Category: Entrée

Entrée

What Will You Give Him This Season?

The Manna Chef

When they [the wise men] saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11 NKJV)

Sisters, as you prepare yourselves (and your families) for this holiday season, I want to remind you of a few things.  First, please remember that Jesus really is the Reason for the season.  Take some time to truly reflect on the goodness of Jesus Christ, the miracle of His birth, and His life as God in the flesh.  The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the best gift we could ever receive!  And reflecting on that should give you some breathing room through all the hustle and bustle as you prepare for Christmas Day. 

But the next reminder is really important, too, because I know some of you are on the verge of burnout from overdoing it this season.  So, I want you to really hold on to this one.  I began this entrée with Matthew 2:10-11, the description of the wise men (no, there weren’t three of them, the Bible doesn’t say that; it just sounds nice in Christmas songs) as they brought gifts to Jesus, who by then was a young child.  We’ve all read it or heard it, “They presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  So, my question to you is this:

What will you bring Him this season?

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Entrée

Use What You Have

The Manna Chef

Sisters, have you ever felt like you just don’t have all of the tools necessary to accomplish a goal or task that is front of you?  And the more you try, the more the obstacles feel like mountains in front of you.  And then, you have to constantly battle thoughts of “Can I really do this?    Do I really have what I need?  Am I enough?”  Take a deep breath, Sisters, because I have an important reminder for you today:

Use what you already have. 

That may not sound profound right now, but it’s true; you already have what you need to accomplish those tasks that God has ordained you to accomplish.  Tap into your anointing and lean into the power of the Holy Spirit.  You may not have everything that everyone else seems to have, but guess what:  you don’t need it.  God has designed you and strategically placed you where you need to be in this season of your life, so it’s important that you allow yourself the time to spend in His Presence so that the Holy Spirit can guide your very footsteps.  Can you trust Him like that?

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Entrée

All Things New

The Manna Chef

And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5a)

Recently, I brought home a new puppy.  He is a bundle of love, excitement, energy, and joy, and I love him already!  It has been fifteen years since I had to train a new fur baby, so I am calling on the Lord daily, Sisters!  God is faithful and is showing me so much through this little puppy, and I am going to share one nugget with you today…

Jaxon meets everything with total excitement because he is seeing the world for the very first time.  Whether it is a leaf blowing across the grass or a butterfly fluttering through the yard or even a string hanging from my dress, he is bursting with excitement.  (It must be wonderful to experience things for the very first time, right?)  I see his zest for life; it reminds me that each moment really is a gift, and we should truly appreciate all the blessings God affords us every single day.  It also is a reminder for me to allow myself the grace and time to fully enjoy the experiences that God is bringing to me in this season of my life.  

We sometimes have a way of minimizing the impact of our blessings, whether it is because we are too busy to even notice or we simply are not appreciating the ways in which the Lord is moving on our behalf each day.  Sadly, many of us just take God for granted.  We expect the blessings, but we forget to express our thanks to the Giver of those blessings.

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Entrée

Mostly Obedient

The Manna Chef

Sisters, today’s word is a warning.  We must take heed of all that God is instructing us to do.  It’s so important to follow all of what the Lord has instructed you to do.  I won’t lie: this one is tough!  But it is so necessary if we really want to grow in our relationship with the Father.  We seek God’s will, but if we are honest, we really don’t always want His way, do we? 

I’ll be transparent right now.  Sometimes I feel like I have the best plan for how things should transpire.  I’m a planner, so it’s not even difficult for me to plan to the tiniest detail.  The problem is, I cannot see all of the variables that are in play at any given moment, so even my best plans are limited in scope.  I have had my moments of praying to God and then sort of telling Him how to manifest whatever I have requested.  Isn’t that something?  Here I am telling God how He should move.  (I know some of you holy Sisters have never done that!) 

But if we’re honest, we can admit that sometimes God’s instructions don’t seem all that fair.  And other times, we try to interpret His instruction instead of just obeying what He said to do.  This can be really dangerous, Sister.  Your choices have consequences.  Real consequences.  Our choices actually plant seeds, and those seeds have the potential to produce blessings and benefits or curses and punishments.  We always here about the blessings, but today I want to share about the negative consequences—even when you think you’re doing a good thing.  (I warned you that this one may be a little rough.) 

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Entrée

Lay It Aside

The Manna Chef

One morning, God gave me a deeper revelation about me.  I’m sure many of you can relate, so I thought I’d share with you.  In an attempt to get some exercise early in the morning, I sometimes take the stairs instead of the elevator before heading into my office.  (I park on the bottom floor of the garage, so I take several flights of stairs.)  For some reason, I had so much to carry that particular day: my purse; my work bag, which was heavier for some reason; my lunch bag; my large water bottle; and my large umbrella.  I immediately thought, “Why do I have so much to carry today?” 

I gathered my things and locked the car.  As I approached the stairwell, I was met with my first dilemma of the day: do I forego the stairs and take the elevator, or do I press through and take the stairs with all this stuff I’m carrying today?  Sister, you know what I chose, don’t you?  I took the stairs.

When I reached the half-way point, I began to get a little winded.  The thing is, ordinarily I would have moved up those stairs quickly, but not that day.  I was barely holding on to all my stuff.  Did you get that?  I was barely holding on to all my stuff.  By the time I finally reached the top floor, I was silently reciting a part Hebrews 12:1:

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  

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