Sore and happy

Good Saturday Morning, fellow Evolutionaries!

I woke up this morning thinking I'd go for a run, but after feeling the effects of the Shakeology 50 minute workout, I decided I would let my body rest!

It's been a long time since my body has felt a workout so much! I can't tell you how good it feels. Seriously. You know the sore feeling you have after you ate too much or slept the wrong way or have been on your feet all day? That's not the kind of sore this is. This is the kind of sore that says (coming from my muscles), "Hey...we enjoyed that and you don't use us enough! Let's do that again!"

I like that kind of sore. How about you?

Get sore with me!

I'll write more later this weekend. For now, there's a barking dog, a hungry daughter and a lot more Saturday morning chores! Thanks for reading!

Back, and better than ever!

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm constantly changing, I'm terrible at making decisions and I don't land in the same place for very long. I'm inconsistent, I'm moody and I'm not very driven (when it comes to work, anyway). If you've followed my blog, you know that it also ebbs and flows with the waves of my whimsy. I may blog everyday, and then you may not see me for months.

But now I'm back.

Not only am I back, but I've decided to take a step in my own personal development. There is one thing in my journey that has remained consistent since 2001, and that's my personal journey of health and fitness. So now, through an opportunity with Team Beach Body, not only am I choosing to build a life and business from my personal health journey, but I am attempting to bring an entire city with me.

Don't get me wrong; New Orleans has some great gyms and personal training facilities, but as a whole, we are one of the most unhealthy cities in the United States. We are obese, we are overweight, and we are feeding our children the wrong things as they follow in our footsteps of lethargy and complacency. We are happy, yes...but we are killing ourselves.

This blog will continue to be a reflection of my journey...whatever it may be on a given day. But my journey is now grander...the vision broader...and the challenge much greater. I hope you will join me, whether as a reader, a supporter or a fellow advocate of the health of this great city.

Thanks for continuing along this road with me!

Lingering thoughts from a loony king.

Since coming home to New Orleans, I've been part of a group of ladies studying the book of Daniel. Words cannot express how ideal the timing of this study is for me. To enter a study of Babylon while transitioning from a time in which I felt a lot of me was lost--lost to materialism, lost to a calloused heart, lost to selfish motivations--has been refreshing, eye-opening and wholly challenging.

When I got to the end of chapter 3 (the story of the 3 in the furnace), I was asked what might have been surprising to me about this story. Understand that I've heard this tale ad nauseam since I was a small child, so, unfortunately, it is not surprising to me that a mysterious fourth figure appeared in the fire. It is also not surprising to me that the 3 (along with their clothing) did not burn, even though the soldiers who threw them into the fire did indeed die because the fire was so hot. What was surprising to me this time around was the response of the King who ordered them thrown into the fire.

Rewind with me for a moment. This was not the King's first encounter with the One True God. Many years prior, the king had a dream that could only be interpreted by a messenger of the One True God. None of his other magicians or astrologers or wise men could tell him about his dream; only Daniel was given godly insight to explain the meaning. The King then, as a result, fell down to the ground in worship of Daniel (read carefully: in worship of DANIEL), proclaiming that Daniel's God was the greatest God--"the Lord over Kings."

But his admission was not to be taken as a submission.

Back to our original story. Years later, faced with another miraculous experience, the King again proclaims the greatness of this God. After the 3 emerge from the fire, the King decrees that there is no God like the God of the 3, and he orders that if anyone should speak against this One True God, that man should die. But again, his admission was not a reflection of his own personal submission. You see, this was my surprise. This great king, to whom God had revealed his absolute power time and again, was ready to defend the One True God, but he was not prepared to rescind his image of himself as the One Great King. He would acknowledge this God of Power, see him as at least equal to himself and worthy of the worship of his subjects, but the king himself would not bow.

And here I am, declaring there is a God in Heaven who is powerful. There is a God with a plan. There is a God who is Mighty and works on behalf of His people. I am echoing the words of the King: "There is no other god who can rescue like this!" I believe it. I know that it is true because I've seen this God act.

But will my knee bow? Is my admission of God's greatness with my mouth a reflection of the submission of my life, heart and pride, or simply a statement of intellectual understanding? Do I think I am God's equal? Obviously I know God is greater, but do I believe it enough to humiliate all of myself under his good and all-powerful hand?

