Spice it up!

Ok Youth Group… you know how some times when you add just a dash of salt it can change the taste of what you are eating and make it extra good? Well, tonight, Mama Olya was not home, and Oksana was packing to leave for home, Lori had class till late so that meant finally it was my shot at the kitchen! You guys know how I can’t cook anything small so it was really cool that I was getting to cook for the whole family.

Lori and I went to the store a little ways from the apartment and looked through to see what stuff they had in the store to get. I found chicken, sausage stuff, and what I thought was like stewed/diced tomato… and what turned out to be kind of like a sweet tomato paste like ketchup in a salsa bottle. We got onion, a can of corn, and some soda and candy (dudes they have good candy) and we got in line. On the way home I was thinking “I hope this works!”

We got the onion going and the sausage and chicken followed it started to smell good. Oksana and Lori helped me make some rice, and we got the tomato stuff mixed in to the meat and onions… but it tasted like someone dumped sugar in ketchup. ICK! I was standing there thinking and it hits me ~ I have Tony’s with me! I ask every one if they are ok with some spice and every one is like yes we like spices! So I get the Tony’s and add it… then every one gets a fork and digs in and I wait for the vote…
SCORE! The crowd is happy and I am voted new American Ukrainian Mama!

A little seasoning and the whole dish changes… Jesus reminds tells us,

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and to be trampled under foot by men.”

As you get ready for the weekend you will be spending time with each other at Emma’s Sweet Sixteen, and Brent Roche’s going away time for college. Take a good look around at the people you are friends with and say a quick thank you prayer for the blessing of good Christian friends. Think of how nice it is to be around people who are salt in your life, they add this amazing flavor each one is different and each one unique. When one of your friends is missing for whatever reason it changes the dynamic of the group. Some of the flavor is missing.

Now think about this, there are friends of yours that are lost. Friends you love and who didn’t come to the parties you are going to this weekend. Friends who you know are at parties that they shouldn’t be at at all. Think about friends you wish were with you to have some fun with out the risk of getting into trouble or getting hurt. Think about their parents some of them might have been at the party with your own parents hanging out laughing and having a good time wishing Em a Happy Birthday too. But who is going to tell them about Jesus? Who is going to invite them to come and be a part of the group? What kind of a flavor would they add if they were there? Some spice? Some encouraging sugar? Something to calm the flavor down if it gets out of hand? Guys what are you doing right now to show your friends the love of Christ? Who have you invited to come and add their spice to the mix? If the salt looses the saltiness it is to be trampled under foot by men, it is no longer any good. What a waste of personality. What a waste of talent in the body of Christ… that is for you… don’t be bland. Be bold. Ask your friends to come to Student Life Tour. Ask them to come to the “no brainer activities” (you know what I mean) we have going on right now. Terry and Chelle would love to help you make your friends feel comfortable. We want to meet them when we get home… but we are here… we can’t invite them to Tour or to Power House. YOU CAN.

Be the Salt ya’ll ~ I know ya got flava!

Love,
Ms. Jenn
PS Happy Birthday to Emma! Happy Birthday to Emma! Happy Sweet Sixteen I wish we were at your Party Birthday to Emma!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!