Taste and See: Recipe for a Thankful Heart

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8a (ESV)

What are your favorite recipes? Have you ever told your kids, grandkids, or even picky adults, how they need to taste and see if they like a particular food?

I sure have. And it always follows with this, “How do you know whether you like it until you taste and see?”

But I plead guilty, too. Because I’m a texture person and sometimes it looks like the texture of a particular food is outside my comfort zone. 🙂

Whether it’s our favorite foods or trying something new, recipes assist in the desired result. And our hopes that everyone will Taste and see it is good.

Every Thanksgiving, I follow a special recipe to make my Grandmother Clarkston’s lemon pie. Yum! It’s my favorite dessert of all time!  She passed away a few months shy of 100. So it brings up so many special memories of her when I make it.

Taste and See Recipe

Recipes always call for measurements—a cup of this or a tablespoon of that. Likewise, we often make other measures in life. 

A real thankful heart never comes easy, much less during difficult years experienced in the world or our own personal world.

Because last Thanksgiving, our granddaughter, who was 6 at the time, had major inner ear surgery. By early spring, she had the same procedure again to correct issues not healing correctly.

While we were thankful doctors discovered the growth, discouragement crept in. Especially since she will never hear out of that ear again without hearing aid.

Hard circumstances affect our thankfulness, if we let them. Yes, we choose. Just as we choose to follow a recipe, we make a choice to keep our heart thankful toward God. Because HE. Is. Good.

Our circumstances never dictate true thankfulness in our heart.

So let’s look at a recipe for a T-H-A-N-K-F-U-L heart.

Thankful Heart Recipe

T – Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)

The first bite of lemon pie always reminds me of its goodness. Similarly, God reminds us over and over He’s a good, good Father. God alone is reason enough to give thanks.   

3 Spiritual Truths God Showed Me in the Mountains

God has a way of showing me spiritual truths when I least expect it. And what better way than on a getaway to the mountains.

I’m a girl from the mountains. Did you know that about me? I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia. My hometown, Big Stone Gap, sits in a valley and borders several nearby states. 

So it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my current home in Tennessee. And my current residence is not far from the Great Smoky Mountains. 

While we visit and film in the Smokies often for our YouTube Channel, I just returned from an annual girls trip to a cabin there.

The three of us have been friends since high school; me, another Karen, and Teresa. This made our 15th year. For four glorious days we talk, visit area shops, eateries, attractions, and watch Hallmark movies—yes, with popcorn in hand. This year we colored.

We not only catch up with each other, but we also rest and catch our breath from the ups and downs of life.

Here are 3 spiritual truths the Lord showed me.

(1.)  Talk with God Every Day: Spiritual Truths

Every year, we look forward to our talks with each other. Being in person sure beats Messenger and texting. Because seeing facial expressions and hearing voice inflection adds so much to words. There’s just something grand about conversations in person.

We share about our current lives, hopes, families, and pets. Also, as Jesus-girls, we can’t help but talk about the Lord, His faithfulness, Bible studies, and scripture. 

Likewise, God desires we talk with Him in praise and prayers, lamenting, calling out to Him, and telling Him about our day.

But remember talking with God is 2-way communication. We listen for His voice as we pray and dwell in His presence.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NIV)

Look What the Lord Has Done

Oh, look what the Lord has done.

I love this proclamation. You know why?

Because I have bragging rights. Boasting in a Mighty God who’s done great things.

Do you have bragging rights in a specific career, talent, discovery, invention, award, hobby, or other?

Maybe you’ve heard things like, “She has bragging rights in cooking after winning the bake off.” Or, “My son has bragging rights in basketball as an all-star.”  

And it’s a big deal, Bravo! Way to go!

So it makes me think about our awesome God.

As one of His children, we have bragging rights to what He has done in our lives. What He’s done in the past and will do in the future.

And it’s a big deal, Praise the Lord! You are worthy, God! 

Look What the Lord Has Done: Loves and Saves Us

God loved us from our beginning. He even loved us before we were born.

