I love Romans 14. I was really struggling last night with the whole organic thing. I would love to eat all organic, grassfed meats, organic vegetables, raw butter and the highest quality olive oil and what have you, but lets be honest, unless you grow your own vegetables and raise your own meat, most of us simply can't afford it. I go to Marlin, asking him how to spend the grocery money and what to do, and while he gives some suggestions, when it comes down to it, he trusts me and doesn't really need to carry that burden. So as i said, i was really battling this whole thing. We are not in a place to raise our own meat so what do i do? I can hardly bear to buy grocery store meat, knowing what i know, and yet i don't have a peace about breaking the bank to go completely organic. So my mind spins in circles and before you know it, i don't exactly have the peace of Christ ruling in my heart. In case you haven't figured it out, i tend to be all or nothing, which can be good unless you're on a budget.......

I start praying for wisdom and this morning i sit down for quiet time, which isn't real quiet thanks to Emily reading out loud beside me, and Romans 14 is what i read. Ahhh, nothing like the word of God to gently put me in my place. Listen to this, "for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, (what? kombucha isn't spiritual?) but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." Here's another, "I know and am persuaded of by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: (and i'm thinking, yeah right, they didn't have commercial chicken houses back then) but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Okay, i realize that it's talking more about the whole Jewish thing of not eating unclean meat, but it can also apply to our lives. I guess the whole matter comes down to this. What are our goals as parents? To raise free range organic kids or to raise a godly, radical for Christ family? Frankly, i'd like to do both but i can't always and if given a choice, the only option is a godly radical family. So how do i balance the two?

The only way that brings me peace is to lay it all down. I simply ask for wisdom to know best how to buy groceries, i trust Him to give me that wisdom and then i do the best i can with what i have. What God wants is my heart and He has that 100%.

Oh, and go read Romans 14. It'll change your life.