Saying Grace!

...Or "Saving Grace"?

This little squirrel looked like he was saying grace,
thanking God for the abundance of seeds
that had been scattered by the birds from my feeder!

"Saying Grace"

Could it be that when we "Say Grace" over our meals,

thanking God for His provision of food,

(and asking Him to bless it)

that "Saying Grace" actually becomes "Saving Grace"?

“But you—you serve your God

 and He’ll bless your food and your water.

 I’ll get rid of the sickness among you; 

 ...I’ll make sure you live full and complete lives."

Exodus 23:25

(From The Message translation)

"The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on,

 some are going to give up on the faith 

and chase after demonic illusions

 put forth by professional liars. 

These liars have lied so well and for so long 

that they’ve lost their capacity for truth...

 They’ll tell you not to eat this or that food—

perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily 

and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! 

Everything God created is good, 

and to be received with thanks.

 Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. 

God’s Word and our prayers

 make every item in creation holy."

1 Timothy 4:1-5

(This is from The Message translation)

I'm not talking here about "saving grace" that saves our souls from eternal punishment.

I'm just wondering if we've gone a bit over-board on touting health foods,

placing too much value on the healing power of the food

instead of on the God in Heaven who made the food?

This is something that I personally have done at times...

but am trying, by God's grace, to have balance and get the right perspective.

What do you think?

I'd love to hear your opinion!

For New Year's Day Meal... Gary's Cornbread... and Granny's Iron Skillet

New Year's Day Meal

Southern Style

Gary preparing to add some hot sauce
 to his black-eyed peas and turnip greens.

In the South we have a tradition of eating black-eyed peas,

a ham product, greens, and cornbread on New Year's Day.

But do you know why we do it?

According to Wikipedia,

"the tradition dates back to the Civil War, 

when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General William Tecumseh Sherman,

 typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock,

 and destroyed whatever they could not carry away.

 At that time, Northerners considered "field peas" 

and field corn suitable only for animal fodder,

 and did not steal or destroy these humble foods.

In the Southern United States, the peas are typically cooked 

with a pork product for flavoring 

(such as bacon, ham bones, fatback, or hog jowl), 

diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.

The traditional meal also includes collard, turnip, or mustard greens, and ham.

 The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity;

 the greens symbolize money;

 the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion.

 Cornbread also often accompanies this meal."

Here's our cornbread...
made in Granny's iron skillet,
... and almost ready to take out of the oven...

Granny's skillet makes the best crispy crust!

Then for dessert,
the cornbread can be topped with a little butter
and some wonderfully delicious home-grown and home-made sorghum!
(In case you're unfamiliar with southern style sorghum,
my experience of watching it be made can be found HERE!)

If you think it looks like there is something unusual in the cornbread,

you are right!

That was Gary's idea!

We often add unusual foods to our cornbread...

this time being diced black olives, whole kernel corn, and chopped jalopenos.

Wishing you and yours a 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My verse for this year is from the words of Saint Peter, who said,

"But grow in grace,

and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

To Him be glory both now and forever.

Amen."

2 Peter 3:18

My most recent Names of God on Rocks 

from Saint Peter can be found HERE!