What abilities are you thankful for? I guess going off of yesterday’s post, I am thankful for the ability to cook. This is something that has been passed down from my mom and both my grandma’s. I love to cook. Some people may have the ability to cook but they don’t have the love for it. When I sit down and think of a meal to fix for my family I think of how they will enjoy it. I think of which ones like it and which ones may give us a hassle in eating it. I think about how I can make it appealing to most, but hopefully all of them.
I have always found joy in cooking. When I was a kid I used to love helping my mom cook in the kitchen. As I grew older I worked in a camp kitchen for the summer and I really enjoyed helping the head cooks with the preparation of the meal. From there I was a head cook at a Christian boarding school cooking for about 120 people each day. I loved it. I liked making menu’s, I liked making the food and receiving compliments for the cooking. I loved serving the kids and building relationships with them as I cleaned up and they helped me out.
When I lived on my own for that year I liked inviting people over to serve food to. I liked having parties with friends. Cooking brings people together and I love having people gathered in my house and cooking for them. Over the years of our marriage the novelty of cooking hasn’t ever worn off. I love fixing food for my family and giving them well rounded healthy meals. I like to make food ahead of time and I like to try to cut down the cooking as much as I can. lets face it you can still love cooking but find short cuts to make it to go faster. I love inviting friends over to share a meal with them. If I could have extra people at my house every night I probably would.
So today and with Thanksgiving coming soon and the time is coming for me to use this ability more. I am so thankful for the ability God gave to me to cook, but also the love he instilled in me. But just so you know, no judgement if you don’t like to cook, that is why there is Russel Stover and good old Betty Crocker. We all have the days and years and even lifetimes that cooking is too much. Totally do what is good for you and your family. I love you all and even your frozen bought lasagna.
Today’s verse of the day is Psalm 118:1-8 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.” When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
YES LORD!!!!
Signing off from one woman to another,
Jenny Wren.
Here I am, catching up again. My ability for today is not timeliness. The ability for which I am most grateful today is my artistic ability. Life is busy and, at times, stressful. God knows this and provides the means to not just survive, but to thrive. Artistic ability allows use of creativity as an outlet to release the steam in life. Music, dance, writing poetry, storytelling, arts and crafts, painting, and many other activities fill the bill for me. I will try most artistic activities at least once – just to see if I like it, or to challenge myself to expand my horizons and grow. I love experimenting, designing creating. It all connects me to The Creator of All Things. Think about the Grand Design God has orchestrated so perfectly!
Today our son J was watching Ready, Jet, Go! It’s a TV show about a kid and his parents from outer space who now lives on Earth and are learning to live in an Earthly society. Jet and his earthly friends learn about & ponder different science topics each episode. Today’s topic was the moon with no atmosphere and zero gravity. At one point J looked at me in an ah-ha lightbulb-on moment and said, “So the moon doesn’t have that thing around it. You know, the stuff you have to go through when coming in from space.
(Atmosphere?)
“Yeah that! The moon doesn’t have that. So the world is really a world in a world. No, it’s like on my game, a shield! A shield that protects us!”
(Pause)
“Mom, why doesn’t the moon have atmosphere? It is a shield, right? Because Earth would have craters without it, right?”
What an awesome opportunity to remind J and myself of God’s spectacular grand design! How else do you explain that? God provided for our safety.
I may not have as much artistic ability as The Creator, but I have enough for my needs and to appreciate God’s superior artistic ability.