Hi! How’s it going ya’ll? I am doing well. Do I think about cheese and crackers daily? Yes! However, I have abstained. LOL It is getting easier as each day goes by not to think on these. One other thing I noticed is I miss yogurt and mayonnaise a lot too. Then today, in my daily readings book, Torah for Living it talked about the story of Esau and Jacob and how Esau gave up his birthright because he was very hungry. (Gen. 25: 29-34) Now you would think that’s pretty dumb or at least extreme right? Then it said: BEWARE: Don’t let short-term pleasure trump long-term gain. Don’t put self-indulgence before long-term spiritual gain. That made me think and ask myself, how many times have I let short-term pleasure mislead me? I don’t even want to admit how often now that I thought on it. And it drove home once again how mankind continues to repeat this story Still! So, who’s the dummy now? Esau or Us from not learning from this story.
It also got me thinking about my fast, especially the food part. All these questions popped up in my head: How often do we just eat stuff or “get addicted” to certain foods that are clearly not for our best benefit? Our bodies and health are part of our birthright ya know. Are we thinking through our choices of what we eat and the consequences/ implications of those choices? Is getting what you want in the Moment always what you Need? Are our immediate desires beneficial in living our best life?
After I thought about my answers, I then felt the need to pray: ” Lord, stop me from just feeding my immediate impulses and remind me to Think before I act. I want to live wisely; I want to honor the temple you have given me and love according to your will and plan for my life. Thank you, Lord, for giving me eyes to see and ears to hear the benefits in the story of Esau and Jacob. in the name of Yeshua (Jesus) Amen
Shalom! I’m off to make my Spinach and Kiwi salad with a side of noodle soup
Noodle Soup
Vegetable broth, 1 cup purple onions, 3/4 c. thin sliced zucchini, 3/4 c. carrots, 2 tblsp. garlic, uncooked whole grain pasta, 2 tblsp. soy sauce or tamari, 1 tblsp. dill minced, 1/2 tsp olive oil, & my fav a nice pinch of Herbs de Provence. Oh, and if you don’t want to do whole grain pasta you can spiral your zucchini using 2 whole zucchini and they can be your noodles. I love that little thing!
All About Choices JC 
Good reminder about Esau and short term gain. I try to think what that was like and I’d say he faced even stronger temptation than I have. Or put another way, I’ve given up more for less gain. Esau probably hadn’t eaten for a whole day and he’d been out walking, riding, hunting, doing all sorts of high.energy stuff. And he didn’t have easy access to good other than that which he or someone prepared. Recalling my own fasting struggles, I can easily see how easy access to a steaming bowl of lentils and probably a pile of freshly baked flatbread were worth everything to his hungry eyes.