The jury is still out. Of course I want to be in that place of great self-abasement, but I'm not. I want to be comfortable. I don't want to fight my own desires. I want to feed them. Deny myself? What on earth do you mean? I am rich. I am powerful. I am, and there is no other.

God is worth worship, but is he worth my worship? I don't mean on Sunday. I mean everyday. Every action and every motivation of my heart. Can I lower myself so that His glory can be seen instead of my own tainted, rotting image of myself?

I sure hope so. I certainly don't want to follow the path of that king. You can read Daniel 4 on your own to find out what I'm talking about. But I guess if that's what it takes, it would be worth it in the end.

Historical context

A Heart for the City: Section 1
How important is it for missionaries and/or pastors to study and know the history of the cities they are ministering within?

When I first met my husband, I hardly knew him. I liked him, of course, but I didn't really know him. Through the years, I've gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of who he is; part of that understanding has come from getting to know his family. By family, I don't simply mean the people who make up the family tree; I'm referring to the stories, the hardships, the joys and the pains of family life. And the more I learn about where he has come from, the better equipped I am to respond to his needs today.

Cities are no different than my husband.

Choose any city and you will find some sort of allure or charm. There are beautiful buildings, big businesses, funky shops, great art, amazing music. There are also addictions, violence, broken families, lonely people. And each city is different, having its own distinct set of strengths and weaknesses.

In order for me (or you), as community servants, to appreciate those strengths and, more importantly, to address the weaknesses of the city, mustn't we understand the heart of the city first? It is absolutely essential to realize the truth about a person or a place before trying to step in to offer assistance. Otherwise, our efforts are futile and we are creating more problems than we are solving. Briefly, a few of the things that will happen if we neglect our city's history are:

* Answering needs that don't exist. We might base our "service" on something we've done or seen done elsewhere, completely missing...or dismissing...the actual needs of the immediate community.

*We will disrespect the people we have come to help. Cities are made of people. The history of the city is the history of those people, and if we don't take the time to understand their personal histories, let alone their collective history, then we have thoroughly missed the point.

*We are only serving ourselves. We say we are trying to help others, but simply put, all we want is to feel good about ourselves and what we are "doing".

If you (or I) are working in community service, we should be experts on our communities. We must take ownership of our cities. This obviously means knowing all the current statistics and trends. It means knowing your neighbors. It means knowing what's happening in your schools, synagogues and city halls. It also means knowing where you've come from (because you must consider the city's story as part of your own story). What are the events that shaped your city? What cultures influenced the founders of the city? What tragedies has the city survived? What does the city celebrate? What does it mourn? What is it good at? Has it always been good at it? Has it overcome obstacles? Has it struggled with the same obstacles since it's inception? Why? There are a host of other questions we could ask here, but you get the point. We must be intimately involved with the cities we serve, and that means knowing as much as we can about the people and their history.

This is especially important for anyone whose motivation for community service is faith or religion (I will use Christianity because that is my experience). Trying to help a city without knowing that city is incredibly presumptuous...especially for someone of faith. Service for the Christian should be out of humility, driven by grace and a deep appreciation for what Christ came to do on this earth. We are to follow His example.

Scripture tells us that when Christ was met with the diseased, the blind, the promiscuous, etc., he didn't only meet the presenting need. He also forgave sins, encouraged faith, and extended grace that no one else could...or would. He was able to do this because he knew what was behind the requests for help. He saw the deepest needs and He met them. He was (is), in essence, their Creator.

Now, keep in mind, those deepest needs aren't always the most obvious or accessible. They are needs that sometimes only their Creator, or someone who is very close with their Creator, could know. This is why faith-driven community servants must be incredibly humble, seeking as much understanding as they can--from God, but also from every resource possible. God already knows where the city has been (and where it's going); however, He will probably not lay out complete histories for us during our prayers when we could simply walk to the computer or drive over to the library. We must take the steps. We must do the work. We must make it our mission to know and understand as much as we can about our cities.

Why?

Well, because you and I are not God. We need to remember that we are not God (something easily forgotten by those of us who like to "fix" things). And in order to meet the real needs, we've got to do the work, search for the answers, see what is actually there underneath all the layers of city-life. And the more truth we collect, about both God and our cities, the better equipped we will be to handle the deepest needs.

