food

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Traditions Are What Make Memories Come Alive

I wondered the other day if my family holds onto traditions a little too tightly. 

traditions are what make memories come alive

Traditions are nice, familiar, comfortable. They foster memories from the past that further entrench the traditions. Traditions also show up around special times of the year, making them even more memorable.

We have a tradition on Christmas Eve of having a special meal after our church Christmas Eve Service. 

It first started when Lily and I lived in Edmonton. We would have chateaubriand for two at the La Ronde Restaurant at the top of the Chateau Lacombe. 

It was a revolving restaurant so while we ate our meal we enjoyed a panoramic view of the city. We gazed over the river valley to see the Muttart Conservatory all lit up with Christmas lights, and later watched the glow of the city lights from the downtown buildings. 

Every fifteen minutes or so the view completely changed. It was magical; it was beautiful. It was our tradition. 

But when we moved to Kingston, there wasn’t a revolving restaurant above the city. In fact, we couldn’t find any restaurant in the city that was open Christmas Eve. 

So instead, we kept our tradition alive by having a fondue. And for the last twenty-six Christmases that is what we have done. It has become a special time for our family and we have created great memories. 

Sometimes we even recount events from them … like the time Lily set fire to the kitchen table trying to add fuel to an already flaming burner. It was a memory we all still tease her about. 

And even that has become a tradition. 

But there seems to be one tradition in our family that is a little over the top: Our kids have been out of the house for years, but for some reason, when they come home for Christmas and our Christmas Eve fondue, the seating arrangements must remain the same. 

This tradition is a curious thing because we have one more family member who fits into the seating plan – Karlie’s husband, Matt. 

When our kids were growing up, there was a shuffling of where Mike and I sat. But Karlie and Lily mostly sat in the same spots. When Karlie and Mike left home I changed my seat at the table to be closer to Lily. 

… But apparently that seat is not available to me on Christmas Eve. It’s Mike’s seat.

I don’t really pay too much attention to where I sit. Wherever there’s a plate of food, that’s where I plunk down. But on Christmas Eve, both Karlie and Mike said they don’t feel comfortable unless they are sitting in their spots. 

Poor Matt and I have to try to figure out where we should sit. It seems he and I don’t have a traditional spot yet. 

I don’t think it really matters though, because I think he and I are of the same opinion: wherever there’s a plate of food set, that’s where we make a beeline for.

Here’s the thing: Everyone has traditions, especially at Christmas. Some of those traditions change over the years; some of them just evolve a little. But one tradition that should remain and not change at Christmas is the celebration of the One the holiday is for. We celebrate Christ, who came into the world, lived a sinless life and died for all our sins. He rose from the dead three days later and remains alive with God in heaven. This celebration should be a tradition and the focus of our hearts. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your fondest Christmas tradition? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Being Picky Is Not Someone Else, It’s You

Being picky is not something that should characterize anyone. Everyone is picky about some things; I know I’m not the only one. 

being picky is not someone else, it's you

When it comes to food, some people might say that I am picky. 

My roots are from England and I guess, traditionally, the food there is not the most adventurous on the planet. 

I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t consider it a meal unless there is some kind of meat involved. When it comes to meals, I don’t like to venture out into things I don’t know. 

I like certain vegetables, but not others. I think this is where my wife, Lily, gets the idea that I’m picky. There are edible objects like squash, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts that I will not eat – they are nasty and why should I?

I’m not a fan of broccoli either, but I eat it because apparently it’s good for you. From the way it tastes, it shouldn’t be good for you, but I guess I’ll take their word for it. 

Because I won’t eat some of these excuses for vegetables, my wife condemns me for being picky. I’m not picky; there are many vegetables that I will willing eat and enjoy eating. I’m just selective.

The knock, though, is that I’m being picky and she is not. 

Lily may not be too picky when it comes to food … well, even that’s not true. She has an allergy to fish and seafood. She’s always asking at restaurants if they fry the chicken in the same oil as the fish. 

Honestly, I’m happy to give her a pass on that pickiness. I would like her around for a long time. 

But just this weekend her pickiness perked its ugly head. 

We need a new light fixture in our bathroom. The fixture looks great and is not that old, but one of the sockets has a short. Both of us are getting tired of getting ready in the morning in light that resembles a sunset, just after the sun has sunken below the horizon. 