Look what the Lord has done. He lavished His love on us through Jesus Christ His Son. The blood of Christ spilled on Calvary’s Cross for me and for you. Oh, how He loves us to suffer through lashes, pierced by nails, and died an innocent death to take our place for sin and shame. Thank you, Lord.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

Leads and Shepherds Us

Blessings of Knowing Jesus as Friend

Do you know Jesus as friend?

Friend is such a wonderful and endearing term. And we all long for friends because they make our lives richer. 

I still keep in touch with friends from high school and college. Also, over the years, the Lord blessed me with new friends. 

You see, we moved a lot when my husband and I were in church ministry. So I prayed for at least one friend in every new town. 

Early in our marriage, we moved to a small farm town in a new state. Our daughter was only eighteen months old at the time. Gracious ladies from the church brought us dinner for a few nights.

Still, I’ll never forget the Sunday when a young woman approached me after a church service. “Do you need anything?” Her sentiments seemed honest and heartfelt. I politely thanked her and continued with: No, we are fine.

But as I started to walk away, I felt the Lord nudging me to turn back around and tell her I needed a friend. With the Lord helping me to be brave, I walked toward her: I thought of something I need, I really need a friend.

And you know what? We formed a wonderful friendship and kept in touch when my family moved again. It was a God-thing.

Created as Relational Beings

The good Lord created us as relational beings, first with Him, then with others. For that reason, it makes sense to not only understand the importance of friends in our lives, but to also celebrate a friendship with Jesus Himself.

But in order to find a friend in Jesus, we must find Jesus as Savior and Lord. I made the decision at sixteen to give my heart and life to Christ. And I found a wonderful friend in Jesus. 

And Scripture has much to say about friendship with the Lord.

Friendship of of the Lord: Jesus as Friend

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14 (ESV)

Idolatry Scoots God Out of the Spotlight

Anything that scoots God out of the spotlight is idolatry in our heart. 

We often convince ourselves that our lives and hearts are free of idolatry.

Because we believe and serve the one true God…God Almighty. 

And maybe our homes are free of graven images we bow to or worship. 

But idols can creep into the sacred spot only meant for the Lord.

So let’s look at how present-day I-D-O-L-S scoot God out of the spotlight in our heart. 

I – Identify areas where God is not my focus.

Certain life seasons may cause us to veer off our focus of God as number one in our heart. Like seeking status, money, dreams, goals, things, people, positions, and more. What about an addiction?

But when we pursue unhindered and unadulterated desire and passion for the one true God above anything else in this world, powerful things take place. Idols fall from their pedestals in our heart. 

Ask the hard questions in our current season of life. Where am I focused on God? In what ways do I focus on something else? 

D – Depend on God alone. 

Is independence an idol in my life where I’m becoming my own “other god”? Because when I solely depend on my own efforts, plans, power, wisdom, and expertise, God is scooted out of the way.

Idolatry in our life is sometimes seen in our own independence or depending on things, people, position, social status, and more.

Culture tells us to strive for independence. God says, depend on Me.

2 Major Ways We Grow to Resemble Jesus

To resemble Jesus is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life.

But if we miss this, we miss the purest meaning for CHRISTian. A little christ.

My granddaugher, Laney, loves all things princess. She has princess dresses and dolls. And Laney sings Disney princess songs, knowing every lyric. Even to watch Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast with me is pure joy for her. My husband calls her little princess.

Many of her birthday parties have carried a princess theme. But this past July, her theme for her 7th birthday was Jesus and Barbie (so cute and sweet). Because in May, Laney FaceTimed me that she had accepted Jesus into her heart. We were overjoyed.

She has her own Bible and a girls devotional. Her parents are worship leaders at church and both Laney and her brother, Foster, know lyrics to many worship and Christain songs.

Oh, she still loves all things princess. But Laney loves Jesus, too. I pray as she grows, she also grows more and more to resemble Jesus, to become a little christ as much as she likes to be a little princess.

So let’s look at these 2 major ways we grow to resemble Christ.

(1.) We resemble Jesus as we grow in the aspects of Christ and His likeness.

We are each uniquely formed in the womb. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t create cookie-cutter people? I’m a twin but we are still each unique.

And we are created in the image of God. But our new life in Christ is about growing in His likeness.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 

The key to growing more each day like Jesus is staying close to Him—knowing Him, being in His presence. We let Him permeate every area of our lives.

There’s Nothing Better Than Jesus

There really is nothing in this world better than Jesus.

Oh, maybe we’ve tried to find the “better” of something.

Or, we attempt to find satisfaction in people or things.

But we soon realize how Jesus is unmatched.

Have you ever said or thought, I want a better car…a better house…a better _____________ (fill in the blank).

And we hope the good parts of life outweigh the bad.

Like when the world seems half mad and all the sad things that happen because of evil.

Still, what ushers in a well-spring of satisfaction deep in my soul? What in the world feeds the human soul’s hunger and quenches our spirit’s thirst? Jesus.

Fullness of Joy: Better Than Jesus

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

You see, as the Lord shows us the path of life and we find joy in His presence, we also discover spiritual pleasures in His right hand. And how long do they last? Forevermore.

Eternal Bread and Life

Not only do we feed our bodies to sustain life, but we must also nourish our souls. Something much deeper than feeding our stomachs to be merry and full. Nothing the world offers curbs our spiritual appetites, gives long-lasting satisfaction, or transforms our character. 

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14 (ESV)

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

Overflowing

Do I Seek to Please God or People?

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (ESV)

Before we were in Christ, we sought the approval of people and wanted to please others. Here, the Apostle Paul is reminding us that if we are still on that road, we’re not true servants of Christ. 

But I want to please God, and I want my heavenly Father’s approval above all. He’s the only One that matters in this life…and the next.

So let’s look at how to please God.

P – Praise the one true living God: Please God

God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). So we not only praise Him but we also celebrate how God inhabits our praise.  

Because it not only encourages us to want to enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving, but it also grows our faith.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” Psalm 100:4 (ESV)

L – Live for an audience of One

Once we turn to Jesus as Savior and Lord, to please God and desire His approval becomes our life focus—our new life passion. And pleasing people and winning approval from others is not as important as it once was. 

E – Exalt the name of Jesus: Please God

4 Ways God Mends Our Heart After Sadness

Do you have a broken heart from some kind of loss? God mends our heart after sadness.

I’m no stranger to a hurting heart. You know, the kind that aches and feels shattered into a thousand pieces. 

I experienced loss when my father and friends passed away, the loss of beloved pets, and even a baby in utero.

Oh, there are many kinds of loss in our present broken world.

No doubt you’ve experienced some form of loss in your life.

Recently, we remembered the thousands of lost lives and loved ones affected by the sad events on 9/11.

And we also mourned the murder of Charlie Kirk. Charlie touched countless lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ and so many moral issues in culture. These issues are biblical as well. Let’s continue to pray for his family and loved ones.

Mends Our Heart

Perhaps your broken heart came from losing a pet, a loved one, a relationship, or a marriage. 

Even though I’m not a stranger to heart break, I’m also not a stranger to the One who mends broken hearts. The One who has healed and mended my broken heart many times over. Especially after sadness.

Sure, life itself may never be the same again after some sadness, but God never changes and He wants to mend our broken hearts as only He can.

4 ways God mends our heart.

M – Mourn authentically and fully for our heart.

Once, a local Christian radio host gave a challenge, “Stop sanitizing grief.” Sometimes we sanitize grief and mourning and broken hearts by trying to clean it up. But this is not how God meant for us to react to a great loss. 

God is With You and For You

Do you believe God is with you? And do you know He is for you?

Have you ever felt all alone? Whether we are physically alone in a particular moment, or we are in a crowded room, our hearts may feel alone.

Yet, these are promises in God’s Word. 

But if I’m honest, there are times that believing God is with me and for me proves difficult. Especially when hardships and hard situations come my way. 

And I’ve learned it is not “if” but “when” life turns topsy-turvy without any warning. 

Still, these promises never change and always remain true.

So let’s look at what the Bible says.

God Is With You

Even though it’s not easy to admit out loud, sometimes it doesn’t seem like God is really with me. Friend, this is a lie from the enemy of our souls. Because we belong to God.

The Lord promises He is with us. And it all started with prophecy that the virgin would bear a child, Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Isaiah 7:14) 

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 (ESV)