month 2 begins

well, I survived food month of 7. barely. i cheated. several times. forgive me.
Let me tell you what an amazing God we serve. Have you ever thought about how much thought went in to every piece of food we eat? It's hard to fathom that there are thousands of different kinds of plants and animals we eat, and each one provides unique combinations of nutrients that our bodies need. And yet, they are not so different and diverse that we have to actually eat one of every kind to get the proper nutrition for our bodies. I ate only seven of them for 30 days (okay, we're not counting when I failed miserably) and I didn't lose any hair or teeth, I didn't shrivel up and die, I didn't even have to go to the doctor for malnutrition. (quick reminder, my foods were eggs, yogurt, apples, sweet potatoes, spinach, whole wheat bread, and avocados. Plus salt, pepper, and olive oil...no other seasonings) Of course I had severe bouts of sugar withdrawals. okay, tantrums. lying on the floor screaming. crying. But in general I felt great - even lost an easy 10 pounds. God loves to give us choices, and an amazing variety, but he also created us to NEED so very little. This month was hard for a fat, lazy American with HEB Plus (as in plus-sized pants), about 20 fast food restaurants in a 10 mile radius (this number would be much higher if I lived in the city) and a pantry the size of a small bedroom that I regularly stock with goodies from Sam's. And need I even mention Starbuck's? Temptation is everywhere. And oh so delicious. and how my heart aches for the disgusting ways we distort God's creations and turn it into things that can hardly be called "food" and serve it to eachother, and our children, and say,"Why don't I have energy? Why don't my clothes fit anymore? Why is my health failing?" Why indeed.
I had to constantly ask myself,"what do I NEED?" People in other countries LIVE on rice and beans, or other such staples, in limited supply. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matt 5:6 Lord, if righteousness could be the only thing I hungered and thirsted for! I know God is changing me. I'm excited to see what the next 6 months hold.
which brings me to today. Jack and I started Clothes month. I hope this month is easy, but it took me about 2 hours to decide which 7 items I should choose. (fyi - socks and underwear don't count - thank the Lord) I have 2 black t-shirts (my favorites) and one green v-neck jersey blouse for when I need color, or need to look cute. I also have one pair of dark blue jeans and some black denim capris. A pair of cute flip flops & my favorite "loafers" in case my feet are cold or it rains. That's it. Lord help me if a formal occasion arises or if we get a strong cold front! The good side of this, not having to think about what to wear. Bad side - my bad body odor which will have me washing clothes every other day. Either that or my baby getting all kinds of strange things smeared all over me which also results in ridiculous amounts of laundry. It's gross how many articles of clothing are in my closet. I haven't counted yet. I haven't worked up the courage.