Unfortunately we were busy this weekend and didn’t get to a hardware store to look for something new. 

Lily had to visit her mother today and, this being my day off, I told her I would go and buy a new light fixture. 

I could see the panic come over her face and then the word, “noooo”. 

Am I incapable of choosing and installing a light fixture in the bathroom without her? Not at all. But choosing one she likes? – that she doesn’t think I’m capable of. Why? 

Because she’s picky. 

Lily doesn’t think I can choose a light fixture that she would enjoy looking at for the next ten or more years. 

When I floated the idea by her last night, she dropped what she was doing and started looking online for a fixture she might like. 

Guess how many she found? None. That’s because she’s picky.

Here’s the thing: Every one of us can find something we are picky about. Even God is picky when it comes to whom He will welcome into His family. Only those who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord are welcome. But here is the great news: every one of us can make ourselves acceptable to God by acknowledging Jesus’ sacrifice as being for us personally, and trusting in Him for our salvation.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you picky about? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Lose Weight This Year And Don’t Look Back

I have a proven way to lose weight without going on a special diet. I’ve used this method over the course of several years and it works every time. 

Lose weight this year and don't look back

I’m not going to write a book about it, so it’ll never be famous. There are probably many people who use this method already, so it’s not a secret.

This is a good time of year to blog about it because this is a notorious time of year for people to put on a few pounds. 

It does take a little will power to pull it off, but anything worthwhile will take some will power. 

I’ve been following this plan as of late because, through COVID, I’ve found that I’ve put on a few unwanted pounds … well, maybe a few is understating it a little.

Most diets require you to cut out certain foods and, from what I know, they want you to cut out the best foods. 

Not my plan.

There are several steps to my plan and if you follow them you will lose weight. However, I will say that age, gender and metabolism will play a factor in how fast you can lose weight.

So this is what you do … 

First, you start eating smaller portions. No one needs to eat as much as they do. We just get used to meal sizes, but that doesn’t mean our bodies require them.

With regards to eating meals, be done before 8 pm. In fact, refrain from eating after 8 (the earlier the better). You don’t need food then; it’s just comfort eating after that time. 

Now here is the big thing – at least it’s big for me: cut down on your sugar intake. This includes candy, pop, chips, cookies … you get the idea.

If you can cut it out all together, you will see a fairly dramatic weight loss. But even if you can’t cut it all out, reduce your sugar intake. 

Don’t have sugar after 8 pm and try to be done with it earlier, like with your lunch or at least by dinner. The more sugar you cut out of your diet, and the earlier you can stop putting it into your body, the better. You will see results.

If you go to bed hungry for a few days, that’s good. Don’t worry; you won’t continue to feel that way. 

The last thing you do with this plan is to exercise every day. You can do twenty minutes or more but you have to get your heart rate up into your target zone. 

If you don’t have any equipment, walk. Go for a brisk walk. Be consistent with this every day.

If you do all this, depending on your age, gender and metabolism, you will start to see your weight go down. And you are going to start feeling so much better. 

Oh, and at this time of year there are things that come up, like candy dishes on the coffee table, buffets and great food. If you blow it one day, get right back at it the next day. It will work.

Here’s the thing: This plan is not a diet; it is a plan to live differently. Living differently will show results. If people place their faith in Christ, but don’t live differently, they will not see their lives change. If you live differently because you believe, then you will see dramatic results in your spiritual life. See your spiritual life transformed by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to do differently in your life right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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When Someone Is Present It Is Always Special

It makes a big difference in how you feel just knowing someone is present.

when someone is present it is always special

For the last week, my wife has been away and I’ve been on my own.

Lily said she was going to worry about me, but her biggest worry was whether I would eat all my meals at fast food restaurants. Her plan was to stock the freezer with as many meals as she could cook up beforehand.

The day before she left we were talking in the kitchen before dinner. When she checked on the food in the oven I was surprised to see she had two trays of meat cooking in there. 

I asked, “What’s all that for?” and her reply was that she was preparing it all for me to eat while she was away. 

You’d think that was a great sacrifice for her to do that for me. Really her motive was to hopefully keep me from spending money at McDonald’s, Swiss Chalet or my favourite wing place. 

