Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Give, and it Will be Given


Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

If you have followed Meditations of My Heart for any length of time, you know that my husband, Danny, is the chef in the household.  Sure, there are times when we have the simplest of meals, but more often than not, Danny always measures out a twist and a turn here and there, transforming an ordinary dining experience into one of extraordinary pleasure.  Let me stop here to share just a few of his enticing dishes.









Is your mouth watering yet?  I'm willing to bet it is!

I am blessed to have a husband in love with cooking (and me), and I'm always thankful that my only duty in all of this is to blissfully enjoy the meals and clean up the pots, pans, dishes, and stove.  What a small price to pay for such delectable fare!  I actually look forward to doing what most perceive as chores considering the epicurean gifts I've been so generously given.

Danny gives.  I give.  Win-win!

When we give our all to God, we will be given much.  He knows the ingredients of our hearts and souls.  He knows the measurements to use which will help us nourish His kingdom.  He presses us down, as Danny pounds out a chicken breast, making us tender and pliable, more prepared to feed other souls with His Word.  God, in His great mercy, shakes us to the very core of our being until we are running over with His love; love pouring, grace-filled, into our laps.

More than we can consume.

More, so that we might freely share His gifts with others.

Measured, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

God transforms us, and we become the feast for a hungry and hurting world.

~

God has laid His heavenly feast before you.  Will you partake?  Will you share?

Prayer:  Father, as we say grace and ask Your blessing over every meal, let us remember those who do not have enough to eat, the souls who suffer physical hunger, and those who may not be hungry in the flesh, but who hunger and thirst to be filled by Your Word.  Bless and keep them all, Lord.  Give them comfort, and help us serve and lead them to You as we pave the way to Your kingdom.  In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.

20 comments:

  1. Wow having a husband that can cook like THAT really is a blessing! Awesome. ♥

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    1. Oh, yes, it is, Kathy! And believe me, I DO know how blessed I am.
      Love and blessings!

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  2. Yes, my mouth is watering!! Danny sounds like a wonderful guy. My hubby doesn't cook, but he helps with everything around the house - cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping - you name it, he's there to help! We are lucky to have married such special men, huh?!

    And yes, I am hungry for the Lord - and always seeking to be filled up with the spiritual nourishment that only HE can provide!

    GOD BLESS!

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    1. Sharon, your husband sounds like an absolute keeper! We are, indeed, the most fortunate of women. :)
      And like you, I'm hungry for God's Word and presence in my life. How blessed we are to have Him!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. My husband is a very good cook too. But I hate to clean up after him. So nice of Danny and you are lucky ;)

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    1. I hear you, Janaki. Sometimes, if I'm just too tired, I will soak everything overnight and simply face it in the morning. :) At least, we both get a break from cooking!
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Martha, Danny creates some amazing works of art in his cooking! It's really all about using our God given talents, whatever those talents may be to serve and bless others.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Yes, I do believe Danny's flair for cooking is a God-given talent. That he is passionate about it is key, and he certainly does bless this family with the fare he serves.
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Hi Martha! Those are some great photos! The food does look so good, I think I'm hungry again :)
    It is always such a joy to see people practicing their gifts and talents, especially for others. And aren't you blessed to have a husband who wants to share his love of food prep with you, and with a smile on his face too!
    I share your prayer that God remember the needs of all His children, especially the ones who wake up and go to bed hungry. We are more blessed than we realize.
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. Ceil, thank you so much for your kind words. It is a joy to see people use their God-given talents.
      And I agree with you that we are more blessed than we sometimes realize. May we remember and serve those less fortunate.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. wow those photos make me hungry and to have such a blessing for a hubby makes me jealous! My hubby has in his retirement begun to cook so I now know what a joy it is to have someone to share that job with. Guess we both are blessed!

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    1. Oh, what a great hobby for your husband to take up in retirement, Jean! It is a blessing to have help in the kitchen; I especially appreciate it as I spent years as a single mom having to do it all.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. WOW! having a wife who could cook like that would be amazing. LOL However, since there is no salmon in this fair I have to protest. i truly want my life to be a gift to others.

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    1. Danny loves salmon, but it is not on my favorite hits list, Bill, so he doesn't cook it very often. And I won't tell Jo what you said here - lol!
      I think your life is a continuous gift to others through your ministry and your blog. God is using you in marvelous ways!
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Martha - I echo what others have said. I'm with Danny, salmon is one of my favorite. And those photos, they could be in a food magazine. My husband has not culinary skills. The first time he boiled rice he drained in a strainer. Wonderful post and if I am ever in the area I will be stopping by.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post and the photos, Brenda. I'll be sure to tell Danny about your compliment here as he took these. Salmon's not my favorite, but I thought surely Danny had a photo of a salmon dish, but he didn't include it.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. I enjoyed how you worked one of my favourite verses into your writing, Martha. And you and Danny do make a 'delicious' pair! ♥

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    1. Thank you, Corinne, you are too kind! Glad I was able to use one of your favorite verses, too. :)
      Love and blessings!

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  10. Great perspective. I have never thought of that verse in that manner.

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    1. Thank you so much, Patrick! I'm glad this was able to give the verse a new way of understanding for you. It's ever what I pray about when I write these blogs. I always hope that others will find the extraordinary presence of God in the most ordinary of circumstances.
      Love and blessings!

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