Today ends week one of my special detox diet and I’m doing pretty good. I was surprised last night to dream about cakes and cookies and pies and bread and pizza . . . okay, have to stop before I make myself hungry LOL

I’m trying to keep a list of the things that I’m eating so that Stephanie can share them with others who get such a restrictive list in the future and feel overwhelmed. One thing I’m really enjoying is pure berry juices from Knudsen’s with sparkling water as Italian Sodas. And I’ve been doing a lot of crock pot meals. Pot roast with carrots and green beans; lentil stew with carrots; hamburger chili with black beans and chili spices. I’ve had cod with wild rice and sauteed crook neck squash. In truth, what I *am* eating is wonderful tasting and enjoyable. What I’m struggling with is not eating desserts. I don’t know if that is my favorite foods being restricted or the yeast screaming out to be fed LOL

I’m also having to work to incorporate the regimen of supplements into my daily life and ran into the problem yesterday of being gone all day and forgetting some of my supplements. This is definately taking more planning and preparation than I’m used to. Like today, I’ve not had my PhytAloe for the morning and it’s already 12:30. I need to get that now.

I do have to say, though, between the very pure diet I’m eating and the supplements I’m taking and the Diabetes Insipidus being treated I have never felt better in my life! It’s absolutely amazing how much energy I have and how good I feel. I need to get to the dentist soon (I’d like to go this week but may have to put it off until next because Ronan’s final surgery is supposed to be Wednesday). But I have spent this last week decluttering my entire house to depths I previously thought impossible. I got rid of so much stuff that someone asked me if we were moving *blush* I’ll try to take some pictures this week of different rooms and how they are now set up and share that

I found a great book at the District Assembly last weekend called “Too Much Stuff: Decluttering your heart and home”. It not only addresses the practicals of cleaning and decluttering, but the spiritual and emotional issues tied up in stuff. It really spoke to me and prompted me. My house looks totally different now!

And my big excitement right now is that yesterday I preached my first sermon since getting my district license and becoming an elder at our congregation! I was SO nervous. I’m grateful that our Administrative Pastor talked to the congregation about my role and authority and how I am to be given the same respect as our Senior Rabbi and himself. For the first time a woman got up to preach in our pulpit and no one walked out that I saw And we had more people there than usual, and they were all responding! It was exhilirating! I got a ton of “amens” and so much positive response. While I was up there preaching everything just felt right–the way I felt when I first became a mother and knew I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

What’s so hard for me is that when God called me to be a pastor and to preach my first inclination was to say ‘no’. Not because I didn’t believe women could be pastors, but because I know what controversey surrounds it in the church at large. But when you’re called you can’t run away or, like Jonah, you may find yourself eaten by a fish LOL I really relate to Paul’s answer to why he did what he did which was because he’d die if he didn’t. Certainly, especially for a woman without a feminist agenda, this isn’t the career to choose Let’s just say I’m not in it for the money LOL Though I am finally getting paid which is nice. I’m going to get a sermon up addressing women in the pulpit. It’s almost finished to watch for it!

And how do you like the changes to the site? Great thanks and kudos to Rebecca for all her hard work! I’m so excited that everything is moving to a new level in my life and ministry. It’s a great time for my family and myself.