What Ingredients are You Using?

What do you prepare in the kitchen of your heart? 

I know that's a weird question.

But if there were a kitchen in your heart- what's in the pantry?

The pantry is a place where we store the items needed to make something edible, 

and hopefully delicious, to serve.

The pantry is a place where we store the items 

needed to keep us well, healthy and nourished.

My pantry used to be a place where I stored 

all kinds of junk and processed food. 

Malnourishing and harmful to the very family I was trying to sustain!

Here's how I went from having an unhealthy pantry to a better one.

Two years ago, I lost 40 pounds with Weight Watchers, YMCA with a workout buddy, 

and my wonderful friends' and family's encouragement. It wasn't easy.

During the 7 months it took me to lose the weight, 

I made MANY lifestyle changes.

The major one was what I chose to put in my cart at the store.

My decision began there, in my mind, 

when faced with so many seemingly delicious, expedient, easy choices.

But what I had to remember when perusing through the aisles was, 

it was those easy choices that made me overweight in the first place.

While counting my "points":

• I learned to replace the sugar with Agave or honey.
• I learned to replace Hamburger Helper with whole wheat pasta/chicken/spices.
• I learned to replace margarine and shortening with real butter.
• I learned to choose unbleached flour, whole wheat flour and weird foods like Quinoa.
• I learned to select all-grain cereals instead of sugary corn ones.
• I learned to drink water and eliminate soda. (This was a hard one- I was a Coca Cola addict!)

I also found a magazine that helped me learn about why 

to make better choices: Clean Eating.

You'll hear me talking about clean eating 

(consuming food in its most natural state) a lot!

So, I threw away a lot of junk when I first started changing my habits.

I can't say that I didn't eat a cupcake or french fries now and then, 

but I didn't enjoy them anymore.

It took more work preparing a "slow meal" instead of eating fast food.

I still craved and desired soda 

when I walked past the open front beverage cases at the checkout counter 

and Coke was calling to me, I heard it!

But gradually, the changes became habit, and these new habits 

caused health AND smaller jeans sizes!!

Here's my pantry:

In my heart's pantry, sometimes daily, I need to throw out the food.

Especially the foods labeled:

• DISCONTENTMENT (ingredients: unhappiness, regret and complaining)
• ANGER (ingredients: irritability, critisism, distrust)
• PRIDE (ingredients: self-importance, disdain, judgmentalism)

Do I think I am going to make anything tasty or good for others 

with a combination of any of these?

Who'd want to eat it?

Yet, I gather the jars and boxes, dump them out, mix them up, 

bake or cook them and serve them. 

To my family, my friends, my children and husband!

After the so-called savoring of these dishes, I and others are left unsatisfied.

We are still hungry! 

Eating more only makes us feel as if we are starving!

And I have served worthless and inferior fare.

And maybe I have lost a few diners, too.

What should I place in the pantry instead?

When a family member or friend opens the doors and reaches for something to enjoy, 

what will be on the shelf?

When I need to make a healthy dish- 

will I have organic, nourishing and wholesome options?

"My food," said Jesus, 

"is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work."

What does doing God's will taste like?

To me, God's will is:

• Having a relationship with Him and learning from Him.
• Using His word for wisdom.
• Asking the Lord in prayer for more wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Listening to the advice of other godly men and women in my life.
• Pleasing Him with my life and home.
• Using the gifts and abilities He has given me in order to serve others.

If there were a kitchen in your heart- what's in the pantry?