(From Irenaeus)

“If you are the work of God, wait patiently for the hand of your artist who makes all things at an opportune time…

Give to Him a pure and supple heart and watch over the form which the artist shapes you in…lest, in hardness, you lose the traces of his fingers.

By guarding this conformity, you will ascend to perfection…To do this is proper to the kindness of God, to have done is becoming human nature. If therefore, you hand over to Him what is yours, namely, faith in Him and submission, you will see his Skill and be a perfect work of God.”

(Merton, Journals, August 25-26, 1965, V284-85)

Chris and I are on our way back from a trip to New York. It wasn’t exactly a quiet vacation, but it was new and involved lots of eating and exploring and fluffy beds.

Most importantly, we both unplugged from work. The brain break that comes with that was exactly what I needed to solidify some decisions I’ve decided to make – some for the next month, and some for good.

One of the biggest changes I’m making is my diet.

I LOVE TO EAT.

Seriously. Look at half my TwitPics and you will see it’s usually food.

Fortunately, I still have a little bit of a metabolism, but I realize that at the ripe age of almost-30, it’s a lot easier for me to get stuck at numbers I’m not so fond of seeing on a scale. For those of you who are new around here, several years ago, I documented my forty pound weight loss and I don’t want to go back there.

The changes to my diet are for the next 30 days. Maybe longer. Who knows? I seriously have no discipline and don’t want to overwhelm myself with a goal that is too big for me. So for now, one month at a time…

Here they are.

DIET:

• No meat (I typically only eat bacon, anyway – this one is not going to be difficult).
• No dessert (This includes anything except tea in bag form from Starbucks).
• No alcohol (I don’t drink much anyway, but if I do, it’s usually more sugar than anything else).
• No snacking (Three to five small meals a day).
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day (Basic I know, but I suck at drinking water).
• No sodas.

EXERCISE:
I’ve already established a bit of a workout routine, and plan on keeping this (and adding to it) indefinitely.

• Run 2-3 times a week (Using the Cool Runnings Couch to 5k program. It’s a nine week program, but I am stretching it out to 18 weeks because of the heart surgery. I’m about to head into the third interval).
• Walk around our neighborhood 2-3 times a week (When I’m home, anyway).

OTHER CHANGES:

• Chris and I are changing from A Big Corporate Bank to a local credit union.
• We’ll be shopping from our Farmers’ Market and local markets and stores (food & otherwise) as much as possible.

I’m excited about some of these changes. I know they’ll be difficult – especially since I am traveling every single gosh darn week in the month of October. How can one survive with that kind of diet when you’re eating airport food or driving, eating sometimes whatever is catered into an event? It’s going to take a lot more preparation and a lot less convenience (which for us, is the point).

Why share these things?

I want to see if you can jump in. You don’t have to do everything, nor do I assume that everyone needs to do everything, or even anything. But I’d love to try some of this with you guys, together. I’ll update maybe every week or so with how things are going.

What do you think? Anything new you can try, or old that you can give up for a month?

The first half of 2009 has been incredible! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I’d get to travel and meet so many of you face to face. It has been AWESOME!

I thought I’d take a moment and share some places I will be either speaking at or hanging out at for the rest of the year and hope if you are attending or are around these events that we’ll get a chance to say hi! Let me know if you’ll be around!

August 1-2, 2009

Oak Leaf Church Weekend Services
Cartersville, GA
Saturday at 6 pm
Sunday at 9:30 & 11:15 am
*(This is a make up visit from the one I had to cancel in May due to an illness!)

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September 11-12, 2009

CWC/2009
Los Angeles, CA
Biola University
*(A great web & social media conference that is oh-so-inexpensive!)

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September 17, 2009

Healing Place Church
Baton Rouge, LA
The Hub (20somethings/college) Service
@ The Annex – 8 pm

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October 7-9, 2009

Catalyst Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Wednesday, October 7 – Catalyst Lab
Thursday & Friday – Hosting Catalyst Backstage

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October 27-29

Story
Chicago, IL
*(Behind the Scenes Stuff)

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November 5, 2009

National Outreach Convention
San Diego, CA
Mad Church Disease Discussion & Book Signing

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November 6-7, 2009

Lead Now/Fusion Conference
Dallas, TX
with Donald Miller, Francis Chan, George Barna, Mark Batterson, Catherine Rohr & others

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November 10-11, 2009

Dirt Conference
Little Rock, AR
New Life Church
*(This is going to be an amazing conference for creative people. Practical but encouraging and down-to-earth!)

I’ll be speaking this weekend in the Dallas area at The Oaks Fellowship (the Red Oak Campus). They’re ending the series called “I Want an Answer” and I’ll be on a panel with Dr. Len Sweet and Oaks Pastor Scott Wilson to discuss the most frequently asked questions in regard to Social Justice.

JULY 12, 2009
The Oaks Fellowship (Sunday at 9 & 11 am)
777 S I-35E
Red Oak, TX 75154
P: 214.376.8208

THEN….

On August 1 & 2, I’ll be speaking at Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA. This is rescheduled from a few weeks ago when I got sick, but I am more excited about it than ever.

AUGUST 1 & 2, 2009
Oak Leaf Church (Saturday at 6 pm, Sunday at 9:30 and 11:15 am)
245 S Tennessee St,
Cartersville, GA 30121
P: 678.721.2377

I am SUPER EXCITED because my husband Chris is traveling with me on both weekends! It is rare his schedule and mine line up but after a year of doing this, he finally gets to come along!

Hope to meet some of you in person soon!

The Hubs says I look drunk in this video. I’m not. I promise.

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Anyway, so there you have it. A little surgery for this little heart problem. August 14.

I’d appreciate the prayers, and any other reposting of this video to get your readers praying too.

Much love.

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