FORWARD
I am otherwise known as the “Organic Produce Gal,” bringing in the choicest of organic fruits and vegetables and offering the community nourishment at its best. Some folks do not know what to do with these lovely jewels of the fields when they get them home so by creating tasty recipes and producing inspiring, informative cooking shows I guide them on the culinary path to “Kitchen Nutrition”. As a personal trainer and life coach, I understand the importance of nutrition, exercise, and mental wellness. The mind, body, and soul have an interdependent relationship and must be in balance for our most optimal health.
One day it occurred to me that I ought to share my spiritual journal. If I can help folks with exercise and nutrition to improve their physical health, I could surely offer something to feed their souls. My notes were saved over the years, and gradually grew into an accumulation of spiritual treasure. In the process, I hoped to leave a legacy of wisdom, memories, tears, prayers, testimonies, encouragement, and even laughter for anyone who dares to turn the pages and actually read the many words inside this collection of treasure, or “food for the soul.”
The reader will enjoy stories about lessons learned while navigating through episodes of my life experiences as a wife, mother, businesswoman, and friend. Indeed, many of us have the same type of experiences. I like to call them “character-building opportunities!” Sometimes I muddled or slipped back, but when I took the time to seek God for His Word, I always emerged stronger, and one step closer to the Lord.
The following Chapters turned into a series of devotional steppingstones with Biblical references. They brought me closer to the Lord as I traveled the journey along my spiritual path. Oh I don’t claim to be “there” yet, that’s not until I arrive in Heaven! Occasionally I wander off the path, but then remember who I am and return to my notes for review and personal reflection. The notes feed my soul inspiring me to get back on the right track.
I promise you a delightful assortment of chapters as Nutrition for Your Soul. Consider them as little snacks to uplift and feed your spirit any time of day or night. My hope is that you get to know the Lord as I know Him, for He can nourish and sustain you like nothing else in this material world.
Come, I invite you, dear reader, to feed your soul every day. Read one chapter of this book each day for the next twenty one days. Studies show that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Feeding your soul is a good habit! Allow this platter of nourishment to pour from my soul to yours. Enjoy the sweet taste of good spiritual food. Chew on it, swallow, digest, and absorb it. Because you took the time to read the following pages and visit “Becky’s Kitchen” may you be nourished, strengthened, blessed, entertained, encouraged, and filled. Dr. Bill Sears says, “Success is not measured by the amount of money you make, but by the amount of people you help.”
I also hope that you will spread the Word.
Becky
Also known as the "Organic Produce Gal"
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INTRODUCTION
Every house has a kitchen and we all need food. When you are not going to be home, you can take some with you, i.e. a brown bag, lunch box, or even an ice chest. Every man needs food, however, man does not live by bread alone. (Deut. 8:3). We must feed our souls as well. My point in this book is not to argue the fact that we all have a mind, body, and soul. I’m concerned with the soul here.
The body must be nourished and exercised. The mind benefits from healthy food, education, and mental exercise. Have you ever heard the phrase, “sharpen the saw?” So it is with your soul. Heb. 4:12 For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The soul is an immaterial or spiritual essence, which is contained within the human nature of your physical being. Intelligence, personality, and emotion reflect the state of your mental health and capabilities. Likewise, temperament, disposition, attitude, and frame of mind reflect the statusof your soul, or spiritual health. Spirit and soul are both immaterial essences, but one reflects the other. As a person can see their physical reflection in a mirror, the spirit would be like the soul looking at itself in a mirror. Spirit is the litmus of the soul, in essence, whereby one’s spiritual health can be “measured” or recognized.
Many people out there are like “walking dead”, spiritually malnourished, that is, or starving in their spirit. Perhaps they are physically strong, they may even be genius from an intellectual standpoint, or busy night and day, but have no spiritual “life” in them. Psychologist’s offices across the nation are filled with individuals seeking to understand, communicate, and find some sort of meaning and order in their lives. Go figure!
Rom. 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the goal of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. God, in his infinite, eternal wisdom, will give us purpose and meaning.
Just like with food or education, we do not fill up all at once. It happens one bit or bite at a time. We do not remain full, rather we burn it off as energy, fueling our lives and imparting into the lives of others, just ask any mother or teacher! Hence, we must refuel, to avoid “running on empty,” or starving our spirit.
