A box of chocolates

My favourite quote about chocolates came out of the movie Forest Gump.  Yes those most famous lines

"My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you're gonna get."

A truer word is sometimes spoken in jest.

A box of chocolates has hard ones and soft ones unless you particularly buy those that are all hard centred or all soft centred ones.  Even though they have the chocolate list on the bottom or on a separate page how many of us actually take all the chocolates out and compare the types with the pictures.  I don't know that many who do, do you? 

We like to be surprised,  but then not all the time.  Fun surprises are like the chocolates we like and savour they are enjoyed and also sometimes shared with others.  We tend to try another one to see if we can get that taste again. It is the bitter and the hard chocolates and surprises that tend to come that aren't always shared with others and we tend to go it alone with those.  They take a lot longer to chew.  Which makes dipping your hand in for another one harder too.

They all come wrapped up together in a bright coloured box, sometimes given as a thank you gift (Roses chocolates) or a birthday present.  I use to love getting a whole box of Darrell Lea's to myself when I was younger.  They were seen as treats.  No longer can I enjoy them now as the cocoa in the chocolates and the mint, strawberry flavours plus the nuts and food colours cause havoc with my body's immune system.  So yes those chocolates are now shared with others. The gift of giving a surprise to others to enjoy is now the agenda for me with chocolate.

Chocolate can be sweet and also bitter depending on the quality and amount of sugar and milk present in its make up just like life.  Both are still wrapped in nice packaging.  It really depends upon the choices you wish to make in life.

Waiting for a packet of Smarties...

smart self control [drive time / any time]

Give your children a treat that comes in small pieces (e.g. a small box of raisins or Smarties^®). As you give the treat to them, explain that if they have self-control and do not eat it all at once, they will have some later for when they want some more. Leave it at that and see what happens. As the day progresses, use it as an opportunity to talk about the benefits of having self-control.

questions for discussion

• When did you eat your candy?
• Do you still have any left now?
• Do you wish that you still had some to eat now?
• If you had chosen to eat it a little at a time, would you still have some now?
• Would it have been easier to save some for later if you had put it away or asked a parent to care for it for you?

This exercise is applicable to any situation where we are tempted to lose self-control. Work with your children to brainstorm situations where it is better to remove yourself than stay where you are tempted to lose self-control. For example, do not sit beside a friend who you enjoy talking to when you are supposed to be quiet, or choose to leave a play area when tempers are getting heated and you feel angry with a friend.
Note: You may want to repeat this exercise at a later date and see if your children approach it differently after learning about self-control.

This activity  from the website http://www.kidsofintegrity.com/self-control-object-lessons reminded me that a couple of weeks ago I was explaining self control and success to one of my year 11 classes.  I told them about the marshmallow experiment. Where 4 year olds were left alone with a marshmallow.  They were told they could not eat the marshmallow until the adult came back into the room and if they waited there would be some more.

There were two types those who waited patiently and those who waited for a but ate it before the adult got back.  The researchers then caught up with them in their late teens to see how they were getting along.  Interesting results.  Those who waited for the adult to come back were successful achievers, those who hadn't waited were not successful or achievement orientated.

Which do you want your children to be?  So use some of the ideas here and let's encourage them to be sharers and focused on the task at hand.

Patience

Last night I was reading a bible devotional  message from Max Lucado on this topic.  It came home to me just how I hadn't been like that all day. I had one hectic day and at the start had forgotten to pray.  I felt one disaster after the other come my way.  I was and still am very exhuasted from the weeks work and then that does not explain how I really, really feel even at this moment of time typing in this message.

To start with here is what Max had to say about patient.

"The Greek word used here for patience is a descriptive one. It figuratively means “taking a long time to boil.” Think about a pot of boiling water. What factors determine the speed at which it boils? The size of the stove? No. The pot? The utensil may have an influence, but the primary factor is the intensity of the flame. Water boils quickly when the flame is high. It boils slowly when the flame is low. Patience “keeps the burner down.”

Helpful clarification, don’t you think? Patience isn’t naive. It doesn’t ignore misbehavior. It just keeps the flame low. It waits. It listens. It’s slow to boil. This is how God treats us. And, according to Jesus, this is how we should treat others."

