I love peanut butter and jelly. This holiday was right down my alley. For breakfast, I ate peanut butter and jelly on toast. I went to a restaurant and had lunch with a friend of mine. I actually asked the waitress if she knew today was national peanut butter and jelly day. She said that she did and people in the kitchen were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I said, "No way!" She said seriously they were. So, I asked if they had special items on the menu for national peanut butter and jelly day. She said no, they were just making sandwiches in the kitchen for each other. I was really glad because I had been thinking about a shrimp salad with Cajun spices and I did not want to have to make a decision between that and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because this is my "first."
A friend of mine sent me a recipe for peanut butter and jelly popcorn. There's a "first" right there; I've never had a friend send me a recipe. When he told me he had found a recipe for that on the Internet, I thought I"m not doing that. When he sent it and I read it, I changed my mind. You just make popcorn and melt some white chocolate with peanut butter and jelly and pour it over the popcorn (it's a tad more directions than that but not much). Hmmm, methinks I can do that. Of course, that means Laura and I can do that. It actually tastes really good. Laura thought so as well. What makes it so good is you melt 10 pounds of white chocolate and dab of peanut butter and jelly (slight exaggeration). The white chocolate taste really comes through. That was my after supper snack today.
So, for my bedtime snack tonight I'll have peanut butter and jelly on saltines. That sounds like a good end to National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. The sad thing is that I have been eating peanut butter and jelly on toast for lunch a good bit and it still sounds good. Did I mention I like peanut butter and jelly? The rule is you can't mix the peanut butter and jelly before putting it on your sandwich or toast. That greatly diminishes the experience. Even the popcorn recipe has you keeping the peanut butter and jelly separate. That's just a hint for you peanut butter and jelly novices. Also, Jif peanut butter (smooth) and Welch's grape jelly is pretty good.
Breakfast of champions; or those who celebrate pj&j day
Champs
Ingredients for the popcorn; notice the white chocolate hunks next to the peanut butter
PB&J popcorn; I put my jelly in too quick and it sort of clotted up but still good
Some things just go together well. There are a lot of dynamic duos in the world; peanut butter and jelly, shrimp and fettuccine, cereal and milk, Batman and Robin, Laurel and Hardy, Starsky and Hutch, rice and gravy, Tom and Jerry, rock and roll, macaroni and cheese, Fred Flintsone and Barney Rubble, Andy Taylor and Barney Fife, Bert and Ernie, crawfish and Barry; you get the idea. In our walk with Jesus, there are some things that go together really well. Faith and repentance go together really well. If a man truly believes what God says in His word, he should repent. God says we are sinful and wrong with Him. He says His ways are higher than our ways. I can continue to go my own way or I can choose to repent and go God's way. If I believe God, I should repent. When God says in Luke 13:3 that we can repent or perish, I should repent if I believe that. Someone that does repent does so because they have faith that God's word is true.
Prayer and faith is another dynamic duo. Most people pray at some point. It is a different experience altogether when someone prays in the will of God and truly believes God is answering. There is a difference in the person praying and God responds differently. Too many times I catch myself mouthing prayers and having to stop and ask myself, "Do I truly believe God is responding to this?"
Holiness and joy are a dynamic duo that many people forget about. Too many people see holiness as something drab and dull. The Bible says in Psalm 16:11-"You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." We find real joy in the presence of a holy God. Then in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, " You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit" The Holy (not unholy) Spirit gives joy. The Holy Spirit produces in us the fruit of joy. As I glance around at the unhappiness of the world, much of it is caused by unholiness. Think about the heartaches caused by adultery, hatred, meanness, gossip, anger, lust, worry, and these are all unholy things. It's odd; when I pursue joy in unholy things, I don't really find it. I may find some temporary relief, but not real lasting joy. When I seek to be holy as God is holy, I find joy. God is to be primary; He can fill us with His joy when He is.
Joyful in the abundant life
Barry
3 things I thank God for today
1. Peanut Butter and Jelly
2. Coffee maker
3. The book of Ephesians
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