Lessons

Dear Readers,

            Two months have passed since I posted to Gloria’s and my blog.  During the third month of March, we had just been struck with the reality that COVID-19 had invaded the United States, had invaded all of our communities.  I thought of little else that week.  Actually, I think of and pray about little else now, but I am a bit more sane.  As I write this week, I don’t think I’ll write too much about food, but share a bit about my experiences during this time.

            Three weeks ago, Pope Francis spoke to the world in an empty St. Peter’s Square.  His message was based on the Scripture verses of the storm that came up in the boat in which Jesus was sleeping, and his disciples became frightened.  They woke Jesus up and said “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

            Jesus calmed the storm, then turned to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:35-41)

            I find myself returning to Jesus’ words over and over.  Faith, I need to have faith during this storm that has descended upon the world.

            And as I pray for faith, I also find myself praying I will learn the lessons God wants me to learn during this storm, and the following poem has evolved:

Lessons

Smaller amounts are enough--

toilet paper, clothing,

dish soap, laundry detergent

heat, electricity,

water and food.

decrease carbon footprint size.

reduce, reuse, recycle

buy only what is needed,

that others can buy what they need.

learn what is really important--

            family, friends, nature, food, water, home

appreciate God’s gifts--

            bird symphonies, greening grass, violas

            budding cherry trees, sunshine, rain,

Life is Good.

I pray each of us stay safe and well.

                                                                                                                        Sharon Witty

                                                                                                                        April 16,2020

True Hunger

It seems very true that when we are idle we tend to feel hunger - maybe not real hunger as in needing food to survive - but the kind of hunger that comes from emptiness. Maybe there are a lot of us in the same boat today. We have run short on things to do and suddenly, in our idleness, we feel hungry. So we want to eat.

With the social distancing and stay at home orders going on for at least another 30 days, some of us will experience times when we are idle and will be in danger of filling up an emptiness with junk food or unnecessary food.

One help for me is reading the Bible during idle times. I'm in the process of reading through the Bible in a year. I get a sense of accomplishment as I underline the scripture sections I have completed and move on to the next book. Prayer is another great way to spend idle time. There are many people on my prayer list these days so I spend dedicated time praying for each one several times a day.

I have a hard time identifying true hunger from emptiness. I am sure most times I eat out of an emptiness instead of true hunger. Scripture even cautions against being idle.

"An idle person will suffer hunger," (Proverbs 19:15 ESV).

The meaning cautions us from becoming lazy and idle or not working so we can't pay for our food to eat. If you are truly hungry and are without a job during these trying time, it's okay to reach out and let someone else know you are hungry. There are many churches that have food banks and other places offer meals to the needy. Reach out if you have a need. Many of us have pantries filled with food and are anxious to share.

A Cup of Water

What is more refreshing than a cup of cold water when you are thirsty? Some might answer a Diet Coke or a Pepsi is better yet. But I’d still say clear, cold water hits the spot and it’s healthy, too. 

Nearly every health plan includes a recommendation of approximately eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Water is good for our bodies. Water fills us up so we aren’t so hungry. Cold water encourages our bodies to warm the fluid increasing our metabolic rate slightly. Water replenishes the body’s fluid during and after exercise. Water helps remove body waste and it helps the body burn fat. Water is good for our brains, our skin, and our blood pressure.

The debate over how much water to drink in a day will continue but it has been a staple for life since Jesus’ time.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward,” (Mark 9:41 NIV).

The kindness of offering water to a guest or a needy person continues to be a blessing as valuable as an offering to God. Let’s consider carrying extra bottles of water in our cars so we can share with someone in need and be refreshed as we need water, too. 

Lift a cup of water to our lips and savor the refreshment created by God alone.

by Gloria D. Stewart

Thoughts

Thoughts

            Old Mother Sharon, she went to the shelves of her brain this morning for blog posting ideas, and the shelves?   They were bare.  So I took the best action I could:  I prayed, and Spirit filled my mind with the following thoughts.

            Do you ever become embarrassed or ashamed of your food thoughts or actions?  I do.  I’m embarrassed that I seem to think about food all the time, except when I am sleeping, and sometimes I wonder about those hours.  After breakfast I think about how many hours to lunch and what I am going to have for lunch.  After lunch I think about supper and what I am going to have for supper. After supper I think about what I’ll have for breakfast the next day.