I have never thought about patience in this way before.  After reading this it reminds me of a puppy being trained to sit and wait until it's been told to eat.  Lots of tail wagging and stored energy being displayed while it watches the food being put into place.  A colleague of mine took a worship on what he could learn from his dog and showed a clip of the dog waiting for food and how she waits until amen in grace to dash for her food.  Yes puppies aren't passive in this process.

I decided to see how many bible books used these words (patience / patient) in their verses.  Thanks to Bible gate way this task was easier than finding them myself. 

1. James 5:7 

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

2.1 Corthians 13:4

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

3.Proverbs 19:11
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

4. Proverbs 25:15
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

5.Ecclesiastes 7:8
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

6. Isaiah 7:13
Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

7. Romans 2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

8. Romans 9:22
What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

9. 2 Corinthians 6:6
in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

10. Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

11. Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

12.  Timothy 1:16
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

<sup>13. Nehemiah 9:30
For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.

14. Job 6:11
“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?
 
15. Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
 
16. Psalm 40:1
[ Psalm 40 ] For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

17. Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

18. Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

19. Proverbs 16:32
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

20. Isaiah 38:13
I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.

21. Habakkuk 3:16
I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

22. Matthew 18:26
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’23. Matthew 18:29
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

24. Acts 26:3
and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

25. Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26. Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

27. 2 Corinthians 1:6
If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

28. Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

29. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

30. Hebrews 6:15
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

31. James 5:7
[ Patience in Suffering ] Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

32. James 5:8
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

33. 1 Peter 3:20
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

34. 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

35.  Revelation 1:9
[ John’s Vision of Christ ] I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

36. Revelation 3:10
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

I did not realise there was so many verses in the bible with these words in them.  It has been used in so many ways to express the fact we must be slow and composed.  I guess it is so different from those who aren't and out of control. 

In thinking about this word I guess the old word of Temperance could be used to mean the same thing plus the modern terms of balance or moderate could be used but don't really mean the same.

I hope you have a happy Sabbath.  I am off to refresh my body and my spirit today in rest and study and prayer. Shabbat Shalom.</sup>

Follow the Recipe

Being a Food Tech and Hospitality (Home Ec) teacher I really like this guy's advice.  Food and textile products always were almost always turn out best when the creator follows the directions.  I use to love the poster of  a girl using a computer with the caption When in doubt read the directions.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart." NKJV

IT WAS RARE that my mom ever got sick, but one day she was laid up in bed, leaving us kids to fend for ourselves in the kitchen.  I decided to make some biscuits just the way Mom did - from scratch.  I pulled out the cook book and found the recipe.  Flour duster the counter top as I measure out the required amount. The recipe called for baking powder.  I wonder what that's for? I pondered.  I scanned the pantry until I found something that looked close enough - baking soda.  That will do.  I decided.  Then salt.  We can skip that, I thought. Whoever hear of salt on biscuits? And so on.

When the biscuits came out of the oven they looked all right, so I took a few samples to Mom for the final approval.  To my shock she almost spat out the first bite she took.  "What did you put in this?" She gagged.

I had to agree - they tasted terrible.  As we retraced my culinary steps Mom uncovered the reason - I hadn't followed the recipe, and the result was disaster.

God has created a universe where happiness, health, and harmony depend upon our following the right recipe.  In matters of health , God has pointed out those foods to avoid.  In our dealing with others, God gave us the golden rule.  In our search for heaven, God wrote the Ten Commandments.  When we tinker with God's proven plan or scrap it altogether as we experiment with our own ideas for finding joy, we risk a far greater peril then producing ghastly biscuits.  We risk our chances for true happiness and an abundant life.

Here are tow of my favourite Bible recipes.  The first one beings with a statement of why this recipe is important.  It says "He has shown you, O man what is good; and what does the Lord require of You" - then comes the recipe - "but do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Miach 6:8 NKJV)

The second recipe is simple.  "If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart."(Ps.37:4 NKJV).  If we just learn to live by God's recipes for health instead of trying to invent our own, how much better the result!

Why not search the scriptures today for one of God's recipes? 

Write it down follow it and experience the result.

(Kuzma K. (Ed.) (2005) Fit for ever.  One a day devotionals for Body, Mind and Spirit. Following the Recipe by Richardson. L.Review and Herald Publishing Association USA.)