Well, I did eat all the meals she froze for me, but I also ate my share of restaurant food too. 

During the week on my own, I noticed a couple of things.

I certainly had time to do things on my own, what I wanted to do … things just for me. 

But I found that my life has a number of built-in responsibilities, so I didn’t have all that much discretionary time on my hands.

If I wanted to watch a movie at night, I really could choose the movie of my liking. I didn’t have to consider what Lily might like to watch.

But I had a couple of meetings that happened to be in the evenings and I worked late a couple of other nights. That didn’t leave me with many nights I could sit down with a good action flick of my choosing. 

I also found myself doing things that I might not have done if Lily had have been home. Like the night I decided to open my computer after dinner and spend a little time finishing up what I had been working on during the day.

I guess I just had the freedom to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it, no questions asked.

But I noticed something else about the week. It was quiet in the house. 

Other than a little tinnitus ringing in my ears, there were no other sounds. There were no sounds of a chair moving in the other room. There was no sound of footsteps on the hardwood upstairs.

The house was very quiet; you could hear every click that the clocks were making. 

I realized then that there is a feeling you have when you know there is someone close by. You don’t have to be in the same room; you don’t have to have a conversation. There is something special about having someone present in the same house.

Here’s the thing: We often think of God having a thunderous voice, possibly a harsh voice. But when He wanted to talk to one prophet, He talked to him in a whisper. It’s not easy to catch what God might be saying to you through scripture or while you are praying. You really have to pay attention and listen carefully. It’s like He whispers to you. The reason God speaks in whispers is because He is close by. God is near you. And it is special having someone present with you all the time. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you appreciate about the presence of someone in your life? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Travelling And Food – A Tough Adjustment

One of the toughest things about travelling is adjusting to the food.

Many of the adjustments when travelling are not difficult, but eating when travelling has always been tough for me.

We recently flew to Spain. So many things in Spain were the same as in Canada. 

Their roadways were the same. If you kept your eyes away from the Spanish signs, you would many times think you were driving the Canadian countryside.

It was also winter in Spain, just like in Canada. It was cold there just like at home – except for one difference: at home I’m cold when I go outside; in Spain I was cold when I was inside. Many people there don’t heat their homes like we do, so I found myself bundling up when I got indoors.

People were friendly and willing to communicate, to the point of being interested in where we were from and where we were going. 

It was just like home in so many ways. 

But then there was the eating thing. Every few hours I need a little refuelling and that’s where it got a little tricky. 

It would have been easy to eat American fast food (if you know the song, you can sing it here), but then I’d have missed out on experiencing some of the culture.

I’m not one to experiment too much when it comes to food, so when I found something that had some similarity to what I would eat back home I jumped on it. 

Pizza was one of those food items. I’m really familiar with pizza; I eat it all the time. Bu there I had a chance to experience a different slant on pizza. … I tried it twice because I wasn’t sure the first time if I’d just picked a bad restaurant.

Over all pizza is pizza: you have your crust, your sauce, your toppings and your cheese.

The crust, though slightly different, was much the same. The toppings tasted the same as back home … as long as I made sure the ham was not some Spanish ham. 

But the cheese was not mozzarella. I don’t know what they used. It wasn’t a strong tasting cheese, but it had a peanut butter quality to it – not in the taste, but just like peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth, so did this cheese. 

It was just a little much.

The biggest difference was almost no tomato sauce. Pizza in Canada has a rich tomato sauce spread out over the whole pizza.

In Spain, and I’m told in Italy as well, there is very little tomato sauce – just a hint, and that might be exaggerating how much they put on the pizza.

It was this combo of sauce and cheese that turned me off of pizza – one of my staple food groups at home. 

I got by, however, and no one knew I didn’t really like it. Well, until now. 

Here’s the thing: We often project that we are fine with things, that we are mostly good with what we are facing. Sometimes we give everyone the impression that we are alright with God when we are not. Maybe He hasn’t answered a prayer for a long time. Maybe He didn’t come through for you when you had a big need. You don’t have to pretend you are okay with it. Everyone else might not know how you feel until you say it, but God already knows and He can handle it.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you kept from others that they should know? Leave your comments below.

