Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

Kick back. Relax. Meditate.

Then he (Jesus) told them a story: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have room for all my crops.' Then he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I'll sit back and say to myself, "My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!"' "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." Luke 12:16-21

Now is traditionally the time to kick back and relax. Watch some good football games on TV. The kids are off from school and playing video games or running around outside, weather permitting. The Moms are off shopping…or on-line shopping for all the great holiday deals. As Jesus taught, recorded here by Luke, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. So what are you doing with your time and assets? Are you like that rich man who wanted to build bigger barns? Are you storing up stuff—filling up your big house. 

Second-hand shop in Tel Aviv.
Almost everywhere in the world...
...has too much stuff.
How about you?

I’ve heard it said that in the first half of our lives we gather and store up stuff. In the second half of our lives we try to get rid of it. I am experiencing just that. Don’t wait…downsize and declutter starting with one room TODAY. God gave us life, family and the opportunity to gather stuff. But He doesn’t want us to store up treasures here on earth. Jesus even told the rich young ruler to go sell all his belongings, give the money to the poor and then follow Him.

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21

It is ironic that sometimes the needy have more than those of us in middle class. A few years ago I had helped a young family move and they had more stuff than I did, including a pantry full of non-perishable food. Good planning for a rainy day to have extra food on hand. In addition, the young mom had bags and bags of stuff that she was continually amassing—actually stockpiling—treasures that she personally had no use for...just gathering items for future yard sales. Is that accumulation of treasures wise? She was supplementing her meager income with regular yard sales. That was wise. Was she tithing from her income? That is between her and God. That family deserved to eat, drink and be merry for their hard work…and God will reward them for their stewardship. How are you handling the surplus stuff in your life? Are you willing to part with things that are really essential or do you feel the need for a larger house…larger barns so you can store more stuff? 

Prayer ~ Lord God, Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16 NASB. Even now that the Thanksgiving holiday is over, I still praise You, Lord, and give You thanks for my very being and all that You have provided for me. 

Verse of Salvation ~ Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. Jude 1:3

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

The day after Thanksgiving! What’s on your plate today? Leftovers? Or maybe you just didn’t get enough pumpkin pie. Here’s a crust less version.

Pumpkin Custard 

1½ cups milk
4 Tbsp cornstarch or keto friendly thickener like Almond flour or Konjac Glucomannan Powder
1½ cups cooked or canned pumpkin
½ cup sugar or Stevia, if following a keto diet
½ tsp freshly ground Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root (½ tsp dry ground)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground mace
¼ tsp gr coriander

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wisk together milk and cornstarch in a large bowl until smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices. Pour into a custard dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until firm. If using small individual dishes, bake for a shorter time. Cool before serving.

 This is an egg-less crust-less version of traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Bake in an unbaked pie crust if you prefer.

 © 2020 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission (www.Lockman.org). All rights reserved.

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