What I offer in this book is a pantry of encouraging words, some directly from and some directing to the Bible, or God’s cupboard so to speak. His words bring me life. John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” My goal is to help thereader fill his or her soul, to keep it full, and ultimately teach others how they can do the same. Ps. 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Are you hungry? Welcome to my kitchen…
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CHARACTER BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES
Romans 5:2b-4 And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Who likes to suffer? Not me! Rejoice in it? Ugh! God uses suffering, however, as a means to move us on to produce perseverance and expand character. It is written that we are to assume the character of Christ. He certainly suffered, but God was with him. Likewise, God is with us, Rom. 5;5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. God’s love in us will give us the ability to love and live throughthe suffering experience. He knows we cannot do it on our own accord. I once heard Greg Laurie say in a sermon that when Satan came knocking on his door, he answered, “Hey God! Can you get that?” This is a demonstration of letting God and His love, help us respond to adversity.
1 Cor. 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. God has a stake in the matter! He uses us to do his work for his glory, so of course he wants us to succeed. He never promised it would be easy or without suffering, but hard work is worth the effort. And God promises to complete the work he began in us. Phil 1:6 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Remember this is a process, it takes time, and He’s not through with you yet. You are His building project, His creation. We can choose to continue building our character by focusing on a positive outcome rather than on our suffering. That’s a tall order, eh? I want to be tall, not small, to grow in my faith and spirit. It usually requires fellowship with other Christians to grow.
In Phil. 1:5, Paul begins his letter by describing how he always prays with joy because of your partnership in the gospel. The Phillippians, in essence, were his “partners in the gospel.” It helps to pair up by having a prayer/accountability partner. We cannot always depend on others to pray for all of our needs, we must also take part on our own behalf. On the other hand, we need not be “lone rangers”. Check out what Jesus said to his disciples in the book of Matthew, Mat. 18:19-20 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Fellowship can be powerful, you could be better off if you don’t try to face a situation alone.
One day I had a revelation that I could view my “situations” and “issues” as “opportunities,” character-building opportunities. Rather than saying to myself, “Spit happens!” or “This stinks (wah!)” I can choose to say, “Oh, this would be a character building opportunity!” Consider the situation as a crossroads, a test, and a chance to learn a lesson. In school, we learn a lesson, take a test, and move to the next level if we pass. We come out a little smarter in the end. After hard work, we usually become stronger. And, as Paul describes in the book of Romans, we can also become stronger in our spirit. At times, however, it may seem as if things just are not going anywhere.
Did you ever seem to be stuck in a rut? These are the times when God is trying to communicate, “Hello? Remember me?” During these times, I usually have a conversation with God that goes something like this, “God, help! I need a clue! I don’t get it! What are you trying to tell me? What do you want me to do?” Of course, at this point, I must stop and listen for an answer. It can take time and effort, most things worthwhile do. Keep seeking Him until you get that clue, pray about it, and make sure it lines up with His Word. Then kick off the cement shoes that are holding you down, put on your “PF Flyers”, and spring into action! We can choose to build character for God’s glory by walking in love, and walking in His way when in the throes of a rut or a storm.
Oh, you don’t have to get it right all the time. God is patient. He is the spirit of love and gives us many second chances. As He loves and forgives us, likewise, we should love and forgive others, which brings us back to opportunities. Let’s see what the Bible says about these opportunities…
Gal. 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Col. 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act towardoutsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Well that’s crystal clear to me. It does not say to bury your head in the sand, whine, curse (“pepper”) the situation, make excuses, or run away. It looks like we should be good to believers and outsiders, make the most of it, and respond with wisdom and grace (salt). That’s another tall order, I’m sure glad God is there to help! I’m also thankful for all the tools like church, fellowship, and Bible study. I could never come up with this on my own. My mission here is to show you what I’ve learned so far through my own adversity and study, for what it’s worth!
Now let’s go back to Paul’s prayer in Phil. 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” Personally, I’d rather be full than empty. Filled with love, wisdom, insight, and good stuff, not bitter, confused, and bleh! (Is that a word? I mean, like bad stuff.)
I challenge you to go to the filling station daily. Consider what is filling you, where filling station is, and go to God for the good stuff. Don’t wait until the gauge reads empty. Someone will have to stop what they are doing and tow or carry you along. Fill up! Maybe consider carrying an extra “can of gas” to help someone else, now I’m thinking of my AAA card. I can call a number on my card for insurance that a professional will give me roadside assistance or give me a map to my destination.