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Be Open To Something New

Yesterday my daughter got me to try something new, and that’s pretty amazing. What’s even more amazing is that it was food.

IMG_4913

When your kids are young, you are constantly coaxing, encouraging, coercing them to try new and different things. As they grow up, you do it so much that you never think there will be a time when the shoe is on the other foot.

I have to admit, I’ve had to take a few fashion tips from my son, and he’s gotten me to watch the odd movie he recommended.

But the other night was something else. It involved eating and I’m pretty set in my ways when it comes to that.

I think it goes back to the days when my mother tried to feed me squash for dinner. It seemed to be a staple in our house, like once a week at the very least.

I alway refused, but there was alway a tiny pile of it on my plate, with the understanding that there would not be dessert without the downing of the squash.

I tried to hide the flavour by mixing it into other foods like potato, but the taste always made me shiver as it went down.

As hard as my Mom tried, and as often as she persisted, to this day I don’t eat squash.

I don’t eat guacamole either. Well, maybe I shouldn’t be so hasty …

Lily and I were on our way to Toronto for me to catch a plane the next day. We were staying the night at our daughter Karlie’s home.

Normally when we get there, we go out to eat or order in. Karlie does cook but there never seems to be any food in the house when we arrive. I’m not positive, but maybe it’s just a ploy to get a free meal.

This trip, however, we left late so I thought we would just get fast food on the way. Not this time. Karlie apparently had food for us.

Still, we weren’t going to get there until nearly 8 pm, and since I was hungry when we left home, I thought about just passing on her offer this time.

But there was something about the offer that gave me the impression she would be disappointed if we didn’t eat there. So I said we’d be there for dinner, and hit the gas pedal.

Well, Karlie is into this clean eating thing. I don’t really know what that means … I’m pretty sure Lily washes the food we eat too.

When we got there, to my surprise, the bbq was on and the chicken was smelling pretty good. I’d been waiting so long to eat, I almost had to catch myself from salivating down my chin.

We were having chicken tacos which is not a stretch for me at all. I like hitting up Taco Bell for some grub sometimes. But this was a little different.

The tacos were basically chicken, red cabbage and that’s it. I thought maybe I needed some hot sauce or something, but there was none. The only thing to put on for flavour was guacamole.

But I don’t eat guac! However, since there was nothing else, and with a little coaxing from Lily, I tried it.

Crazy thing! – it was pretty good. … Look at that, me trying something new my daughter suggested.

Here’s the thing: Don’t get so stuck in your ways spiritually, that if God were to move you to try something new, you won’t do it. Always be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life.

That’s life!

Paul

Question: What’s something new you’ve recently tried? Leave your comment below.

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What Your Freezer Reveals

Our freezer has gotten pretty full this week and it’s not that we have found all kinds of great deals on food. That would be a reasonable conclusion, but that’s slightly off the mark.

freezer

My wife, Lily always looks for great deals on food. I’ve watched her comb the grocery store flyers that come to the house. If the flyer is from a grocery store it goes into one pile and the rest of the flyers get bunched together in another pile.

Sometimes I have to hunt for the Best Buy flyer amongst the hardware store, drug store and all the other random ads.

But not the grocery ads – they are all separated out, stacked together so that it is a smooth transition from one to the next.

Lily will shop at probably three or four grocery stores a week looking for the best deals on produce or meat or what have you.

I had a conversation once with a retired gentleman who now had some time on his hands and took on the task of shopping. He knew where I could get the best deal on grapes. I was amazed he knew that information. I just smiled and later passed the details on to Lil.

I don’t shop. Lily doesn’t even really like me to go with her. She finds things in the cart that she would never buy that adds to the bottom line and nullifies all the painstaking work of searching for deals in the flyers.

But still the freezer is getting quite full. It’s because Lily is making meals and freezing them. She’s pretty pleased about it too. You see, she’s going away for a week and she’s freezing these meals for me.

That’s right, me – the guy who’s not great with knives, nor does he work the stove or oven very well, either. However, I’m not too bad at making the microwave sizzle … thus the frozen meals.

Lily’s happy for a number of reasons. The first one being that she loves me and feels she’s taking care of her husband while being away. But close behind, on the heals of that reason, is that she doesn’t want me to eat out while she’s away.