Just like Jesus did.

A Heart for the City

For those of you who live in a city--an urban epicenter--you might understand me when I talk about falling in love with a city. Maybe you were a tourist who found a home in your favorite vacation spot. Perhaps you were a suburban or rural kid who'd always dreamed of living in the "big city". Whatever it was, there was something that lured you into the city life. For me, I think the fascination was of being a part of something bigger than myself. Cities are where life happens. There's diversity. There's change. There's growth. There's trend-setting. In short, there's life...life to the fullest, if you will.

For Christians, or even for the casual church-goer, there might be a connection of the idea, "life to the fullest," to the teachings of Jesus Christ. If you trust the account of his followers, we are told that Jesus said he would bring us life as it was meant to be. Life to it's fullest. Complete life. He promised--and delivered--this to the people who encountered him here on earth. And if you are a follower of His, maybe He's delivered on this promise to you as well.

Somewhere along the line, these two pieces, the city and Christ, have been completely disconnected. Today's Christians have missed the point. We have believed God's promises insofar as they apply to us. We have forgotten about living to the fullest. Half the Christians I know spend their lives trying to hide from the world instead of living boldly within it. The city scares them because it's where most of the sin lives (go figure...most of the people live there too).

The Jesus I know is not afraid of the city. He loves the city. One of the most poignant pictures I have seen in the Gospel is that of Jesus, standing above the city of Jerusalem, weeping and mourning for the people because they were so lost. So hurting. So confused by the world around them. So entirely like me...and like you.

If only we could develop the compassion of Christ. If only we could stand on a hill overlooking our nearest cities and see the needs instead of the depravity. Are we capable of seeing what Christ sees? Can we look through the facades to see the hurting? Can we catch a glimpse of the hearts God has created so that we can help reconcile those hearts with their Maker?

Instead of running. Instead of judging. Instead of ignoring.

I, for one, am interested in giving this a try. My blog has taken many shapes over the last year...mostly to keep me on track with whatever goal I need motivation to reach. This segment will be a bit different because I will be responding to a book in essay form. The book? A Heart for the City. The authors? Those who've given their lives to serving a city. Edited by John Fuder. Read along if you want. I look forward to your comments to challenge me along this journey.

Thanks for reading.

A toast to my friend...reception teaser. :o)

When I first met Tara in high school, never did I dream that I would be standing in the wedding of such a loud, gaseous, and slightly obnoxious teenage girl from Northern Harford County. Yet, here we are, 13(ish) years later and I have the honor of toasting my beautiful friend and her new husband.

When Tara first told me about this guy she'd met while she was at home visiting, I knew there was something special about him. He understood Tara in a way that no other person could, and he barely even knew her yet. I knew he was going to be one to watch out for.

Jonathan, you are, without a doubt, the man God has created for Tara. And Tara, your heart has always belonged to Jonathan. He is your match.

And now we raise our glasses in celebration and blessing to the new Mr and Mrs Jonathan Rasmussen. May the light of friendship guide your paths together. May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home. May the joy of living for one another bring a smile to your lips and a twinkle from your eye. May the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in your hearts always. And may our God be your constant joy and strength. We love you. To Jonathan and Tara!

Looking for comments

Okay, so the grocery game isn't really my thing. But I've thought about making it my thing a couple of times. Then last Thursday, I went to a church workshop that talked about utilizing the Grocery Game to save money in order to give away more of what we have.

A lot of people know that health is important to me. I fail at it many times, but it is, nonetheless, an important part of my life and in the forefront of my mind (even when I'm eating a half gallon of ice cream).

I've also had numerous conversations with various individuals prior to and since this particular workshop regarding the benefits of going organic. There is a ton of information out there about the things that are put into our food, the way our food (in animal form) is treated and why we should avoid things with refined sugars, hormones, etc. and eat as many raw and unprocessed foods as possible.

So here's my question. If you are a Christian, or Spiritual at the least, what do you think: Should your family eat the cheapest food you can find so you can give money away, or should you spend a little more on the products that are known to be better for them and, quite frankly, take into consideration the treatment of God's creation (whether it's your body or that of the cow that produced the milk you're putting into it)?

This is a tough question and I have a feeling there will be all kinds of opinions. But I'm honestly interested in your opinion, so let 'er rip!