I’ve been sitting with this lately. It’s reminded me that food is never just food. And faith is never just spiritual. When we slow down, whether through intentional pauses, prayer, or simply paying attention, we start to hear God more clearly and our bodies more honestly. What keeps coming up for me: • Hunger isn’t always about food • Discipline creates clarity, not restriction How we eat reflects what we believe about care, stewardship, and worth. If we get out of our own way, we can see God move. Faith informs how I eat. Food reflects how I live. And I’m asking myself: Am I nourishing myself with intention… or on autopilot? - When was the last time you ate (or rested) with real intention? - Drop one word that describes how you want to feel this season.

✅Fast approved ✅quick and easy ✅Delicious Cauliflower head: -Cut the green leaves off without cutting the cauliflower (boil water and steam head down for about 5 mins) -Season in a bowl harissa paste, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, salt and pepper, avocado oil - spread all over cauliflower and lay on a baking dish- bake in the oven uncovered for 30 mins or until it looks a little charred Carrot hummus: Blend together chopped skinny long carrots (like 2) 1 can of chickpeas, 2 garlic cloves, chopped jalapeño (how ever much you like) salt, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, veggie stock (eyeball it) less is best and keep adding so you don’t get a watery consistency but spreadable Kale salad: honestly whatever you want! -lactacino kale massage with oil -add juice of a half lemon, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, 1 avocado, julienned sun-dried tomatoes

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 We live in a world that rewards noise, urgency, and constant movement. But throughout Scripture, God often meets His people not in the loud moments but in the quiet ones. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah encounters wind, earthquake, and fire—yet God chooses to speak through a gentle whisper. This reminds us that stillness is not emptiness. It’s a sacred space where God draws us closer. Stillness requires trust. Silence requires surrender. And both create room for God to speak clearly. Sometimes God quiets your surroundings because He wants your attention, not your effort. Affirmation “I do not have to rush to be close to God. In stillness, I am already with Him.” Take a moment to sit with these questions: share your response to 1 below in the comments: What noise (external or internal) has been keeping you from hearing God clearly? How do you usually respond to silence, avoid it, rush through it, or rest in it? What might God be inviting you to slow down and notice in this season?

As we prepare for seasons of fasting, it’s important to remember this:fasting is not about perfection, restriction, or proving anything to God. It's about creating intentional space to hear Him more clearly. One of the hardest parts of fasting isn’t JUST the food — it’s navigating the transition.The shift from what’s familiar to what God is inviting us into can feel uncomfortable, quiet, and even disorienting. That’s why I created From the Familiar to the New: A Guided Fast Companion — a FREE 4-week guide designed to help you stay grounded spiritually while fasting, whether this is your first fast or one you’ve done before. Inside the companion you’ll find: - Weekly Scripture-based prompts - Space to listen and reflect without overwhelm - Gentle structure to support your fast, not control it - No rules. No pressure. Just guidance. I’ve added it to the Classroom as the first resource so you can download, print it and move at your own pace. 💬 If you’ve fasted before, what’s been the hardest part for you — the physical or the spiritual? If you're new to fasting, what part are you most anxious about?

One thing we keep seeing in Scripture is that God rarely moves people into the new all at once. He leads them out…then He teaches them how to trust Him without what they used to rely on. Transitions are uncomfortable not because they’re wrong but because they remove what’s familiar. Israel had freedom… but still longed for Egypt.Not because Egypt was good but because it was known. Sometimes the hardest part of transition isn’t the unknown; it’s resisting the pull to return to what feels familiar when faith feels uncomfortable. God doesn’t just move us geographically or circumstantially.He’s forming dependence, identity, and trust in the process. Reflection for us this week: - Where do I feel tempted to go back simply because it’s familiar? - What might God be teaching me to trust Him with in this season? - What old pattern, habit, or mindset no longer fits where God is leading me? The scriptural reference is the entire book of Exodus truly, where we can see the idea of moving from familiar to new was the theme in Moses journey, and the Israelites journey time and time again. If you have never read the story, it's a worthy read. “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” — Exodus 19:4 What’s one familiar thing God may be asking you to release in this season; even if you don’t fully understand what’s next yet? You don’t have to share details. One word is enough. Let’s reflect together!