Tastē Tuesday:  The weather was crisp, the sky bright blue, and the entire day proclaimed that it was the first day of fall.  I thought I would keep it simple today and share a favorite fall quote and a picture of a simple spiced cake I made to celebrate the season.  

“FALL HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVORITE SEASON. THE TIME WHEN EVERYTHING BURSTS WITH ITS LAST BEAUTY, AS IF NATURE HAD BEEN SAVING UP ALL YEAR FOR THE GRAND FINALE.” —LAUREN DESTEFANO, WITHER

This weekend we went apple picking - it was the first time each of us had ever been (minus picking the apples from the apple tree in my backyard growing up).  I thought it was wonderful that as a family, with ages ranging from two years to thirty-four years old, we could participate in something that none of us had ever done.  The day was picture perfect, and living in the city, it was a nice reprieve to get out into the countryside.  

This weekend we went apple picking - it was the first time each of us had ever been (minus picking the apples from the apple tree in my backyard growing up).  I thought it was wonderful that as a family, with ages ranging from two years to thirty-four years old, we could participate in something that none of us had ever done.  The day was picture perfect, and living in the city, it was a nice reprieve to get out into the countryside.  

Although apple picking isn't an extreme first that warrants much discussion, it was still a first and firsts (or trying something new) are an important aspect of living an intentional life!  Why?
Trying something new...

1. Keeps you from becoming bored.  I thrive on routine.  My mind likes it, my body likes, and my mood can easily sour when my routine is disrupted.  However, until we try something new, we might not realize how deep of a rut or routine we are living in.  Two examples: what we eat and how we work out.  Many people, especially with busy families, have a rotating meal plan.  Week after week, month after month, the same staples are bought, made, and consumed.  Even if your food choices are healthy, variety will undoubtedly be kept to a minimum.  For nine years, my veggie side consisted mainly of salad with an occasional squash or artichoke.  I put a vegetable on the dinner table because it was part of a healthy meal, but I lacked motivation to make that side dish much more than a portion of dinner to choke down... until some friends made Brussels sprouts for us.  This was a vegetable I had never had, and frankly, I was okay with that.  Both my husband and I enjoyed them and they have become not only a vegetable we eat frequently, but one that lends itself to a variety of recipes.  What's better: our family now consumes one of the world's healthiest foods, one that before this first was completely missing from our diet.  The second example is our work-out routines.  Unless you have a personal trainer or are very disciplined, it is difficult to not go to the gym or hit the pavement and do the same thing over and over again.  Our bodies get used to working the same way and variation makes us work harder + we have to mentally engage if we change up our routine.  Unfortunately, the same routine often leads to boredom which leads to eventually giving up the workout all together.  So, try something new!  Benefits = it will change how your body works so you will see more progress towards your workout goals & you are more likely to keep working out because you won't be bored.  These are just two examples, but breaking out of boredom can impact all areas of life.

2. Challenges you:  Many times "firsts" are avoided due to fear.  We don't want to fail, look silly in front of others, let ourselves down, etc.  Challenging yourself forces you to face your fears which are often not as bad as once believed and worth the challenge whether we fail (and learn something valuable) or succeed (and gain a new appreciation for our gifts or our self-confidence).  This challenge leads to...

3.  Elicits growth:  The first time you try something you learn something about yourself.  The trial can confirm your fear or dislike.  If you think you skydiving is terrifying but you never give it a try, you might miss out on what would become your fascination...or you could confirm that trying to fly on your own really is not for you!  The trial can introduce you to something you may have been indifferent to or had never considered.  On a small scale, it might change your favorite name brand.  On a large scale, it might change the course of your life.  Either way, if you encourage yourself to embrace firsts, you will inevitably become more self-aware and grow in many ways.


4.  Encourages Mindfulness (i.e. intentionality):  Trying something for the first time makes you more mindful of what you are doing and why you are doing it.  In some cases, this may be a very quick process (i.e. I'm going to try Brussels sprouts because a friend brought them, and I should try them).  In other cases, the "first" will be a contemplated, mulled-over event or decision (i.e. I'm going to look at the scientific arguments for and against the presence of God).  Either way, your first will cause an introspective look at your actions and your beliefs.  One of the most powerful lesson is to learn from experience.  Our experiences will show us whether our beliefs are true.  Fruition: our "firsts" can show us if the path we are on warrants our next foot-steps or if a deviation onto another road is the wiser choice.

If we intentionally choose to fight boredom, challenge ourselves, endeavor to grow, and live mindfully we are headed in the right direction to live an intentional life.  A big lesson from a morning of apple picking. 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 …there was given me a thorn in my flesh…Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Wow!  When he wrote these powerful words, Paul provided such a strong testimony of ultimate faith and trust in God even in the midst of extreme hardship.  Many times I have asked God to take this health burden my baby (now seven year old) suffers from away from him…and away from us.  I believe that although it would be an unheard of medical mystery and miracle, God can perform such healing.  I also believe that we must ask in order to receive (1 John 5:14-15).  So far God has told me no.  Thankfully, this no always has a caveat; the fact that God is glorified in our situation, even if it is one we would not choose.  And in that I find the strength to meet each new sunrise, fight another battle, and continue to pray for my son’s life and the grace to meet the challenge it poses with joy. 

We are all a work in progress.  One day I hope that I can, with 100% honesty, pray as the band Mercy Me sings, “And I know there'll be days when this life brings me pain, but if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain.”  In the meantime, I rejoice in how far God has brought me in finding joy in all circumstances and look forward to further growth in Him.  I have always found that he gives me just enough of His strength to make it through my day.  If you find yourself more downtrodden than strengthened by the difficulties in this life, remember God’s strength will overcome all of this Earth’s weakness.  Grab onto his words as a you would a life preserver when the ship beneath you is sinking and hold on for dear life.  God may not keep the ship from sinking, but he will make sure you survive the storm!