Pretzels covered in almond bark and sprinkles. Russian tea cakes. Chocolate cake box cookies. Butterscotch goodies. Peanut butter spread on Ritz crackers and then dipped in chocolate. Our kitchen table was covered with these traditional desserts this afternoon!

Is your mouth watering? Tis the season for sweets...more sweets than you can count! The recipes are endless. Each family has their special cookie traditions, and mine is no different. Everyone pitched in today, mixing and dipping, dunking and licking. We had to keep a close eye on my younger sisters, who thought their job was to taste everything!

I did not taste anything; I just munched on a few pretzels while watching. And I was okay with that. If there's anything I've learned in the past year it's this: food isn't worth all the attention and praise we give it. It just isn't! You've seen the commercials; you've heard the marketing slogans. "Betcha can't eat just one!" "It's to die for." The chocolate cake is "sinfully delicious". We wouldn't be watching the commericals and hearing the slogans if they weren't effective. The "lust of the eyes" often leads us astray. I mean, seriously - how many times have you seen a picture of ice cream and then suddenly got a craving for something sweet? Or seen a juicy burger and thought, "That really looks good! I'm going to go find something to munch on.". We've put food up on a pedistal, made it an idol. Our eyes and our emotions can get us into trouble if we're not careful. Do we eat when we are truly hungry or simply because something looks good?
It's ridiculous as I think about it now, but that was part of my way of thinking 12 months ago. I remember eating a snack just because I was bored, or stuffing myself at the dinner table when I felt stressed. It was an unconscience act, because I was so blind as to how my actions were linked to my emotions. I say it's about time that we as Christians put food back in it's proper place. Food is God's provision of nourishment for our bodies. Plain and simple.
Does that mean I don't enjoy food? Absolutely not! Delicious meals make my mouth water just like your's. Why do you think God created so many different kinds of food? He wants us to enjoy them. Just not too much...not when we cross over from enjoyment to idolatry. Food and eating food should not consume our thoughts, it shouldn't be the thing we run to when our emotions are out of control - Spirit control. That place is reserved for God alone. And if it's not, then "Houston, we've got problems."

And I know that some of you who read this blog don't struggle in the same why I do. You're not trying to lose weight. But don't think you're off the hook! Food may not be a struggle, but that just means that something else is. We all have struggles, and we need to face them with the strength and grace that God so freely provides...and go smashing down some idols!

In closing, here is the recipe that I followed to make my hummus dip. When I searched for recipes online, I found hundreds! I just picked one and tried it, and I liked it a lot. If anyone has a different hummus recipe that you use, please post it! I want to try different kinds and see which is my favorite.

-3 cloves of garlic, minced, more if you like
-1/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt (don't worry about the "lowfat" - use what you want)
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Combine everything in blender or food processor and process until smooth. (The blender gives the best result.) If you need more liquid to make a nice consistency, add a bit more yogurt. Chill. Serve with pitas or as a veggie dip.

Happy smashing! ~Bekah