Few Things Are Needed

             Bang!! I woke up and just totally smashed my head on my side table. So it began...the cycle of negativity and to-do lists. I awakened way past schedule, my hair looked like a small family of some kind of vermin resided within it and I disparaged over how to tame it and HOLY HELEN I hand't even laid out my clothes. As I scrambled to get everything together and check off my list in my planner, I totally forgot the most important conversation I could have this morning: prayer. I totally forgot about Jesus. I was so caught up in my moment of madness- covering dark circles, anxious self-talk, fighting my hair- that I forgot the one Person that holds me together and gives me my purpose.

       In class, like any good student with a laptop, I checked my e-mail. Lo and behold, my daily Scripture passage from good old Lifeway was Luke 10:38-42. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus and Martha (of the Mary, Martha, Lazerus trio) was just getting exasperated and frustrated and despairing over the fact that she had a million and one things to do on her to-do list, thirteen extra men to feed and the Son of God in her living room but yet NO ONE was helping her, and there her sister Mary sat, just chillin' at the feet of Jesus. Oh, she was livid! So naturally she had to tell Jesus all about it (aren't we just so good at complaining to Jesus when we are having a fit?). This was sweet Jesus's response:

42 Martha, Martha, You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needful-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.

    FEW THINGS ARE NEEDED. You don't have to look perfect or micromanage or perform your full schedule. The excess often muddles our minds and keeps us from seeing the point: resting at the feet of Jesus. My emotions, productivity, relationships induce worry and anxiety in me because i forget to rest with Jesus. I forget to listen, to just BE with him. In a modern picture, Mary would have been sitting on the couch with Jesus just listening to him, conversing with him BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP and Martha would've been the traditional Southern woman in the kitchen with the crockpot going, a pie in the oven, a pinterest craft on the table, tea boiling on the stove, an iPhone in her hand and laptop on the counter going, going, going.
 
    I am a traditional giver, doer, provider like Martha. I'm so caught up in what I'm doing that I forget that action is nothing without relationship. Sometimes I find myself SO exasperated at Jesus because I am SO busy and I feel like He doesn't see and that He should automatically be close to me. But how can a person fulfill another, teach another, be close to another, if the object of their affection refuses to just calm the heck down, be still, and rest!? How cool is it that out of all the demands most of our relationships place on us, that Jesus just wants us to sit with him and just be. Yes, He wants us to be service minded and action oriented, but our hustle is worthless if we haven't taken the time to get acquainted with our Purpose.

   This just slapped me in the face today, and I guess we all need to be smacked around by the Lord occasionally. Let's remind each other to rest in Christ's presence and let the busyness just lie where it falls. Productivity is not productive when the relationship is left idle.

Much Happiness!

Take It from Luke: Insight from a Vegan Athlete

    Hello again!
  As I told you, my blog will often times consist of entries about veganism and misconceptions about such. I have been blessed beyond measure to struggle, grow and succeed in my vegan journey a long side my best friend, Luke. As a guy, his struggle has been a little more intense concerning gender roles and prejudices (more on that later), but his experiences with the physical benefits both athletic, and general health-wise are worth being told because he's a flippin' champion! There is a common misconception in the athletic/fitness world that in order to perform at a peak level, one must excessively consume protein (specifically animal protein) in order to excel athletically. WRONG! I could try and explain, but I figured good ol' Super Luke would be the perfect specimen, I mean, testimony for the job :) Here's our little interview, enjoy!

Q; Hello, Lukey! Thank you so much for being excited about this blog experience, and contributing this idea.
A: Oh, My pleasure! I'm excited about this!

Q: Ok, so first off, I'd like you to tell me about your athletic experience before going vegan. How did your body feel and what was your physical endurance like?
A: I did Cross Country in high school, and I've always struggled with sugar problems and difficulty in controlling blood sugar. I also really struggled with performance anxiety. I Had to carefully monitor what I ate...dairy was often a quick fix, but it also made me sick and it was a back and forth battle in between balancing sugar and dairy and balancing my bodies reaction to both. Anytime before performing in a race I didn't know what to eat so I'd eat different random things and it usually resulted in an abdominal heaviness, and also a heaviness in my chest concerning breathing (with the dairy), and I'd often have to clear my throat while exercising. In essence, my body reacted more extremely to food.
Q: After your athletic exertion, How would your body ordinarily react?
A: After 3 miles, my body would be overly tired, exhausted. You know, like you'd expect.

Q: Okay, Explain how your body reacts now performance wise because of your vegan lifestyle.
A: More noticeable energy before and after exertion, especially AFTER. Even after 2-3 hours of sprinting in soccer, my energy level was still intense. To clarify, I never really got sick BEFORE exercise in the past, but often afterwards, and I don't at all now. I also have no problem breathing before/during/after performance. My body also doesn't feel sore.

Q: So your body feels cleaner before/during/after athleticism?
A: Yes! Definitely!

Q: What is your response to the argument that one must ingest excessive amounts of protein in order to perform, grow or firm up physically (esp. animal protein)?
A: Well I think that there is a certain amount of protein that every person needs whether they are an athlete or not, and that limit should not be passed. I think this should be enforced. There are adverse effects to both too little and too much protein, equally. I never had a problem getting enough protein before being a vegan, as a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and definitely not now as a vegan.

Q: What was the difference you felt in between being lacto-ovo and being vegan physically wise?
A: Well as far as the meat aspect, none. That effects the body's functioning greatly. But eliminating the dairy kept me from feeling sick, and greatly improved my respiratory functioning.

Q: What would you tell fellow athletes to dispel mislead rumors about vegan athletes, and would you encourage anyone to try veganism to improve athleticism and physicality?
A: I think that their (vegan athletes) performances should be proof enough that they are just as good as anyone else. If they are winning, and performing well, they should be open to it. I would definitely advise them to do it because of what I've seen in myself. It definitely improved my breathing and energy in performance greatly.

     As you can see, this a great example of the misconceptions and urban myths concerning veganism. I hope that you guys find this enlightening and informative. :)

Be blessed.

Nice to Meet Ya :)

       Hello Lovelies! I'm super excited to be able to share my life in words with you. These are my thoughts, convictions and ramblings. All of my ideals are meant in a loving personal way as a means of expression, and I hope to hear y'all's feedback on my views as well. My hope for this blog is that it will be a place of education, understanding and creativity; a place of sharing for better comprehension of the things close to my heart.
    In brief about me, I'm a believer in Christ. I love the Lord, and many of the things that show up on this sharing device will be things that affect me and cross my mind about things I found in the Word and nature about Him. Also, I'm all about natural living and cool "green recipes" about beauty products and other such hygiene items, and you will see such recipes as I find them and share them. And. drum roll please.... I am a vegan. Yes, Christian and vegan can run perpendicular in a person's life. A lot of this blog will be dedicated to my convictions, thoughts, experiences, benefits and recipes all concerning my vegan journey. About my style and music, basically if a southern belle and a gypsy-souled hippie had a baby, that would be me.
   I can't wait to share and meet y'all! Much love and every happiness to you :)