As Christians, we have a similar plan. It’s the insurance of salvation. The Bible is our road map to character building. Our belief is the card, it’s a free gift, and it never expires. Thoughts like this make my road a little easier and more meaningful to travel. Now let us move on to the next lesson.
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SPOOKY
I love horses. God says where our treasure is our heart lies. In this case, I’m busted! There’s a treasure trove one block down the street from my house. It’s a tack shed full of gear (with crosses inside and out), two paddocks for two horses, and a giant mesquite tree with singing birds that covers our space in shade. But it’s not all about the horses. I discovered right away that when working with animals many times your size, weighing in at 800-1500lbs, one needs a storehouse of prayer! That’s where “Tack Shed Ministries” comes into the game. Within that old shed lies my favorite Bible, the tattered volume that saw me through raising my three children through their preschool and elementary years. While I interact with a newer, working model now, I’m not through with this old relic yet. It stands by on the shelf alongside a box of tissue, ready for action when any nearby cowboy (or “wanna-be” cowgirl such as myself) needs a Word. Oh, horse lovers need a Word all right. Here’s a testimony for you…
One summer I had the bright idea that my daughter and I could have a lot of fun riding our horses as “Fighting Knights” mascots during football games on the home field. We rode successfully in a parade, now this would offer us a challenge, and an opportunity to muster up high school spirit. After discussing it with the school administration and signing our lives away on the liability release, we got to work preparing our steeds. The first step involved desensitizing them to objects or situations that might “spook” or startle them.
Sometimes horses startle or even freak out at unfamiliar objects or noises. It can become frightening and dangerous real quick. They can get hurt or hurt others on the scene if they rear up, kick, buck, or run out of control. Conjuring up an array of “spooky” scenarios to familiarize them with anything that might startle them, I exposed them to shiny objects, flying balls, horns, drums, balloons, took them out in the blustery wind, walked them by blowing tarps and bags, and rode them during a loud thunder storm. We crackled plastic water bottles and aluminum cans and even littered their stalls with this kind of trash so they would step on it, “crunch!” The last test before entering the field would be the flags. At this point, I had a revelation.
Patiently working with the horses, I trained them not to freak out at unfamiliar sights and sounds. This made us safer and able to ride with pleasure. Animal instincts tell them to be guarded and watchful. They are “prey” animals who despite their size and strength, must flee from predators in the wild. For them, it’s a survival thing that happens whenever they perceive a threat. Horses usually settle down once they figure it out. Assured they need not “freak out” at every little thing that comes along their path, my horses have learned to trust me not to endanger them. Comforted by my reassuring voice of love, they do not even need to move. It helps when they hear this voice, but I must remain calm for them, too. Then it dawned on me… (Here’s the revelation part) GOD DOES THIS WITH US!
Ps. 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Just as I’m at the side of my horse to steady him, God is at my side to steady me. He’s at your side as well. Is. 41:13 For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
God loves us. He loves to spend time with us. He patiently works with us, exposing us to “spooky” things, knowing they cause no harm. Like animal instincts found in horses, He wants us not to react in an unnecessary or dangerous manner. He sends things our way to test us, too. Everybody’s spooky things are different, but likewise, they are harmless distractions we perceive as threatening. However, God is in control and he does not want us to get hurt or even fear harm. During a big storm, Jesus said to his disciples, Mark. 4:40 “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Like the horses and disciples, we have the ability to attend to our master’s (God) voice over the distraction, remaining calm and unmoved, averting potential harm. The key lies in our focus, the state of our spirit. Paul pointed this out in 2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) It’s the reactive freaking out that can get us in trouble. Oh sometimes I still get scared and freak out! Try this one if you can’t hear his voice when you get spooked,
Ps. 66:8-10 Praise our God, O peoples (vs. crying out in fear) let the sound of praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping (my pastor says, “Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger!”) For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. Sometimes I think to myself, “I’ll be a shining star when this is over!” Ps. 108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Be steady. Whoa there, easy does it! Keep breathing. Pr. 29:25 Fear of a man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Trust God to talk to you and listen to His voice above all others. Ride on His wings through the spooky times. You will become a strong and Mighty Knight.
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