Countdown

This is a short and sweet post, but 1 month from today, we will be heading to the airport and loading a plane to go to Cambodia.  How SWEET is that!!!! I am so blessed to be serving with an amazing team of Jesus loving people.  I thank God for them and I cannot  wait to serve with them in Cambodia.  Also keep us in pray, as we are on day 10 of the Daniel Fast and that we will GROW more into God's Will for this trip and for our lives.  Thanks and God Bless


Happy Dance Time:)

Blue Moon Pizza Fundraiser

Last night, we had a fundraiser at Blue Moon Pizza (Best Pizza Ever) in Buckhead.  I have been blessed to know the owners, Kelvin and Amanda Slater, because I serve on Info Team with them at Buckhead Church.  They have truly been a blessing in my life over the past year and thank you for all of your support for our trip to Cambodia. I want to say Thank You to everyone who came out to support us and for your generous donations.  God was amazingly present during our time of fellowship. Many thanks to you all for coming last night, without you guys and gals last night would not have been so successful. Also, Thank you to Blue Moon Pizza for making Mark and I Daniel Fast friendly salads for us  to enjoy:)

The Fast... in Dallas...‏

This past weekend our team was able to get away for an incredible weekend away in the mountains.  While we were all looking forward to the weekend to get to spend time planning & preparing, sharing our stories, having impromptu canoe races & simply just getting to know each other a little better we all knew Sunday morning would be bittersweet.  Not only did we have to return to the real world we would be starting the Daniel Fast as a team. A few of us have done this fast before but regardless it's a challenge.   For those of you who aren't familiar with this fast -  it's a "vegan diet with even more restrictions."  


When I got the email about our team doing this (because I was working & missed our last meeting) I immediately pulled up my iCal and saw that the dates wouldn't work for me.   I had a flight to Dallas the night we were to start our team fast and would be there for 4 days.  Not to mention an important work dinner Thursday night, dinner with a friend on Friday and I'm leaving this coming Sunday for the beach for a Lighthouse Retreat.   Yep - these 21 days don't work for me...  It doesn't fit my schedule.


I'm a corporate event planner.  It's my job to have plans & make sure they are executed correctly.  After sharing my story this weekend I was reminded how "my plans" & "my timing of how things should happen" for my life has NEVER worked out.  But the times I actually have been forced to let go & lean hard into my Heavenly Father amazing things have happened.  But if I allow space for God to work & show up in my life He will & does.  The past year or so has been a time to let go & create some room for God to show me what He wants for me.  I've found if I don't - God will make sure I do eventually.  Why hold up the process?   


So here's my email I sent to my team tonight before yet another client dinner. 

"So I just thought I would let you all know that the Daniel Fast in Dallas has been 99% effective ...  The 1% is the not asking how the hummus or balsamic vinaigrette is made on the salad I've already asked for 1/2 of the items to be removed.
  When people ask what I do on site visits I can now tell them 95% of our time is spent on food: talking about food, eating food, discussing upcoming tastings of food, what restaurants have the best ______ food, what the best meal they've had in XXX city (this happens for all 50 states plus DC - sometimes internationally),  where we should go for breakfast, what new lunch spot we should try, where we should go for dinner (as we pull away from the lunch restaurant with the best XXX ever), smelling hot dogs & roasted nuts in the Cowboy stadium (2 days in a row),  trying the "best" restaurants in the city (for each meal), favorite coffee shops in this city, getting coffee, having great wine at a client dinner, discussing the best food & beverage options in EVER venue we walk into.... etc...  (AND THAT REPEATS DAILY!!!!)
After turning down a freshly made mini chocolate chip waffle with homemade dark chocolate ice cream & bacon bits with creme de leche by the pastry chef in Cowboy Stadium....  I asked my colleague Scott if I get extra credit for doing a fast on a site visit... He replied "I'm sure God is watching & taking notes."   
So on that note...  I hope you all are doing well...  :)   I'm off to eat a handful of almonds before my dinner of lettuce at Morton's :) "

Here's how my "entree" plate came out at Morton's Steakhouse tonight (as I was only eating the family style Brussels sprouts & asparagus sides)

It was honestly kind of funny....   Everyone else had big steaks or surf & turf (with the same garish I might add).  But here was my plate.  Almost Empty.... 

Mark asked me to share my email on this blog but now I'm sitting in my hotel room reflecting on this picture.   I've been so incredibly busy lately.  All good things - lots of traveling, great experiences, a wedding, new work projects & deadlines for new business. You could say 'my plate was VERY full'.  But I have been in a spiritual & mental fog in the midst of it all.  This picture reminds me that while I need to have some things in my life - the most important thing is to have lots of space for God to put what He wants on my plate at any given time.   The next 18 days are still going to be a challenge but I know that this is EXACTLY the space I need in my life right now.  I'm looking forward to whatever it is that God wants to do ...  I look forward to shifting my weight onto Him again.   Resting in His Love.  

I have a feeling that I will be listening & meditating on "I Surrender" by Kim Walker  for the next few weeks. 

~ Maureen