The Meals

Entrée

Keep on Producing

The Manna Chef

Sisters, I want to remind you to hold on to the promises of God.  I recently had to remind myself to do just that—hold on, no matter what.  I received a phone call from my doctor’s office that, for a moment, took my breath away.  I gave myself the grace and space to feel in that moment, and then I remembered what God promised me many years ago.  I had to recite it out loud over and over.  I reached out to my tribe and asked the ladies to pray, and that’s exactly what they did. 

Sisters, we are human, so it’s important for you to allow yourself to have “all the feels” but not be led by them.  I could have driven myself crazy with worry, allowing my mind to run rampant; instead, my response was 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV), “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

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Uncategorized

Missing a Part of My Heart

The Manna Chef

Sisters, it’s been a year since I lost my mom. I miss her every single day. For anyone who’s experiencing loss, I want to share this entree with you. I actually wrote it 2 1/2 weeks after she passed away. I’ve been waiting for the moment that I felt ready to share, and today is that day, exactly one year from the day she returned home to our Heavenly Father.

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It is only the end of January, and it is already the most difficult year of my life.  The Lord called my mother to her heavenly home, and let me say it right now—I was not ready.  I mean, think about it, are we ever really ready to say goodbye to someone who shares our very heartbeat?  That’s who my mom was to me.  It hurts me even now to say “was” instead of “is.”  She wasn’t just the woman who gave birth to me and raised me—she was my ace, my confidant, my girl, my road dog, and the “Thelma” to my “Louise.”

And let me be honest, my reaction has been that of her baby girl, not as a minister of the Gospel.  I did not feel like Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-3:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

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Entrée

A Moment of Reflection

The Manna Chef

God has brought us through another year, Sisters!  I’m not going to lie; this has been one of the most difficult years of my life!  From the beginning, it has been a year of incredible loss, but I can honestly say that God has kept me through all of it.  The loss was unfathomable, but Jesus truly has been a Keeper!!  I would not have been able to function without Him. 

Throughout the year, I have allowed myself to feel however I feel at any given moment, knowing that God is still God, and I can be sad, angry, broken-hearted, overwhelmed, exhausted, and grateful at the same time.  (And it didn’t make me any less “spiritual.”)  God showed me incredible grace in 2023, and He has given me the space to just be me.  That is what I’m most grateful for this year. 

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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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