Praying for your pastor...

I don't think I ever understood how important it is to pray for your pastor until we moved to California. It's strange that it took that long to click in for me since I grew up in a pastor's home. Perhaps it was too familiar or perhaps it was because I was a child and didn't realize the implications of holding the position of "Pastor". I don't know, but I see it in a different light now and I thought I'd shed some light on it for you, too.

Sometimes I will get the question, "So what does your husband do the rest of the week? Does he have another job?"

I smile graciously and say something like, "Ummm, no. It's pretty much full-time with some strict boundaries in place or it would bleed over into every nook & cranny of our 24 hour lives."

I think of Andy's position, not so much as a job or a career-move or a paycheck, but as a calling on his life, our lives, and our family. We take very seriously the vision and responsibility that God has given us.

When Andy stands up to preach on Sunday, he doesn't do it flippantly but with a heavy understanding that he is serving as God's voice to our church. When Andy makes decisions about the future of our church, he thinks it over a million times, prays about it, journals out options, talks to other pastors and mentors, and collaborates with his staff. He is extremely calculated and strategic because he realizes what's at stake. Making a profit is not what's driving him to perform at his very best; it's the understanding that people's lives are on the line.

How we follow up with first time guests, whether parents and kids have a positive experience with Bay Kids, the percentage of people who are connected into serving and life groups vs those who remain anonymous and could easily slip through the cracks...those are the things that keep Andy up at night.

With any type of spiritual leadership comes increased levels of spiritual attack. There is a very real (though mostly unseen) spiritual battle taking place. And while it feels awkward to write about it on this blog, it is a real part of our lives. Jesus said that if you strike the shepherd the sheep will scatter. And you better believe that Satan got that memo. Pastors are prime people for Satan to attack, because if he can get to them, the rippling effect is much greater. I don't want to go into details, but there is no doubt a heightened sense of spiritual activity surrounds Andy's life and our family, especially around seasons of growth for our church and big decisions.

South Bay is in one of those seasons right now. More and more people are attending South Bay and we are hearing stories of how God is changing so many lives right now. We are also less than 3 weeks away from Easter, which is always an intense time. On top of that we are in the process of renovating and preparing to move into our new facility in the next couple months. We believe that there will be a big influx of growth during that time as we open up additional seats and make room for more people to come.

All of this is very exciting and we are praising God for His hand that is clearly on South Bay right now. But we also feel the need to prepare ourselves spiritually for what lies ahead.

That's why Andy & Filipe felt led to do a 21 day fast (drinking only juice & water) leading up to Easter. Mandy & I are joining them by doing a Daniel Fast for the first half and a juice fast for the second half. We want to prepare our hearts for what God wants to do. We are reminding ourselves (and making sure Satan knows) that there is nothing that we want more than to see God move. We would give up anything and do whatever it takes so that more people could understand the love and hope and peace that God freely offers them.

We are praying for our church, for our city, and for a fresh movement of God that will blow our minds.

So, could I ask you a favor? Will you pray for us as we pray for you? Let's get serious about seeing God's Spirit unleashed.

For a 31 Day guide to praying for your pastor, click here. 

Souper Salad

We are entering the final week of our Daniel Fast. If you have been fasting during this time, I would love, love, love to hear what God has been doing in your heart...so please leave me a comment. It has been a wonderful season for Andy & me. Andy said his time with the Lord has been so fresh and good. He's literally been back in his little "cave" for nearly 1.5-2 hours every morning. For me, I feel like God has given me a clear sense of vision and direction for what He wants me to focus on this year, specifically as it relates to the women of South Bay Church. I am so excited for what I feel like He has in store!

Last night, Andy & I enjoyed a simple but yummy Daniel Fast dinner...so I wanted to share it with you! I didn't have time yesterday to make a soup from scratch, but thanks to Safeway we were able to enjoy this yummy goodness:

I added a salad with it called "Ozarks Sunset Fruit Salad". It was pretty amazing. I got the recipe for it from a great website that Woody and Mabel from Grand Rapids, MI let me know about (Thanks for the comment!). This website is FULL of recipes and info on the Daniel Fast. Very helpful. So, here's the recipe for the salad that we had last night (and that we're having again tonight!).

Ozarks Sunset Fruit Salad

4 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 kiwifruit, peeled & cut into half moons
2 cups oranges, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

Instructions
Combine ingredients in a large bowl, and toss well. Serves 4.

Recipe Notes

• Serve with Orange-Poppy Seed Salad Dressing or Apple-Cinnamon Salad Dressing.

Orange-Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon diced red onion
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a covered glass jar, and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Barbara's Rice, Black Beans, and Corn

Andy and I joke that every meal for the Daniel Fast is pretty much just a different combination of brown rice, black beans, and/or corn. This recipe is no exception, but it's really tasty.

Ingredients:
1 can organic black beans (drained)
1 can organic corn (drained)
brown rice
homemade salsa or pico de gallo
avocado
organic corn tortillas (read label to check ingredients)

Instructions:
Cook brown rice. I mix one cup of dry rice with 2.5 cups of vegetable broth. It took about 40-45 minutes to cook in my rice cooker.

