The Floor Is Her Buffet?

Abby has a very bad habit and I would suppose many other babies her age share in this same bad habit:  she enjoys eating food (and nonfood) off our floor.  Now that she's feeding herself somewhat eventually some of the food on her tray is flung off and ends up on the floor.  Most of the big pieces are picked up right away, but without fail there will be a stub of a green bean of a nibble of macaroni noodle that ends up under the cabinet ledge where I don't see it.  When she's allowed to explore and comes crawling back into the kitchen a few hours later, she locates the food she disposed of earlier.  (Maybe this is similar to dogs returning to the food they buried).  I'll be busy cooking or washing dishes and will notice she's chewing on something.  I'll quickly swipe my finger in her mouth to discover it's leftovers from the previous meal.  Ewww.  The sad thing is that I have lots of snacks and a pantry full of good food I would give her, but she chooses to eat off of the floor. 

I wonder if God sometimes looks at our behavior with disgust.  He's provided us with the spiritual nourishment we need and yet we choose to dig in the garbage can of self-help books, romance novels, TV talk shows, sexually explicit movies, God-bashing music, and prosperity-Gospel preachers to feed our soul.  How this must sadden His heart.  I've been guilty also.  I have the Bread of Life.  How dare I consider eating the husks the world has to offer?  All my hunger pangs will vanish when I feast on the spiritual food.  Yet I choose to wander away from the Father's house to pick through the leftovers on the floor. 

Note to self:

• It takes effort to make God's Word a priority in my life.  It goes against my sinful nature.  I must make it a priority by refusing to sit down and enjoy my music/TV show/morning walk/current book until I've consumed some of His Word. 
• Nothing but the Bread of Life will satisfy my hungry soul.  I must daily return to feast on the gourmet buffet God has provided.    I must not let it sit undevoured.
• If it's a temptation, avoid it.  Stay away from the places that offer the empty husks of the world.  If I know a TV show will enthrall me for the next hour and I haven't taken time to feast on God's Word that day, I should keep the TV off.  I must avoid the "junk food."
• Don't settle for milk, if steak and potatoes are an option.  I must use the tools God has provided to grow in my faith:  a concordance, online study helps, a spiritual mentor, a God-fearing husband.

"Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:32-35

Where have you been feasting today?

Tasteless Tea

For fun and sometimes minimal compensation I test and review products. This week I'm testing a new formulation of a popular bottled tea. I've been dealing with a sinus infection so my sense of taste has vanished. So how can I honestly provide feedback on something that tastes bland? "I'm sorry I did not enjoy the new formulation of tea. Would you mind sending me another box to test in two weeks?"

This morning as I enjoyed a hot cup of coffee that soothed my sore throat as it journeyed downward, I was reminded of a verse that tells us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." But what if our sense of taste has been altered by a steady diet of spiritual junk food? Will we remember the satisfying taste that the wholesome Word of God offers? Have we been dieting on novels we read, worthless TV shows, incessant music on our MP3 players, a church that doesn't preach the whole counsel of God?

I have my own struggles too as a full-time parent. It's tempting to leave the TV on all day just for the noise and to waste too much time online. What are some solutions for a healthier diet?

• Turn the TV off and enjoy some of your favorite Christian artists on Pandora.
• If you can't juggle a book in one hand and a baby in the other listen to the Bible online.
  
• Don't waste all your time reading secular books on your e-reader. I don't have an e-reader but I do use Kindle for PC and I find it easier to use my wireless mouse to scroll through a hard copy of the Bible. (I also love that I can add unlimited notes too!)
• Have a verse texted to your phone in the morning. I have a high maintenance daughter who requires lots of attention in the morning so it's nice to know my phone has a verse waiting for me when I get a chance to check it in the morning.
• Look for God's glory in creation. Notice something beautiful about the world He created. Even if all you see of the outdoors is through your living room window. Maybe you notice a robin tugging on a worm in your front yard or see that a flower is beginning to make it's way out of the ground.
  

Start enjoying a diet heavy with the protein God has to offer His children.