And you might think she doesn’t want me to eat out because I’ll just be eating greasy food that’s bad for my health. No, the main reason is she doesn’t want me spending money while she’s away.

She’s making all these meals, and she’s hoping I will eat them.

You see, while she’s spending money, living it up in Florida with her mom and sister for a week, she doesn’t want me to be living it up, spending money and clogging up my arteries on some of my fast food favourites.

I realize that by writing about this I’ll have a few extra eyes on me and voices speaking her motto of “don’t eat out”.

Well, all I can say is my son is still around and he’ll probably need me to take him out for a few meals.

Here’s the thing: There is something about us that we can have what we need right before us but we still long for something else. It happens in many areas of our lives and it leads us to spend money on what we shouldn’t, expend time on the needless, commit sin that is harmful to our souls. Take stock of the resources you already have in Christ; build them up and keep your heart from wandering elsewhere.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find yourself wandering to? Leave your comment below.

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The Secret Sauce In Serving

There is something about serving that pays back greater value than just being part of something.

church-picnic

This past week our church had two events that required groups of people to come together to serve others. On Wednesday we had a funeral at our church which included putting on a lunch reception after the service. Four days later we had our church picnic, which required a group of people coming together to serve all those attending.

Both of these events involved food, and lots of it!

They say there is a connection that is made when we eat together. And you can sure see it. When people have a sandwich, or hamburger, being mangled between their teeth, though it’s difficult to understand what they’re saying, there seems to be an easy flow of words.

Give people food and they will gather and they will talk. Food loosens us up; it makes us more social. Food gives us something to do with our hands.

Maybe it’s a distraction from standing face to face with nothing but a few inches of air between us. With food you have this other thing you’re doing on the side while you chew the fat with the person across from you.

… But when the food is gone and the conversation ends, you get up and walk away.

Serving goes deeper than that. Maybe that’s why it’s more difficult to get people to serve – more is required but more is gained as well.

When you serve at these kinds of functions you are doing more than eating and talking. You are part of making it all happen. You are the ones that make it possible for someone to feel comfortable stuffing a grape in the corner of their cheek while explaining what their family is up to these days.

You get to eat and talk too, but you’re an insider. You were there to set up, or cook, or clean up.

There is some kind of satisfaction you have when it’s done. You don’t just get up and walk away. There is a feeling of “we did it; it all came together … we helped” that those who just attended don’t have.

And that’s the secret sauce. It does take more effort, but the payoff is much greater. You don’t just walk away and forget about the event. You’re glad you made someone’s day, or that you helped make it happen. There’s a sense of connection with those you served with.

Between the funeral and the picnic this past week at our church, there were many who helped out and served. I’m proud to be part of a church that pitches in, digs down and makes something happen for the benefit of others.

Thanks KAC! You know who you are and what you did. I just want you to know I appreciate it all. And I hope you tasted the secret sauce of serving at these events.

Here’s the thing: When you serve the Lord, no matter how great or small, the secret sauce you taste is knowing that you’ve pleased your heavenly Father, that you have done something that has lasting, eternal value, and that you’re developing a deeper connection with Christ (and starting to look more like Him). Keep serving.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is one highlight you have from serving the Lord? I’d love to hear from you; leave your comment below.

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Another Amazing Burger King Experience

The other day, my wife and I ate at a Burger King.  It’s not our habit to eat there; in fact, neither of us could remember the last time we had a whopper.  But we were traveling, needed to eat, and BK was all we could find.

So, here’s a question:  What does “Burger King” stand for?  Maybe they mean their burger is the biggest (they don’t call it the whopper for nothing).  Maybe they mean it’s the best burger out there (that’s debatable).  I’ll tell you what they don’t mean – they don’t mean they have the best, most efficient, and fastest service of all the fast food restaurants!

When we went in, there was a crowd of people standing in a semi-circle in front of the serving counter.  You don’t see a line up like that everyday, so I was a little confused as to where I should stand.  I asked one person if he was waiting to order, and was told he was waiting for his food.  So I went right up to the counter; there was no one else ordering.

Just before the server asked me for my order, I looked over my shoulder at this semi-circle of people.  I noticed two things:  they all had little white pieces of paper in their hands that resembled receipts, and none of them were smiling.