In a medium sauce pan, combine corn and black beans. I used frozen corn. I also added some cilantro, green onions, lime juice, and sea salt. Heat over medium.

Toast tortillas lightly in oven. Spoon rice and bean mixture on top. Add homemade salsa and avocado. I found some yummy pico de gallo at Trader Joe's that was Daniel Fast friendly. Enjoy!

Daniel Fast Update

Today is Day 8 of our 21 day Daniel Fast. How's everyone doing out there? The first two days I always feel pretty crummy with a detox headache, but after that I feel really great! For Andy & me, this is our 3rd or 4th time to do a Daniel Fast and I must say that the food thing gets much easier each time. Our first fast we virtually ate nothing but salads and a few varieties of soup for 40 days. It got old, for sure.

Here's what's been on the menu at the Wood household:

Breakfasts

• Oatmeal with soy milk and fruit
• Smoothie

Lunches

• Salads
• Rice cakes with organic peanut butter, bananas, and honey
• Soups and left overs from dinner

Dinners

• Vegetarian Chili
• Lentil Soup (see recipe below)
• Black Beans & Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers
• Whole wheat spaghetti with organic spaghetti sauce
• Rice, Black beans, and corn recipe (I'll post this tomorrow)
• Black bean soup

 Snacks

• Lots of fruit (I love little clementine oranges & pears! Love pears!)
• Trail mix of nuts & dried fruit
• Fresh veggies with hummus
• And my favorite, popcorn! The kind you pop yourself in a pan. Get a large skillet with a lid. Heat over high heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one kernel of popcorn. Cover with lid. When that kernel pops, pour 1/3 cup of kernels into the skillet and cover with lid. When popping slows down, remove from heat and pour in a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt. YUM!!!

Here's a great recipe for Lentil Soup...so good that Andy said he'd like to have this even in non-fasting times. I gotta be honest, I didn't even know what a lentil was until a couple years ago when we were doing a Daniel Fast! But, alas, it can be found in the same section with the rice.

Lentil Soup

Susan Gregory (Daniel Fast)

2 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 (14½ oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 pound lentils (apprx. 1¼ cups)

2/3 cup pearl barley

11 cups vegetable broth (can substitute water, but not as tasty)

4-6 fresh thyme sprigs

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until all the vegetables and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and pearl barley, mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils and barley are tender, about 40 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

I always feel the need to emphasize that the purpose of fasting is not to focus MORE on food, but less...To create a hunger in our hearts for Christ. It's okay to be hungry on a Daniel Fast even though you're allowed to eat. Don't feel the need to always run to food every time you feel hunger. Use your hunger as a reminder to pray and ask God to make you more hungry for Him!

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:1-2

Awakening

This Sunday, South Bay Church joined with churches all over the world in a new series called, "Awakening". We are focusing the next 21 days on prayer, fasting, and personal devotion.

Andy preached an awesome sermon today about the story of Zacchaeus and his decision to say "Yes" to Christ. He challenged our church to make that our decision this year...before we're faced with the question, before the opportunity to deviate arises, before the invitation exists...whatever God asks of us, may our answer be "YES!"

Andy concluded his sermon with a story about Mother Teresa and her wholehearted devotion to Christ. He read several of her prayers/declarations that I wanted to share with you. May these prayers be echoed in our own hearts this year:

• Lord, I yield myself fully to You.
• I embrace Your calling on my life.
• I will do Your bidding without delay.
• I will refuse You nothing.
• I will endure all hardships for Your sake.
• When I don't feel Your presence, I will still be faithful.
• I will seek to love You as You have never been loved before.
• Here am I. Send me.

 I am so excited about our fast that starts tomorrow. Andy & I have opted to do a Daniel Fast and also to not watch TV/movies throughout the week (with the exception of date night). I realize that fasting is not on the Top 10 list of what most Americans enjoy doing, but I feel such a need to cleanse my body physically after the holidays and to refocus my heart spiritually as we launch into this new year. I believe God has great things in store for us this year and I want to be ready for them!

If you'd like some ideas for the Daniel Fast, click on the "Daniel Fast" label on my right side bar. I also plan on posting a couple new recipes as well.

Stay tuned to my blog this week as I'm going to be sharing my Top 4 lessons learned/themes of 2010. The titles will be:

1. God's Provision
2. Despicable Me
3. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
4. Embrace this season, but don't hide behind it

Daniel Fast ideas

Today is Day 9 of our 21 Day Daniel Fast. The first time Andy & I did a Daniel Fast, we ate nothing but salad and soups. It felt like the eternal fast! We just didn't realize there were other options out there. This time I feel a lot more freedom because of all the ideas that I've gathered from other people. I wanted to pass a few a long to you in case you feel stuck in a rut!

Last night for dinner I made 100% whole wheat spaghetti with organic spaghetti sauce (make sure you read the label on the sauce to make sure there's no sugar or other "additives"). I added a fruit salad and it was pretty filling.

