Thursday, June 19, 2014

Comfort Food

   You knew it would come to this one day, right? After all this blogging I was bound to blog about food!  Why?  Because it doesn't matter if we are stressed, happy or somewhere in between we love food. We love to eat it and talk about it!
  I'm no different!  I actually bought a book this week because one of my fave bloggers, Julie Davis, had a quote in her book about this book. It's "Talking With My Mouth Full" by Bonny Wolf. Bonny is a funny writer who also has a stint with NPR as a Weekend Edition Food Commentator.
  I wish I knew how you get to be a Food Commentator because I would LOVE that job!  Talking about food, testing, tasting...ahhh...such would be the life of a writer.
  But I digress!  Back to Comfort Foods and how even reading a book about comfort foods can make me think and want some!
  Comfort foods aren't always bad things either, I love a good salad. Sometimes I even crave a good salad! Yes, it's true!  But I also crave chips, chocolate and my all time, never be without, no matter what the season, Iced Tea.
  We all have our comforts in life, the things that help us get through a difficult time or day.  I have another food comfort.  I am blessed because I work in a church office which means, Jesus is just next door all the time!  And I visit Him very frequently when my day is going nuts and even better I get to receive Him in the Body and Blood during Mass. 
  There was a very good reason Jesus made the Last Supper THE place to be with his apostles the night before he died. The guys were enjoying a good meal, a comfort meal. Times had been hard, Jesus was talking about some worrisome happenings and Judas was acting strange.  Then, Jesus right there and then declared that the common wine and bread they were enjoying would become his body and blood.  What better way could Jesus have explained how He would always be with his apostles and with us by using the comfort of food and wine, the companionship of our loved ones and friends at a table renewing His sacrifice and remembering just how very much He loves us?  We all have the opportunity to receive Him when we go to Mass.  He has all the comfort we need!
 

Friday, June 6, 2014

Roll With the Punches


 My mother-in-law had a wonderful saying as my husband was growing up. When life dealt you disappointment or sadness you had to ‘roll with the punches’.   

 By definition, this phrase has come to mean, “a boxer’s ability to deflect the full force of an opponent’s blow by moving his body.”

  At times during your life you must be like the fighter standing in the ring.  You are in the ring to fight, but you will also get hit. No good fighter ever escapes without a few punches to the face, stomach or head and to lessen those blows you need to move and keep moving or roll with the punches if you want to be standing at the end of the fight.

  That is a sentiment that is echoed in many of our Gospel readings, ‘life is hard, living your faith will be hard’ but because you always have God by your side, you can make it through.’ 

  In John 16, Chapter 16, Jesus even tells his disciples that they will be persecuted, They will expel you from the synagogues, in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. “  But then He goes on to reassure them that they will not be alone in this life to face these hardships and trials, “ For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you…”  “...But when he comes, the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.   (John 16: 1-13)

  Jesus is reassuring us that though the world may deal us blows, and trials and sorrows, we have the Holy Spirit with us always to help us get along. 

    We can teach our children the same roll with the punches attitude to have in life. Just because life is hard does not mean you lose your faith. Our faith is what helps us roll with the punches, get up and keep walking toward Heaven.