With government orders to stay home, millions of people have found themselves close to their food pantry much of the day, and the temptation to snack more than usual may feel hard to resist. But it can be resisted and avoided.
Extra time at home can be used for progressive purposes. It can be time spent improving one’s state of mind, demonstrating better health, and learning more about God, which always does the most good.
Jesus Christ taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
(Matthew 5:6, RSV). To “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” is to desire right thinking, or spiritual mindedness. This comes from prayer, devotion of thought to lofty ideals, and an honest desire to be better.
Rather than reaching for a bag of potato chips, one can reach out to God in prayer for spiritual truths that inspire. The outcome will be far more satisfying and rewarding than another chip in your mouth.
Time on your hands does not need to translate into more time in the kitchen. It can be used for constructive worthwhile purposes that leave you far better off than more food traveling over your palate.
Grow spiritually, not physically!
Reach out for inspiration from God. Bite into Truth. Chew on Love. Resist pandemic snacking and stay healthy!
I guess everyone’s up and throwing out their chips! . Thanks, as always Evan!
As sometimes happens Evan, today’s post did not appear in my inbox. Surely there would be many more comments if there were not a problem. Just so you know. Today I will devote thought to “lofty ideals” and find satisfaction in Divine Love!!
Had to go to yesterdays SV blog and click on newer which brought this up. Good thought on what we think are innocent temptations and great ideas on filling our time. I am finally reading Robert Peel’s trilogy on Mary Baker Eddy that has been in my bookcase for years waiting. Time flies when you are reading. I also enjoyed the further comments on yesterdays post. I now realize I have been missing a lot of them by not revisiting them later in the day. Happy days everyone.
Thanks Evan, I’m the same as Jane, had to use an older blog first to get in. Also I’m reading Robert Peels books too. Must admit though I think the pounds have crept on a bit! Good call Evan I’ll be more alert.
Love this sharing, Evan! I know I’ve put on a few unnecessary pounds as well. I’ll post in my kitchen this note, “Bite into Truth. Chew on Divine Love”. Its a new day!! Thank you, God!!
Great message!
Your blog caught me just as I was snacking..good timing…..THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
LOL! Thank you Evan!
Cheers
Sheree
Thanks Evan for today’s blog. I’m in the same position as Jane and Rick- I’ve had to go to one of the older posts to get today’s post, but I’ve had to do this all week. Cathryn, I love your words, “Bite into Truth, Chew on Divine Love”
Oh dear, is all I can say (having just taken out of the over a batch of fudge brownies).
signed, Lives alone in stays home alone in Bend, Oregon, USA
Well, you just shared them with the rest of us, Judith, so no problem… you’re good
: ) A spiritual version of them, that is.
Evan, you have spoken on this issue before and I always find your wisdom helpful and inspiring. For me, at the beginning of this world challenge, I committed to caring for myself by nourishing myself in a wholesome manner—spiritually expressing the qualities of God even during this challenging time rather than exhibiting erroneous and unbecoming behaviors simply out of stress and boredom. When confronted with the temptation to mindlessly eat–I reminded myself of Who I was reflecting and remembered my promise to myself and to my Maker. My goal was NOT to lose weight—rather just to guard ALL my thoughts–not just the ones about the pandemic. I have truly enjoyed the spiritually minded nourishment and plan to continue this newly revealed path with joy and gratitude.
Well, sometimes I ate chocolate, i love chocolste and sweets. But it differs with my eating during this time. When I am at home the whole day, I cook a good meal. But as we had our Reading Room open three times a week and I had service twice the week, then I just had a Banana and some cookies or a piece of bread with me.
Of course it is our aim during this special time to pray for ourself a lot, for our church, our town and for the world. And I remember the toppic from this year’s annual meeting to which we have to be obedient. Well, am working on it.
Thank you very much, Evan to reminde us, rather to pray than to sit before the TV and snacking. I love that sometimes, and I must do it better! It is better than years ago.
