I found a lovely hot drink that nicely takes the place of 47’s and my usual black tea with a (generous) scoop of sweetened condensed milk – every morning. It’s a clove-cinnamon-orange peel kind of thing, maybe like a chai? And almond milk in it is so comforting. The tea itself is sweet because of the cloves and orange peels and such, but it’s not sweetened. And I found an almond milk coffee creamer at the store today. I haven’t used it yet, but tomorrow morning…can’t wait.
Today, it was raining (we need it!), and I got to baptize the most exquisite baby boy into the body of Christ. That has nothing to do with Whole 30, but it’s the finest thing I get to do as a pastor, and this is where I write things…so, I BAPTIZED A BABY TODAY!
The other holy and remarkable thing I get to do each Sunday is to serve Holy Communion. And this does have to do with Whole 30 because it is both alcohol and grains! I know the Whole 30 folks say it’s up to each of us because it is a religious thing, so I had thought about it. Have just the bread? Take the gluten free kind? Have grape juice instead of wine? And when I was serving and being served, I didn’t think about Whole 30 at all. I received my Savior’s body and blood into my own body, nourished to serve my neighbor. Amen.
It really was a busy morning at church, and I was very happy to have my new tea. I had packed a beautiful salad, but I forgot to put the dressing in the little cup! So, I just got some salt from the church kitchen and 
salted my asparagus and boiled eggs – and I ate everything but the lettuce. I was very satisfied. I brought a Lara 
Bar in case when the kids were having ice cream sandwiches, I would feel deprived. Didn’t happen. I keep bringing Lara Bars with me for “just in case” moments, and they are not really happening. The two I love the most are: Coconut Cream Pie and Cashew Cookie. Look at the ingredients on the Cashew Cookie one! Feels pretty cool to be eating something satisfyingly sweet with an ingredient list like that.
What I’ve learned today: I’m about to write the sentence people keep saying about eliminating sugar: “I can’t believe that my cravings are all but gone.” People said it, and I just assumed they weren’t quite as far gone as I was with sugar intake. But 48 and I are amazed that we can sip unsweetened clove tea with a splash of unsweetened almond milk – and like it! Now, old habits die hard, and this morning, as I walked around church with my tea in hand, more than once I thought about going to the coffee area to get a packet or two of sugar to add to it. But, it was a thought. It didn’t turn into an action, and it only took telling myself, “You aren’t consuming sugar right now, and you like this drink if you think about it.”
One week down. Not suffering. Learning a lot.
Be Gentle With You 