Cinnamon Raisin Ezekial Bread (in the frozen food section) is delicious for breakfast when you toast it and put some unsweetened applesauce on top.

Something pretty simple that I've done a couple times is to put avocado, black beans, and brown rice in a corn tortilla. You could also add some corn and a little homemade salsa.
If you have to eat out, a salad is always a good option, but most dressings have stuff in them that aren't on our menu. A simple solution is just to take your own dressing. You could make one using lime, cilantro, and honey or here is a simple Herb Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup lemon juice, ½ tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. oregano, ¼ tsp sea salt, ¼ cup parsley mixed with some Italian seasoning (that has no salt), 1 cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves. Mix well. This is light and fresh on any veggies.

I found some great snacks at Trader Joe's. They have lots of nuts, dried fruits, and trail mix options that are "Daniel Fast Friendly". Just watch out for added sweeteners. Also, there are some tortilla chips there made of soy and flaxseed (I know, it sounds gross). They are actually really good and go great with the Vegetarian Chili I posted about last week.

I haven't actually tried this recipe below yet, but my friend sent it to me and I thought it looked good.

Susan's Black Bean & Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers Recipe


Ingredients:
1 qt 100% Vegetable or Tomato Juice
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 med green onions (chopped)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
2-3 large bell peppers (cut in half lengthwise and deseeded)

Combine all ingredients except juice and bell peppers in bowl and mix well. Place peppers in glass dish and stuff with mixture. Pour juice over peppers and plenty of excess in the dish. Cover and bake in oven on 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Enjoy!
 
And one last thing...let's remember that the real emphasis of this fast is prayer and seeking Christ. Let's pray expectantly for a spiritual awakening in our midst and a movement of God like we've never experienced!

Vegetarian Chili

Anyone else out there enjoying a "Detox Headache"? I'm doing fine this morning, but yesterday I had a headache and a case of the grumpy's! Both served as good reminders of my need for prayer. By the way, South Bay has put together a great prayer guide to lead you in your times of prayer. It really helps my mind to stay focused and to not just pray for the same two or three things over and over again. If you'd like to download and print off a copy, click here.

This recipe for Vegetarian Chili came from Susan Gregory's resource, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About The Daniel Fast". It is really tasty and quite filling. Click here to go to her website for more recipes and Daniel Fast info.

Vegetarian Chili recipe:

2 medium-sized green peppers, chopped

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground red peppers
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 16 oz. cans tomatoes (juice and all)
2 16 oz. cans pinto beans (juice and all)
2 16 oz. cans black beans (juice and all)
1 4 oz. can mild green chilies
1 4 oz. can of tomato paste

Chop and sauté in oil the peppers and onions. Add the sliced squashes, chili powder, salt, ground red peppers, and corn. When all the vegetables are soft but still firm, add the tomatoes, all the beans, the green chilies, and the tomato paste. Stir until just blended. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Yield: 6 generous servings

Menu ideas for Daniel Fast

Welcome to the "Daniel Fast"! For those of you who do not attend South Bay Church, our church is embarking on a 21 day journey of fasting a prayer. Our goal is to seek God more intently and to ready ourselves for an awesome movement of His Spirit in our midst. We are praying that 2010 will be a year of lives changed, miracles witnessed, power unleashed, and a movement unfolding! None of that will take place without God's blessing.

The idea of a Daniel Fast is taken from the Bible in Daniel 1 and 10. The Bible does not specifically outline what foods Daniel does and does not eat, so there are lots of different interpretations as to what types of food are acceptable. For me, I am choosing to abstain from all meat and animal products, sugar, caffiene, and food with additives.

We have to be careful not to begin focusing on the "food" element of the fast so much that we miss the most important thing: prayer and seeking God. Each person participating in the fast should clearly define the boundaries that they will set for themselves regarding food and then stick to it. Another thing to consider when planning out what to eat is the fact that this is a fast. It's okay if you have to feel hungry sometimes or if you don't really like everything you're eating. All of those feelings should be reminders of WHY we are doing this fast and draw us to prayer.

With that in mind, I'd like to use my blog over the next 3 weeks to provide encouragement and ideas for food for those who are participating with me in this fast.

Here's what I ate Day 1 of the Daniel Fast:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with soymilk and raisins

Lunch: 2 rice cakes (with no-salt) covered with organic peanut butter and sliced banana on top. Then I drizzled a little honey over them.
I also drank a smoothie:
1/2 cup soy milk,
1/2 cup 100% juice,
1/2 cup frozen strawberries,
1/2 cup frozen peaches,
1/2 cup of ice

Dinner: Black bean soup and fruit salad (sliced strawberries and blueberries)

Black bean soup recipe:
3 cans of organic black beans
2 cans of organic diced tomatoes
chopped onion
chopped cilantro
small amount of chopped jalepeno
enough vegetable stock to make it the consistency you want
a dash of sea salt

Saute the onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Then add the rest of the ingredients and heat until warm. It was really good by itself. I think I may try it over a baked potato as well.

After dinner I enjoyed a cup of herbal tea with a little honey.

Hope this helps!! Happy fasting!