll also try to post every few days abou tthe progress of my expeirence. So excited to get started!!

For more information: www.chrisseay.net

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave comments :-)

Natural Me Part Two - My Blog Feature!!

Earlier this summer, before my one year BC anniversary, I started thinking about what I wanted to do to celebrate. I decided on two things: I wanted to try a new hair style (faux-hawk to be exact) and I wanted to be featured on a blog I found (Newly Natural). I am exicted to report that one of those dreams came true! My "We are the Yearlings" feature is below. Maybe one day soon I will attempt the faux-hawk...

http://newlynatural.com/blog/2011/07/we-are-the-yearlings-stacy/

Since then, I have twisted my own hair three times, which is an amazing feat if you know me at all! That's one of my favorite things about being natural - it has given me the courage to try new things and stretch myself. The first time I twisted my hair was during the hurricane (I know, strange time to try that!). I twisted it while it was dry, and in retrospect that wasn't the best method. The goal was just to twist it overnight and wear a twist out the following day. Each time I learned something new to try. So far I've realized that shampooing, conditioning, and using Paul Mitchell's The Detangler helped make my hair more manageable for the twists. The last two times I have also used Shea Moisture's Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which worked wonders on my hair.

Next stop: press out!!

Vegetarian 5

Greetings! This past week I embarked upon 5 days of no meat from Monday to Friday. Overall, it was a great experience. It was interesting to go grocery shopping this week - I saw the store with entirely new eyes. I needed to make sure I stayed away from all meat products, when usually I just pick up anything I want/need. It was so exciting to try something new! I almost bought everything vegetarian in the Harris Teeter because I was so excited! I realized that there are a lot of food options for vegetarians, which is comforting. While talking to a friend, he helped me realize that just because you are a vegetarian, it does not mean that you eat healthily. We talked about how carbohydrates and cheese can dominate a diet. I also learned that the B12 vitamin is the only vitamin in meat that you can't get from other food, so a supplement is needed if I want to do this long-term. Some of the food items I tried were: Morning Star Maple Flavored Sausage, Stouffer's Vegetarian Lasagna, and one of my favorite recipes - Cheesy Lentils, Spinach, and Rice Casserole. I definitely enjoyed all of the food, though the "sausage" took some getting used to. I made a pizza with vegetarian pepperoni slices. It was decent but I probably won't make that a staple. The foods I liked best were the items that weren't imitating meat. I didn't crave meat until the moment of truth--the Wash U WU WILD happy hour with free wings. I am proud to say that I resisted the urge! Go me!!

This is something I have secretly thought about trying before but never had the guts to do. I'm glad I finally gave it a chance! I think in the future I would like to intentionally arrange for a couple of weeks or meals without meat. As far as results go, for one, I passed the challenge! For two, one day out of the week I definitely felt more awake and energized, but that could have been a result of the extra hour of sleep. I think for more definitive results I would need to give up meat for longer than five days....maybe a challenge for the near future!!!

My Natural Journey - One Year and Counting, Part One

So I have been meaning to post these pictures for a while now...no time like the present. In May 2010, I had my last encounter with the "creamy crack!" Honestly, I wasn't too sure about that last perm, but my hair dresser talked me into it. Her plan was to have me continue with the creamy crack until the fall....my heart (and hair) had other plans. I figured why wait? Besides, waiting just increased my anxiety. On 8 July 2010, I went ahead with the Big Chop (BC). I stepped into the Bubbles salon and told the stylist what I wanted. She was very supportive and even agreed to take before and after pictures. (These won't be posted here; sorry, no scanner!) I was excited and nervous, but moving forward. My man was very supportive in my decision, which was super awesome. I pretty much kept it a secret from everyone else (except for a couple of friends in the area) just in case I decided to back out at the last minute. Well I sat down in the chair and I never looked back! I was afraid to look so the stylist turned my back to the mirror. I was very pleased with the end results and shed not a single tear for that damaged, dead hair. I remember thinking how awesome it was - not having to sit under a hot dryer for hours and hours. I was able to let my hair air dry for the first time. Plus, my hair appointments went from 2-3 hours to 45 minutes, which was pretty amazing. Here are some pictures of my natural hair journey over the past two months...stay tuned for another post commemorating my 1 year natural anniversary.

1.) This pic was taken before I left the salon 2.) Taken a little while later on the same day after my hair dried some.

The family was not into my new short 'do - but I loved it!!! When my mom saw it for the first time (July 2010) she looked at my boyfriend exclaimed, "Why did you let her do it?!" As if he could have stopped me! Little did she know she would grow to like my natural hairstyle.

I love this picture of me...I miss the easier maintenance of the shorter hairdo.

Any 1 yr natural anniversaries? What was your experience like?

Surviving the Summer Outdoor Movie Experience

Now that it is summer, I think it is time for the official guide to successfully attending outdoor movie screenings! I don't know about you, but movies are my favorite pastime. There's nothing I enjoy more than snuggling up alone, with my honey, or a group of friends to watch a great flick. Last summer I discovered something better - watching my favorite movies out under the stars!! Who wouldn't love to see Don't Tell Mom I Killed the Babysitter on a cool summer evening?! After last summer I am officially hooked on outdoor movies. The season has just started and I have already seen two movies - Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Anchorman. I figured why not put my love of outdoor movies to use? So without further ado, here are my tips for maximizing the outdoor movie experience.

1. Location, Location, Location. It's the same as in real estate! There's nothing worse than arriving to the movie location to find that there are no good seats left. Arrive at least an hour early to scope out the best seats, especially if you are planning on a group. Arriving early will allow you time to have dinner, relax, and even play games provided by the sponsors. And it can also double as an excuse to leave work early; I'm sure we could all use a little of that action. Woo-hoo!

2. Know the location of the nearest bathrooms/port-a-potties. This is most important. Know where the bathroom is just in case you need to use it before the night is over. When I went to the viewing at the Navy Yard, the (very smelly) port-a-potties were across an empty parking lot, which is a bit scary after dark. Think twice before heading over alone. Gateway Park in Rosslyn, VA has actual bathrooms, which was refreshing. They were out of hand soap, however, so it may behoove you to bring hand sanitizer or your own soap.

3. Bring something comfy to sit on. A comfy blanket or a low level chair is ideal to protect you from the scratchy grass. You'll be sitting out on the ground for a few hours, so you'll want to be as comfortable as possible. Also bring a light jacket if you're prone to the late night chills.

4. Don't forget the snacks...and remember to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

5. Bring some mosquito repellent! Just in case those pesky creatures start biting. Off works wonders. No one can enjoy this experience while swatting at the bugs all night.

6. Shhhhhh! Keep it down...no one can enjoy the movie if you're talking (loudly) on your phone or to your neighbor. This is not a coffee shop. Be mindful of others.

7. Respect the space. Remember to take all of your belongings when the movie is done, and this includes your trash! Leave the place cleaner than when you found it - an old girl scout adage that continues to be useful :-)

Here is a list of the outdoor movies that are playing this summer in the area. Enjoy! http://dc.about.com/od/filmfestivals/tp/OutdoorMovies.htm

What's your favorite place to watch outdoor movies?