Getting To Know God
El Elyon - Transcendent Above All
Food For Thought

Good Morning
There's a lot of sweet ways to start the morning. This looks like one here...
YUM!
People say, “Good morning” all of the time, but the truth is, not every morning is good. Everyone is different, but there are often things that we grow dependent on to help our mornings get to the condition where we can call it “good.” The better we sleep, the better the day, but sometimes we need more. Sometimes we need a shower to really wake up. Sometimes we need that fresh cup of coffee. If you’ve got good spiritual sense, you know you need some time in prayer, and time in the Word. Still, sometimes there are those things that really can take a morning to a quality of “good” that exceeds our expectations, setting us up with the right attitude and perhaps, settling expectations down, relieving stress. The right kind of breakfast food can get us there sometimes…
Sometimes, the right breakfast can really be the jumpstart we need to get our mood into a productive state. Proper nourishment is usually helpful to the mind, which affects our mood; but sometimes, the things we consider “proper” don’t have to be healthy. Sometimes, some good old fashion indulgence is “proper;” and when we begin the day with our favorite indulgence, our moods can change for the better. When we consume the things we think are good, our attitudes shift, and hopefully, we become more pleasant and productive people.
The same is true concerning the goodness of God. When we understand His character and nature, the temperament of His work, the desires He has for our lives, and so forth, the more we grow to appreciate Him. The more we recognize the quality of mercy, compassion, and grace we’ve received from Him, the humbler we become, and the stresses of life can easily take a backseat. The more we consume His Word, which teaches us these things, the more we feel satisfied by the sweetness and flavor that God brings to our lives. The Bible teaches that, “it’s the goodness of God that leads to repentance.” It’s that repentance that settles our hearts, takes the load off, and brings peace that surpasses all understanding, since that repentance leads to the joy of our salvation by faith in the Gospel that accompanies repentance. There aren’t any better ways to start your morning off than by consuming that truth!
To illustrate this point, we wanted to picture a sweet indulgence that dynamic in flavor, but also somewhat familiar. At the same time, we wanted to picture something that isn’t always available; something rare and special that you can’t get everywhere. After all, the Gospel is familiar, but the sweetness of its truth isn’t always easy to find. When we get it, we appreciate it all the more! So, we made a perdu, which is basically the French version of stuffed French toast. We made a filling comprised of blended black berries and raspberries, cooked down in coconut butter and various aromatic spices. We used some brioche bread and lightly grilled that in some butter, and made one of the best-tasting sweet breakfast sandwiches ever! You can’t have this sort of sweetness in the morning without a nice fresh cup of espresso, so as you see, it’s there. Waking up to a breakfast prepared for you like this would probably set the mood in a pleasant place. How much more the goodness of the Almighty God who died to save us from sin?