What kind of milk you drinkin?

Within the last year, 2nd Mile Ministries has put a lot of focus on health in our community.  In a neighborhood where cornerstores (convenience stores) are the closest and most accessible places to buy "food", we are hoping to tighten up our programming to include health education as well as better habits for the kids in Brentwood.  In the past year, we've been awarded three or four grants specifically relating to emphasizing health in our ministry and it has been a really cool thing to see materialize.  What this looks like is weekly health lessons at our after school program which teach about nutrition and exercise.  We are eating healthy snacks daily which could be anywhere from apples to mixed nuts or cheese and crackers.  Considering in previous years we would get the cheapest snacks at the grocery store, which unfortunately included many bags of hot fries and chips, this has been unbelievable progress.  At our Summer Day Camp, we've started daily health lessons which showcase which foods at GO, SLOW, and WHOA foods.  GO foods you can eat more often (fruits/veggies), SLOW foods are less often, and WHOA foods, well, that's your hot fries and chips which shouldn't be eaten often at all.

Recently during one of these health lessons, the students categorized different dairy products into GO, SLOW, and WHOA categories.  Coming from Wisconsin, I have a special relationship with milk.  If you are someone who is conscious of what you eat and drink, you may be disgusted to find out that I drink whole milk on a more-than-regular basis.  In college, I could go through a gallon, sometimes two, in a week.  The grocery stores at Madison had all kinds of different flavors.  Monkey Business (banana milk), strawberry, chocolate, and perhaps my favorite, root beer milk.  Our Wisconsin State Fair has (or had) other flavors you can try as well for 25 cents a cup including raspberry and mocha, perhaps not anymore though.  Regardless, milk is awesome.  Unfortunately, if I am faced with the health facts of whole milk, simply, it is a WHOA food.  I've recently gone down to 2%, which is slightly better but still not the best to drink at the rate that I do.  I don't have the healthiest habits.  I eat out, and exercise unintentionally (mostly just from pickup games).  Thankfully, I have life experience of being healthy that could encourage me to begin once again to get in the habit of eating better and exercising.

This next section is more just for my own reflection and enjoyment of looking back at past activities I've participated in.  No need to read if you don't want to.
Irving Elementary School Boys Club 3rd-6th grade.  Flutterball, basketball, soccer (all years)
Summer Rec League Elementary School K-6th?.       Teeball/Baseball
Little League 3rd-4th.                                             Baseball
Frank Lloyd Wright Middle School 7th-8th.             Basketball
West Allis Select team 8th.                                     Basketball
West Allis Hale High School 9th.                            Basketball
West Allis Hale High School 9th-12th.                     Track
West Allis Hale High School 10th-12th.                   Cross Country

My idea of having fun growing up was being competitive with family members in any and every sport possible.  I even remember playing street hockey in front of our house once.  I now appreciate my parents' decision to not have video games in the house growing up.

Anyway, the heart behind writing this blog did not come out of guilt because I haven't written in a while, or even a desire to share about the Health Initiative in the ministry.  I needed to write this after hearing this morning's sermon at Shiloh about 1 Peter 2:1-3.  It says, "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good."

God has been whispering to my heart the past couple months about physical health as well as spiritual health and this message spoke so clearly.  I want to direct you to the short phrase, "long for the pure spiritual milk."  This phrase not only reveals what matter we should drink, but also in what manner that drinking should take place.  I don't believe Peter is making any sort of physical health suggestions to those Christians he was addressing, but I do believe that much of what he says relates directly to many heart issues I see not only in myself, but in other people who have been saved.  When a baby is born, what is the one thing instinctively that that baby knows he/she needs?  Milk.  The baby doesn't need a candy bar, doesn't need to borrow their parents car, doesn't need video games.  Just....milk.  That baby doesn't care if it's 3 o'clock in the morning.  They will cry until they get it (so I've heard).  Those of us who are born again, Peter says, should focus on what?  Pure spiritual milk.  Milk is the fundamental need for a baby to grow.  This pure spiritual milk should be the fundamental need for us as newborn disciples of Christ.  Everything else is unnecessary and can even spoil our appetite.  If you take away a baby's bottle before they are done drinking, they'll let you know.  They just can't get enough because it is so good to them.  Ever snacked before a nice meal?  You lose your appetite and then can't enjoy or finish the good that was prepared for you.

Peter tells us that we put pure spiritual milk in us and cast off/put away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.  He also reveals the manner in which we should drink.  We are to long for or crave it.  As a newborn infant longs, so are we to.  I don't know about you, but I may drink pure spiritual milk, but I often don't long for it.  I try to get by with other things, survive on some sort of milk substitute.  There is junk food in my life that I "snack on" and it pushes me further away from Christ.  If you are not actively pursuing God, guess what, you are getting further and further away.  Our pastor said these words that left a normally active and vocally engaged congregation speechless.  "You are as close to God as you want to be."  If you are not feeling close to God, your desires are probably on other things.  It could be fears, sinful behaviors, perhaps even those things Peter told us to cast aside.  Feeling far from God?  Guess who moved.  Not God.  Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."  Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words came and I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight."  Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Caydince playing catcher

This is Caydince.  She is a fourth grader in our program and I had the privilege of taking a couple of our other girls to see one of her softball games this weekend.  It brought back a lot of memories of playing and watching relatives play in their games.  I don't see or hear of too many organized sports leagues in our neighborhood.  This particular league was about a 15-minute drive out of Brentwood.  She and her second grade brother Caden live approximately one football throw away from the program.  It is definitely interesting to see them relate to the other kids since race does play a big part in our neighborhood as far as generalizations go.  They are both very cool kids.  Very rarely do they get in trouble but they also have people-pleasing hearts, as many of us do.  Please pray that they would grow up to know God more and more and that they'd be a continued presence in our programs as we never really know which kids will return or move.

Caden got Employee of the Month for February

Taste and see that God is good.  He is the good shepherd and we are his sheep.  He loves you and is better than anything this world has to offer.  Please ask yourself these questions.  One.  Are you actively pursuing the Lord or are you drifting away?  Two.  What do you long for and is it pure spiritual milk?  Three.  Is there anything you need God's help in "putting aside"?  Just ask.  You will receive.

Challah, Caydince, and Chassidy

Pray that I'd intentionally be longing for God.
Pray for all spiritual "junk food" to be put aside.
Pray that we would take advantage of the six weeks that are left in the school year.
Pray for yourself and ask God to reveal to you what you need to throw off and long for.  Get in His word.  Taste it.  Eat it.  It is so good.