I am so grateful to you dear Evan for helping us all with.your wonderful SpiritView blog ! 🙂
When I first saw the headline “snacking” I immediately thought it referred to indulging the Media’s constant feeding of CV information and the temptation to read it according to Saint Mortal Mind, instead of “translating” back into Spirit. My business is “at home” all the time, so I have had to deal with the “talking fridge and pantry” for a while I have to be honest. But I really do find it useful to ask myself: “What is feeling the vacuum/hunger, and deciding for me that it must be indulged?” Whenever the empty feelings that want to be indulged appear on the fringes of my consciousness, I do say: “Stranger, thou are the guest of God.” and then get tucked up in God and determine all the reasons why Man is already satisfied and has a Pantry of inspiring Ideas to defuse all the “I want” thoughts clamouring for indulgence. Thank you dear Evan for providing us with this amazing Blog and stimulus for dialogue. I certainly have grown thru it and love how I am able to look for God in it all, instead of the default mortal response and reaction to what appears on the radar.
Your description of satisfying every temptation with a spiritual answer, helps me find new opportunities to leave the snacks out; filling up on real food, spiritual ideas is much richer and satisfying. What is amazing to me is learning about solutions, with each uplifting spiritual thought replacing the “snack break”, which carried over to solutions to long neglected unfinished business has been the result. Thank you.
What came to thought immediately was the idea of snacking on news. I live alone and recently find myself drawn to media to find out what is happening “out there” as things are re-opening. So, I substituted some words in Evan’s wonderful message.
With government orders to stay home, millions of people have found themselves close to their tv, radio, smart assistant etc. much of the day, and the temptation to listen more than usual may feel hard to resist. But it can be resisted and avoided.
Extra time at home can be used for progressive purposes. It can be time spent improving one’s state of mind, demonstrating better mental health, and learning more about God, which always does the most good.
Jesus Christ taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
(Matthew 5:6, RSV). To “hunger and thirst for righteousness,” is to desire right thinking, or spiritual mindedness. This comes from prayer, devotion of thought to lofty ideals, and an honest desire to be better.
Rather than reaching for a remote control , button or voice command, one can reach out to God in prayer for spiritual truths that inspire. The outcome will be far more satisfying and rewarding than another piece of the world’s (mortal mind’s) breaking news. .
Time on your hands does not need to translate into more time in front of a screen or, mindlessly listening, to today’s news stories. It can be used for constructive worthwhile purposes that leave you far better off than erroneous pictures, analysis and predictions.
Grow spiritually, not in conformity to this world!
Reach out for inspiration from God. Delve into Truth. meditate on Love. Resist indulging on pandemic rhetoric and stay in Spirit!
Love to all, Kathleen
Thank you, Kathleen. I, too, thought the blog would be about getting absorbed in the newest statistics.
Like Kathleen I have cut TV. I have.done it t to stop hearing the latest news about the virus. It used to be a ritual with me to watch a news program or a comedy show while I ate dinner. Now I find spiritual inspiration on the Laptop or smartphone while I eat
I love it!
Glad to “find” yesterday’s blog. Thank you all for your caring comments. How blessed I am to read & ponder the words use each day, Evan.
Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude to God.
Loved reading all the various replies to the day’s Spririt View, rich with nutritious alternatives. I read a recent healing on-line or somewhere about the use of controlling thought, and the use of keeping CT, short form of control thought, on the ready for fighting mortal mind’s temptations from any number of sneaky ways the mortal man is distracted. Facing fear? CT; disappointed in something or someone? CT; tempted to snack and snack and snack as a way of distraction of being in quarantine? CT; more useful by CT is allowing Love to replace all the distractions listed above, as well as applying CT to whatever mortal mine can/will throw at you…CT, let Love replace the distraction, whatever form it may take. Enjoy.
correction: whatever mortal MIND can/will throw at you…CT
Thank you Evan. Always a good reminder. Also love the ideas about not indulging on the news and tv. Although I own a TV set, I do not have tv or watch tv. I watch a movie occasionally but prefer to be out and about living (and now out hiking since many of the trails in my area are open again). Never have understood why one would want to watch others living on tv instead of be out living themselves and be involved in the communities outside the home. There are so many to be involved in. I am part of a hiking/climbing community, a barn community, a tennis community, a gym community (not open yet but cannot wait to be back with my fellow Zumba dancers), family by blood community, my Spiritview community, etcetera, etcetera.
It’s interesting that several of us here have felt led to use our time to read or re-read the Robert Peel trilogy biography of Mary Baker Eddy. I also have been doing this and am now starting the 3rd volume Years of Authority. I read only a couple of pages at a time, and am finding this very worthwhile of my time, in case anyone else is thinking of doing it. In an indirect way, I think understanding MBE’s experiences better helps me understand S&H a little better.