            If I eat out or am at a writing workshop, after I have finished the food on my plate, I often think, “I’d really like more of that mac and cheese.”  Ninety nine percent of the time, it’s not that I am still hungry.  No, it’s either that I don’t want to stop having the sensual pleasure of eating or that I really like the mac and cheese or both.

            I’m embarrassed and ashamed of/by these thoughts.  I don’t want anyone to be able to read my mind.

            So the question is what do I do about it?  One thing I know is this:  I do not need to be embarrassed or ashamed of myself—ever, for I am God’s child, and I am loved.

            Because God loves me, the Holy One gave me a verse, showing me what to do about  constantly thinking about food:  “. . .the mind controlled by the Spirit is Life and Peace”  (Romans 8:6, NIV).

            Peace—that’s what I want.  I want my mind to be at peace, resting in and thinking of the Lord.

            I pray you also, Reader, may have peace of mind.

                                                                                                                                   Sharon Witty

A Positive Perspective

We are a month into the New Year already. So how is your New Year’s resolution going? Don’t feel badly if you didn’t make one, nor if you are failing to live up to your expectations. It is okay to be human, especially an imperfect human.

My goal was to lose the five pounds that doesn’t want to go away.  Five pounds isn’t much to lose in a month but it is when you can’t seem to lose it. I have consistently exercised five days a week but my problem is eating. Eating brownies I made this weekend. Eating broccoli cheese soup. Eating tater tot casserole. Eating, eating, eating.

Instead of feeling down on myself for all the wrongs I’ve committed, I’m trying to take a healthier perspective. If I start looking forward instead of backward, I can begin to change my habits. I can think about how fortunate I am to be able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables and to have them available to me in the store. What a blessing it is to be able to eat apples when our trees don’t even have leaves!

There isn’t much that tastes better than a crisp, crunchy fresh salad as long as I am looking forward to the salad, not dreaming of a big steak. It is a matter of perspective. And I’m in control of my viewpoint. If I frame my thoughts in a positive manner, my meals will be more satisfying and delicious.

“He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy,” (Acts 14:17b NIV).

May we progress toward our healthy goal, one step or bite at a time.

Gloria D. Stewart

Temptation

Temptation

            For the past five days, I have been “hanging out” with my 16-year-old grandson, while his parents vacation to celebrate my son’s 50^th birthday (Gulp! I’m old enough to have a 50-year-old child!).

            Being widowed, I can carefully choose foods to purchase and bring into my home.

            That’s not the case in this home, so for the past five days, I have faced the temptations of chips, M&M cookies and ice cream.  The latter being the worst temptation.

            In one of the reflections I read this week, a featured Scripture verse was Matthew 14:29-30 during which Peter tried to walk on water.  But when Peter looked at the waves around him, he became frightened and cried out, “Save me, Lord”!

            As I think about these verses and meditate upon them, I realize they contain a guideline for living.  How easy it is when the waves splash high and become more and more severe (i.e., problems, worries, concerns, sorrows), life can become seemingly impossible.  How easy it is to be tempted and reach for the closest, most convenient comfort food, whether it be ice cream or grapes to stuff down the uncomfortable feeling.  But nothing can comfort me except the “Balm of Gilead,” (Jeremiah 8:22, NIV) and I must cry out, “Lord, save me”!

                                                                                                                                    Sharon Witty

A New Year, A New Plan

How many times have you set a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or to exercise or both? Probably not as many times as I have! The New Year always seems like a good time to start something fresh, or make changes for the better in my life. However, it is the sticking with it that is tough.

Rather than resolving to lose those last 10 pounds, I think it is better to focus on taking good care of the body God has given me. I want to be healthy so I am able to do as much as I can with the body I have.  

It doesn’t feel good to sit around like a lump, not having energy to get up and walk across the room. God wants more of me than that! He has jobs for me to do, even though I’m retired. God wants me to minister to others, touch them with kindness or a note of encouragement.

It is a New Year and we have a new calendar in front of us. Let’s see if we can fill it with things that bring others joy. For when we do good to others we may just find we end up receiving rewards of our own. 

“Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven,” (Matthew 5:12 NIV).

Gloria D. Stewart