Generosity

April 20, 2022 Sharon Jacobson

Generosity

Today was a powerful lesson for me about generosity. It all started because I was looking for help with our yard. It turned into an opportunity for me to experience grace, humility, gratitude and freedom. All too often, when we think about generosity, it is about giving to others. When we are the ones being viewed as being generous, it is about our giving to others, about our giving more then is expected. It is about what we are doing to help others. All that is true.

However, today I was reminded that being generous is not just about how we are blessing others, it is also about what we give ourselves. We give ourselves an opportunity to remember how blessed we are that we have that we can give. It is a time to give thanks for all we have been blessed with. It is because of that attitude of gratitude that we can also experience a sense of humility for the abundance of our blessings and the opportunities we are given to be of service.

Today I had the opportunity to bless someone and to be blessed in return. A new neighbor had gifts I do not possess. He so graciously shared them with me and I appreciated his generosity. As I listened to what they were going through I found myself freeing my kitchen of some of our abundance and of products that would be appreciated more in a new home. What I did not anticipate is the sense of liberation that came in releasing that which I did not really need. What I let go of today gave me a greater appreciation for what I have been given

This experience reminded me of why we declutter in our house. I remembered how the physical clutter takes up space that can be filled with Spirit. As we continue to declutter and release that which is not essential, we open our home and our lives to Spirit. We create new pockets of space for the love of the Ultimate. The loaves of bread we gave away will feed this family but also made room for healthier items we should be eating more of, but did not have space for in our freezer. It is this process of letting go which freed me to make different choices in my own life. It freed me to more fully embrace the nutritional and spiritual journey on which we are currently traveling. Like any new adventure, it can be filled with surprises, like the rediscovery of a box of healthy treats I had lost sight of in the clutter. My letting go not only blessed others, but it freed us to make room in our lives and to rediscover that which we could no longer see.

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Garlic and Gratitude

April 12, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Years ago, I got in the habit of starting my day by writing down five things I have to be grateful for. Giving thanks is not just a good thing to do, it is an integral part of my spiritual journey and helps me stay grounded, balanced, and working on enriching my life. I know others have suggested writing 5 things in in a journal each evening, but I find it a great way for me to start my day. However at night, sometimes around the dinner table or before we go to bed, my wife and I take a moment to give thanks for one thing the other one did that day that made us feel loved. I am always surprised at the little things that make her feel loved.

Sometimes I am grateful for things I have. However, sometimes I am grateful for situations that did not turn out the way I wanted because they provide me opportunities to learn, grow, and evolve. Each time I step foot in the kitchen, I have to much to be grateful for. This morning I realized how blessed I am to have access to all the Pampered Chef tools and utensils I have acquired since becoming a consultant and the lessons they have taught me.

Topsy Turvy Cakeology

March 22, 2017 Sharon Jacobson

Hard to believe it has been almost a year since I have blogged here. For the last year, I have been praying about whether or not to continue with this blog. I had been praying for guidance about whether or not to restart. This past week, I was contacted out of the blue by a food site called Chew the World. They wrote a blog called The Definite Guide to Spaghetti Squash. While doing research on the topic they had run across a blog on Spaghetti Squash Spirituality I wrote over a year ago. We chose to help make each other’s work visible. Even though I was not included in their guide on how to cook it, to have my work recognized and shared by another food blogger inspired me to think about writing about the spiritual lessons from food again.

It was this connection with Chew the World that inspired my writing again this week. Their most recent blog was about How To Make A Topsy Turvy Cake The Easy Way. I am not sure if you have ever seen one of these cakes but they look amazing and like they are so difficult to make as if layer tilts at a different angle. The secret they point out is having the right equipment,

Food Gratitude

November 11, 2015 Sharon Jacobson

While i was doing some research on the Paleo diet, I came across this article on food and gratitude. Since that is our focus this month, I thought I would share it. It is not about the Paleo diet, but really about our attitude towards food and how food is something for us to be grateful for in our lives.

Sure, it’s easy to focus on everything that’s wrong with the modern food system. The corn subsidies that make Coke and Doritos cheaper than tea and apples. The junk food industry that advertises sugar-coated sugar to our kids for breakfast. The research sponsored by food and beverage giants like Pepsi Co. All those things are serious problems. But keep it in perspective: we have plenty to be grateful for.

Sacred and Sacrifice

September 10, 2014 Sharon Jacobson

Recently, I re-watched a film (Gods of our Fathers) with my students, which made me think about how the way we, as human beings, have voted with our food has changed over time. During the time of hunter-gatherers, they never took for granted where their next meal might be coming from or what it might be. My sense is that they found food along the way to nurture their bodies. I have a hard time envisioning them stopping at regularly scheduled times to eat. My sense is that not knowing where their next meal was coming from or when; they did not take any morsel for granted.

Giving Thanks!

October 10, 2013 Sharon Jacobson

Lacking inspiration for my blog this week, I decided to do what I used to do when I was preaching on a regular basis. I laid down, prayed for guidance and inspiration, and then begin to focus on my breathing. At some point, I fell asleep to some show on the Food Network. However, the first words I heard were Chris Santos reflecting on the four contestants on a repeat episode of Chopped. In this episode, the four cheftestants cooked for non-profit organizations. His comment was about how we need to give thanks for those who cook as a form of service.

Tebowing in my kitchen

December 4, 2011 Sharon Jacobson

A fellow food blogger, Warren Caterson, whose sense of humor, I love wrote a piece called Excuse Me While I Chill Some Wine and Take a Few Moments to Tebow. In it he started by talking about Tim Tebow and how when he does well on the field, he drops down to one knee and prays. After talking about football for a moment, he brought it to a place I could relate to on a personal level. He said, “For me, culinary expertise is a gift just like any talent. The ability to taste, to tweak, to cook is all on loan.” I could not agree more. I know that everything I learn about food, every gift I have in the kitchen, every smell that comes alive, the aroma that fills the air, the way the foods change textures as I work with them. All of these things are a gift from the Infinite. Warren jokingly said, “So if my next meal pleases the palates of my guests? Perhaps you just might catch a glimpse of me "Tebowing" in the darkness of my pantry. Because being thankful for whatever talent I might have is something I will strive for.”

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