-November 2023-

Comfort Food for the Soul

Monthly Encouragement to Bless Your Heart

I woke up before 5 am morning with Leviticus on my mind. Yes, you read that correctly. Not Georgia On My Mind. Leviticus. I can’t say I’ve ever spent much time in the third book of the Bible, full of laws and ancient requirements.

After all, Jesus came to put an end to the Law, right?

Even so, this unusual prompting rolled over and over in my mind the way only the Holy Spirit calls from within.

Disclaimer: Before you picture a super-spiritual Janet who rises early each day to ask, seek, and knock, I’ve never been an early riser. I like to sleep. More often than I'd like to admit, I’ve awakened with a precious reminder of “Seek Me while I may be found” (Isaiah 55:6) and my self-centered response was to roll over, pull up the covers, and mentally respond,

“Hang on a little while, God. I’ll get up in an hour.”

We know God is ready to respond to our call at any time, but sending Him to Spiritual Voicemail forfeits the fresh,

personal connection specifically set aside for that moment.

I don’t know if you’ve read Leviticus 3:1-4:35 lately but it’s filled with gruesome details of animal sacrifice, repeated to cover any sin Moses’ neighbors may have knowingly or unknowingly committed. From sheep to goats to bulls “without defect”, it’s a “how to” manual of atonement with

slinging blood and burning organs.

This is kind of a lot for 5 am and I’m not planning to bring any livestock to church this Sunday, but, when words are repeated this much in the Bible, there has to be a significance and purpose.

The offering in Israel served to reconfirm and recognize the covenant between the people and their God. It marked a time to appreciate salvation as a significant gift from God. Following the animal sacrifice, participants were directed to extract the fat, kidneys, and the liver's lobe for burning by the priest, creating a "pleasing aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 3:9-11).

LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR FAT,

KIDNEYS, AND LIVER?

In ancient times, the fat was the prime cut of the animal, and offering this to God signified recognizing that the Lord deserved the very best,

the highest honor.

Ancient Israel considered the kidneys as the seat of emotions and desires, while our culture associates this role with the heart. The kidneys' inaccessible location symbolizes the most hidden part of a person.

Pagan cultures around Israel used the liver for fortune-telling, a practice mentioned in Ezekiel 21:21. Burning the liver's lobe demonstrated confidence in and dependence on God for the future, rather than relying on pagan gods. They offered God the finest, surrendering their emotions and showcasing trust in God for the future.

I’m so glad Jesus was THE spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19) sacrificed for all - and we don’t have to repeat these rituals. Aren't you?

But what does God desire from us?

Romans 12:1 from The Message Bible says it like this: So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Does God receive our best or just rollover leftovers?

Do we hide our emotions from God, or share them with Him?

Do we rely on ourselves to shape our future, or do we trust God with it?

Today, let's embrace what God does for us and

offer a "pleasing aroma to the Lord". 

Here's a great song I'm loving right now!

The lyrics are simple, profound, and phenomenal.

Laughter is Good Medicine

Proverbs 17:22

When two successful businessmen went sailing, a freak storm wrecked their boat and left them marooned on a deserted island. By the third day, one of the men was pacing constantly. The other man reclined peacefully on the sand.

"Aren't you afraid we are going to die?" cried the first man.

"No, not at all," his friend replied. "I make almost $100,000 a week and I tithe faithfully to my church. I guarantee you my Pastor will find me!"

***

A man went to the doctor and he examined him carefully,

then called the patient’s wife into his office.

The doctor told her, "Your husband is suffering from a rare form of anemia. The bad news is that without treatment, your husband will be dead in a few weeks. The good news is that with proper nutrition, he should get better."

Here’s what the doctor told her to do.

"You will need to get up early every morning and fix your husband a hot breakfast - pancakes, bacon, and eggs, the works. He’ll need a home-cooked lunch every day, and then an old-fashioned meat-and-potato dinner every evening. It would be especially helpful if you could bake frequently. Cakes, pies, homemade bread - these are the things that will allow your husband to live. One more thing. His immune system is weak, so it’s important that your home be kept spotless at all times. It would also help if you were intimate with him several times a week."

So the wife walks into the examination room with a sad look on her face.

The husband, sensing how serious this is asked her, "It’s bad, isn’t it? "What’s going to happen to me?"

With tears welling up in her eyes, the wife blurted out,

"The doctor says you’re going to die!" 

Taste of the South

What Thanksgiving meal is complete without Sweet Potato Casserole?

This healthier version is refined sugar-free spiced sweet potato topped with a nutty pecan crumble. What's not to love?

What You Need:

3 large sweet potatoes, (about 3 pounds)

¼ cup milk, dairy-free milk works as well

¼ cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Topping

¾ cup pecans, roughly chopped

4 Dates, pitted and diced (optional)

¼ cup almond flour

2 tablespoons butter

Let's Make It!

One option is to cut peel and cut your sweet potatoes into cubes and boil until tender.

Cutting sweet potatoes isn't always easy!

You can also bake your sweet potatoes to save your hands!

Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl,

and mash them with a hand masher or electric beater.

Pour the milk, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper into the mixture and continue mixing until creamy.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the crumble topping. Add roughly chopped pecans and dates, almond flour, and butter, to a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands until combined.

Spread the sweet potato into an even layer in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

To make it dairy-free, you can swap butter for ghee as well as use any type of nut milk.

PREPARE THIS CASSEROLE THE NIGHT BEFORE

Keep your mashed sweet potatoes and pecan crumble separate and tightly covered in the fridge. When you're ready, pop the dish into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes

or until the top is golden and crisp.

NUTRITION

CALORIES: 298KCAL | CARBOHYDRATES: 31G | PROTEIN: 5G | FAT: 18G | SATURATED FAT: 7G | CHOLESTEROL: 24MG | SODIUM: 440MG | POTASSIUM: 517MG | FIBER: 6G | SUGAR: 9G | VITAMIN A: 18366IU | VITAMIN C: 3MG | CALCIUM: 66MG | IRON: 1MG