FEEDING US

FEEDING US

God feeds us with his Words, passion and affection, giving us the nourishment to endure what is given to us.

~Marie T. Morrison~

NOURISHMENT

God nourishes you daily with strength and wisdom,always knowing your needs.
~Marie T. Morrison~

A GRATIFYING BURDEN

Taking on a Herculean task is most unpleasant. To imagine this burden as gratifying, while asking for a little help from God, lifts the heavy load. The heart, mind and soul are nourished, feeling at peace.
~Marie T. Morrison~

MAKING ROOM

Instead of having a worry consume us, make room for prayer take over. It will bring much more nourishment to the body, allowing God to help carry our burdens, warm our soul with His Spirit and provide for the Lord’s strength to nurture us to withstand whatever is given to us. ~Marie T. Morrison~

TEA

I love to sip a cup of tea. It is most relaxing. I start my day with a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, using loose tea placed in a small , empty tea bag, made for such a purpose. Mid-morning, I might go for the Earl Grey tea, finding it soothing as I work on a hobby, read or plan a lesson. It can raise my spirits, leaving me calm and good -natured, getting my creative juices flowing.
Remaining in high spirits, it is time to tackle the laundry, clean up the kitchen and perform other mundane household duties. I usually have the house in silence as I work, taking this time to say prayers for those going through rough times and to have my conversations with God. My conversations are as if I was talking to my best friend, which in a way, I am! I may be expressing gratitude for the previous day’s activities, or telling Him how I will need to come up with the right words to use while teaching a class for my Church.
Time goes quickly by. After my lunch, I may finish it off with a cup of red bush tea. This gives me energy to start my afternoon plans. I will likely be venturing out to the Church, to facilitate an adult group of students, sharing what I have learned with them. Often, I bring my thermos cup of brown rice tea with me, to keep my voice from getting hoarse, while at the same time, giving me a bit of nourishment to remain at my high level of excitement as I teach.
The rest of the day zooms by. It may consist of working with one more religious ed. student out of my home, a child unable to make it to Church classes. I offer a cup of peppermint tea to my young lady, while I have apple cinnamon tea. We wrap our hands around our mugs, sipping them as we discuss together different Bible stories, curled up on the couch, facing one another as we converse.
Tea is something I would offer to all my groups of students while I was still teaching full time. They loved it, sipping green tea with honey as I taught. Some had never seen a teabag before, ripping it open to pour into their cups. They quickly learned from their peers how to use the teabag properly. These same young people came to visit me, years after they were in my class, asking for a cup of tea while we visited. What a nice way to reconnect, making a pause in a busy life, to sit and enjoy the company of another.
We tend to forget about the simple things in life, such as enjoying that cup of tea. God wants us to nourish our bodies and our souls, rather than rushing around so. It does not take long to enjoy a cup, but it can bring a long-lasting effect upon one. Others feel the calmness, responding in the same way, letting the tenseness leave the shoulders and neck. This calmness can be passed on to the next individual, and so forth. It is the way God’s world should be, rather than getting angry because of the slow driver in front of us, or the person who takes forever to write a check and post it in the ledger before allowing us to reach the clerk at the counter. Even picturing that cup of tea in a time of tenseness can let the anxiety dissipate.
Spoil yourself. It is actually okay! Go find a favorite mug and purchase some fun flavors of tea. Grab a relaxing book, take off the shoes, cozy up on the couch, sip your tea and enjoy the moment! It is just what God has ordered!

Jacob and the Lentils

In Genesis 25:34, we read how Jacob gave his brother Esau bread and lentil stew.  In return, Esau gave up his rights of being the first born, passing the rights on to his twin.  After reading this passage to a church group, I left that day, deciding I would make lentil stew for dinner. Take into mind I had never made it before. But, it sounded delicious for a cold, winter day. For some reason, I had dried lentils in my pantry, buying them recently, on a whim. I managed to pull out some brown rice from the same pantry, moving on to the frig to see what vegetables I had. I found celery, carrots, parsley, red onion and garlic.
I put on my pot of water, adding kosher salt, rosemary, oregano, dill seed and some Italian seasoning. As it began to boil, I added my lentils.  Living at an altitude of 7,000 feet, I knew it would take at least 45 minutes for the dried beans to cook. Fifteen minutes later, I added the brown rice and my veggies from the frig, diced up just so.
Soon, wonderful aromas emerged from the kitchen. Because flour tortillas are a staple in our home, they were placed on the table, beside each bowl of the scrumptious stew. The dinner blessing was said, and soon the meal was devoured. I was told by the family I could serve it again anytime (Sometimes I'm not given such a positive message!).
Now that it is the Lenten season, I realize this is the perfect Friday meal. What a history lentils have, going back to the beginning of man. God provided for those living near the start of creation and He provides for us now. He nourishes us not only with food from the soil, but with His love, His care and His Spirit. May we continue to count our daily blessings for all He has given us.