As I started to get an uneasy feeling, the server asked, “Can I take your order?”  His voice reminded me of my hunger and the smell of food caused me to forget about the semi-circle of people behind me.  I gave him my order and paid.  Then I turned around and found my place in the semi-circle.

I wanted to look frustrated like everyone else, but I just couldn’t.  You see, years ago I had a similar experience at another Burger King, and as I stood in that semi-circle I had a flashback …

I was with my whole family, and our kids were about 15 and 13 at the time.  When we got inside that Burger King, the line up to order was huge.  But strangely, no one was taking orders.

There was lots of activity behind the counter, and about seven bags of food sitting on the counter.  The person who was supposed to be taking the orders was busy opening the bags to see what was in them.  Apparently, they kept making food but couldn’t seem to figure out who it belonged to!

People in line were mad; some even left to eat elsewhere.  We debated leaving, but we had started conversations with people around us and didn’t want to abandon our new found friends!

The manager was a little man, who looked like Quasimodo or Mr Creeply from the Flintstones.  He was running around with a shifty looking smile on his face.  At one point, he took five bags of orders out to the drive through (because no one out there had gotten their orders either!).  When he came back in, he still had the five bags!  He put them back on the counter and chuckled in his sinister way.

After we finally got our food that day, we sat down and watched the show from our seats.  We were laughing so hard at the workers and the customers – it was great entertainment!  Hey, maybe that’s what “King” stands for … best fast food entertainment of all!

Here’s the thing:  There are things on earth we call “king”, and there are some heads of state we acknowledge as “king”.  But the Bible says there is only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  All others pale in similarity.  All others are laughable comparisons.  The Bible also says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What counterfeit “kings” vie for your loyalty? Leave your comment below.

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Confessions of a Culinary Master

I’m not much of a cook; in fact I would say I don’t really cook at all.  Those who have the same kitchen skills as me might be able to say, “I make a mean Mac’n Cheese”.  But I don’t like Macaroni & Cheese, so I can’t even say that.

I do make my breakfast each morning that consists of cutting up half a grapefruit with a special knife that reduces the preparation time in half.  Along with that, I make a small bowl of Oat Bran Cereal that involves boiling water, 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 cup of oat bran.  You know, just writing that, I feel, makes me sound like I can cook.

Then recently when I was alone at our cottage, and had to cook for myself, I made a meal that looked so good, I took a picture of it.

I know what you’re thinking looking at that picture, it’s got “Chef Silcock” written all over it!  When I put together this meal, how it looked on the plate impressed me so much I was compelled to record it so I could share it with others … at the very least, brag to my wife and daughter who probably wouldn’t even give me a passing grade at cleaning up the kitchen after a meal!

When I ate the meal, it was even better than it looked.  I savoured every morsel of it and when I was done, I sat back and marveled at how it had all turned out.  I didn’t get a passing grade on the clean up though.  I tossed everything in the sink to wash up sometime later.

Now for the confession:  Although I made the salad and cooked the beans, the meat had been pre-cooked by Lily about a week earlier.  She knew I was going to be alone the next week so she prepared it and put it in the freezer.  All I had to do was nuke it (however, I did that to perfection).

For the salad, the lettuce came in a large container.  I just reached in, grabbed a handful, plopped it on the plate, and added some croutons from a box and dressing.  The beans, well, that’s where my experience making Oat Bran came in.  I’ve been heating water on the stove for years!  A little water in a pan, tossed the beans in after cutting off the tips, finished with a little butter on top … de-lish.

Here’s the thing:  I can’t cook, but by all appearances from the picture it looked like I could.  By withholding information on how the meal came together, and by using words that suggested I had cooked it all myself, maybe you had an opinion of me that wasn’t true.  So, how often do we present ourselves or use words to give an impression of our spiritual state that isn’t quite accurate?

We shouldn’t give the impression that we are doing well spiritually when we are not.  On the other hand, we shouldn’t downplay the condition of our relationship with God to others either.  God desires us to live a life of integrity.  If spiritually you are struggling, don’t cover that up.  Get busy and work on it.  If you’re doing well spiritually, let others see and be influenced.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: How do you struggle with integrity before God?  Leave your comment below.