for the love of food

I love food. All aspects. I love to cook. I love to try new things. I love the event of eating whether its clinking glasses and white linens or paper plates and picnic tables. I told you we've been thinking about this a lot lately.

What we've been thinking about is what food we eat and why it matters. Through some conviction and some lazy feelings and some research and some extra [and exciting] reasoning, we have committed to a lifestyle of real, whole foods. I'm blasting this to the world wide web so that just in case you see one of us gripping a double quarter pounder with cheese or one of those microwavable mac and cheese cups, you can give us dirty looks and/or slap it out of our hand. We promise we will understand.

We know that, right now, we are feeding an addiction. An addiction to to hydrogenated oils and food coloring and fake flavors and MSGs and chemically altered foods. This is not a lifestyle that is honoring to the Lord, and our hope is, by the Lord's gracious sanctification, that all aspects of life will grow to be. So this one has got to go.

Right now, we are living with the knowledge that the Lord has created our bodies with beautiful intricacies and food to fill those intricacies. Real food. Not chemicals. We are living with the knowledge that our bodies are not our own, that we've been bought with a price. But we are living despite that knowledge and, essentially, saying that we'll do it our way instead. Now we want to eat to nourish these bodies for strength and longevity in hopes of being able to serve [if He wills] for a long, long time. And to celebrate the beauty of God's lush creation. If he wants broccoli to taste like broccoli and not preservatives, then that's how I want it too.

I have to admit, it really excites me. If I know that there is an opportunity to experience something, the desire totally bubbles up inside of me. It's as if the mystery of the possible combination of foods and flavors totally makes me wig out with excitement. Let's get to experimenting!

So we are throwing ourselves into a world of label-checking and fresh produce in the hopes of nourishing ourselves and our future family and anyone we get the opportunity to feed. Maybe all together we'll get to celebrate the beauty of our createdness and the seasons of food as well as the seasonings that the Lord has created for us to enjoy.

While talking about this, funds were definitely an issue. Sometimes the good stuff is expensive. One of D's last comments was encouraging us to save and shop smart where we can, but to not allow money dictate how we feel we should honor the Lord in this. I'm thankful for that. I'll be on the look out for healthy savings. And, if I'm fortunate enough to find some, I'll be sure to share.

Exercise, while necessary, is another whole story since I'd much rather [and plan to be] on the tennis court or in the dance studio instead of staring at Tony from P90X for one more second. I'm sorry, but he gives me the creeps.

So there it is - a new chapter, a new lifestyle. And, for your viewing pleasure, my new favorite commercial. It makes me feel all warm inside: