CONTENTMENT SCRIPTURES
Psa. 144:15 How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
James 1:2-3 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
2Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Contentment is...
...being happy with one's lot; a deep satisfaction. (Webster's Dictionary)
[excerpted from Contentment: A Matter of the Heart by Karen Horsey / Karen's Kreations]
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FOOD: What a thing to write about...contentment with your food. I tell you though, it starts with training your young children to eat what is served to them or at least to taste it. Allergies notwithstanding, of course. I have met so many 20- and 30-somethings, especially men, who do not eat anything green with the possible exception of CANNED green beans! I don't know what their mothers were thinking when they raised them. Not to mention that it's rude to a hostess to not eat what is served.
Besides the obvious health benefits of eating fresh vegetables and fruits, they really do taste good. Many nutrients are lost by overcooking. For some, it's just a matter of drinking more water when they eat more fiber, which helps to digest the raw food. I certainly don't eat everything raw but I do serve at least one raw food with each meal so my family gets the enzymes they need for proper digestion.
I'll be teaching a short class at our Titus 2 Moms Group next week on making homemade baby food so I'll save that blog for next week. Making your own baby food helps a child develop a taste for what is served in that household and helps eliminate picky eaters.
Besides the health value, being content with what you eat is a matter of the heart (literally and figuratively speaking). Everyone enjoys going out to dinner. I know that I do also. Finances do not make this a daily or sometimes even weekly habit for our family. Being creative with the cooking at home helps to train your family to be content with homemade meals and keeps them healthier in the long run. It also teaches them manners for when they are dinner guests at other people's homes who may serve something different than what they are accustomed to eating. Some serve more elaborate meals with 4-5 foods to choose from; some serve very basic meals with only one or two items on your plate. I tend to serve at least three food items at each meal--main item with two side dishes, one of which is fresh.
There is an excellent book I checked out from the library called The Hungry Planet: What the World Eats which brings this concept of being content with what you have to eat to a personal level. Families from around the world are pictured with a week's supply of groceries. The contrast is striking from place to place. A thorough narrative describes how the family income is earned,what is grown, the types of stores available and in some case, rations that are necessary. This book will really open your eyes to the rest of the world and help you see how abundant resources are here in the United States compared to many who are lacking. Another cookbook that I own and have enjoyed reading and using is More with Less written by a Mennonite woman. It's about how to prepare healthy meals that are balanced and not excessive using what you have on hand.
Be content with what you eat. God has provided it for your nourishment primarily. Whatever you eat is enjoyed more depending on the company and conversation you keep while dining.
Matt. 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
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