My sweet, precious grandkids are at an age when familiarity is the only thing that tastes good. Anyone who has ever shared a meal with a three to five-year-old knows exactly what I’m talking about. An unknown texture, a funky color, an unusual scent is all it takes to push back out what barely touched the tongue. It can be as little as one bite before Jane changes her mind. If juice doesn’t come in a pink cup… is it even worth drinking? And no one is getting a snack without them seeing what they’re missing. Who remembers when eating was less about hunger and more of a competitive sport?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we were kids, Mom would bring home Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Bars from the grocery store. It wasn’t often, but when that stuff showed up, we couldn’t eat it fast enough. Mini Snickers kept in the refrigerator butter compartment were quickly confiscated. Green beans and pearl sized peas, well, they went from hand to garbage can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Psalmist knew a thing or two about what constituted good food. He was king, so, the juiciest steak, the plumpest berries, the finest wine was on his table. Scarcity was not a problem for the king. Variety was at his fingertips. He knew well the difference between quality and a Big Mac. He knew what made him strong and what only weighed him down. So, when the king says, “<\/em><\/strong>Taste and see that the Lord is good!” what’s his point?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across cereal and milk, I decided to present Jane & Martins’ Mom and Dad with my question. “What do you think it means when God says, taste and see that the Lord is good<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n “That’s a great question,” out of his chair and circling the kitchen, Amanda eating, her wheels spinning. I thought Bill was finished, but he returned a moment later with an answer more filling than breakfast, “To taste and see the Lord\u2014is experiential<\/em><\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we experienced Jesus, we understood good and well how no other experience ever saved us. <\/em><\/strong>The Holy Spirit rescued us in ways we couldn’t imagine<\/em>. <\/em><\/strong>The king who repeatedly went to battle against heavens’ enemies declared, “In God is my salvation and glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But if we’re afraid to taste\u2014how will we ever see?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Skin and bones are infinitely resistant to anything spiritually wholesome.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jane and Martin are not ready to budge. Pulling back when all I want is to fill their hungry cry. I’ve felt that pain. I pouted plenty. Tossed away satisfaction for the sake of appearance. Filled myself with another helping of discontentment. I’ve swallowed enough pride for the three of us. But God always has more of Himself that we have never tasted.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In every stage of life, we’re tempted to think we’ve tried it all. But when it comes to the riches of God\u2014we haven’t tasted the half of it<\/em>. Why… His mercies are new every 24-hours! O the depth of God\u2019s wisdom and knowledge, don’t even get me started! Unsearchable are God’s judgements\u2014His ways keep blowing us over!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s not fool ourselves. If we’re still breathing, God has something we don’t wanna miss.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Short supply is never a problem for the God who breathed everything into being. <\/em>Creative ways to save are the LORD’S specialty. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My sweet, precious grandkids are at an age when familiarity is the only thing that tastes good. Anyone who has ever shared a meal with a three to five-year-old knows exactly what I’m talking about. An unknown texture, a funky color, an unusual scent is all it takes to push back out what barely touched […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143625079,"featured_media":20139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[54418],"tags":[773157852,773157840,773157876,105718],"class_list":["post-8936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bible","tag-jesus","tag-love","tag-salvation","tag-verses"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pacmrQ-2k8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15719,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=15719","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":0},"title":"What It Means to Actually Walk with God","author":"Jo Alo","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"What does it mean when we read in Scripture how some walked with God? Does it mean putting on our shoes and running our palms over feathery prairie grass? Noticing bright red ladybugs and dandelions popping up? Is that what it means to walk with our Creator? Stepping out of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Bible"","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kids-on-tractor-with-great-grampa-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C756&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kids-on-tractor-with-great-grampa-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C756&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kids-on-tractor-with-great-grampa-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C756&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kids-on-tractor-with-great-grampa-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C756&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kids-on-tractor-with-great-grampa-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C756&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6527,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=6527","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":1},"title":"You Want To Fly But You Don’t Have Wings","author":"Jo Alo","date":"July 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When the grandkids come, we play a game we call Would You Rather. Would you rather be a whale or a penguin? Would you rather have a toothache or a sprained ankle? Occasionally for fun, we throw in this one, \u201cIf you could have a superpower what would it be?\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "contentment"","block_context":{"text":"contentment","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=102201"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_8569-3.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_8569-3.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_8569-3.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_8569-3.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14674,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=14674","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":2},"title":"Birthday’s & Why It’s So Hard to Celebrate","author":"Jo Alo","date":"December 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Sixty-one birthdays and I finally feel like celebrating. I've never thought December 9th worth singing about. Many beautiful people have surprised me, blessed and gifted me, but none has ever convinced me my birth was a happy day. And here's why: No one but the Creator knows what it took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebration"","block_context":{"text":"Celebration","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=5205"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/img_1130-1.png?fit=951%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/img_1130-1.png?fit=951%2C960&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/img_1130-1.png?fit=951%2C960&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/img_1130-1.png?fit=951%2C960&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1171,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=1171","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":3},"title":"Early Will I Seek You: A Rich Breakfast For Your Soul","author":"Jo Alo","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A sweet, soft voice comes from the kitchen echoing up the stairs.\u00a0My grandson is here.\u00a0They traveled all day yesterday so he could stay. And we'll delight in the sound of him three whole days. We've enjoyed him before but never by his six-year-old self. Bravely admitting his nervousness, we surround\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "bible reading"","block_context":{"text":"bible reading","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=115908"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/3f6002ea-81cf-461e-aed9-a8ffce40a3a1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/3f6002ea-81cf-461e-aed9-a8ffce40a3a1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/3f6002ea-81cf-461e-aed9-a8ffce40a3a1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/3f6002ea-81cf-461e-aed9-a8ffce40a3a1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/3f6002ea-81cf-461e-aed9-a8ffce40a3a1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11153,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11153","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":4},"title":"“You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29","author":"Jo Alo","date":"June 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus says something jaw-dropping to the theologians of his day. The experts on scripture are thrown down by the Master because they've neither the knowledge nor the power to understand what they're saying. It baffles the mind how one could spend their entire life in the Bible\u2014and it still not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "false teaching"","block_context":{"text":"false teaching","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=135063"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/jeremy-bishop-l5pjd81mlaw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1180%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/jeremy-bishop-l5pjd81mlaw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1180%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/jeremy-bishop-l5pjd81mlaw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1180%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/jeremy-bishop-l5pjd81mlaw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1180%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/jeremy-bishop-l5pjd81mlaw-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1180%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10159,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=10159","url_meta":{"origin":8936,"position":5},"title":"FIGHT YOUR FEARS IN PRAYER","author":"Jo Alo","date":"May 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When anxiety creeps in unexpectedly, it can feel like we\u2019ll never get control of it. I do all the things: antidepressants, abdominal breathing, I stay away from caffeine, eat right, walk every day, I\u2019ve spent enough hours in counseling,\u00a0and it\u2019s all helping\u2014but let\u2019s be realistic\u2014nothing & no one has what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Bible"","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_7509.jpeg?fit=1112%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_7509.jpeg?fit=1112%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_7509.jpeg?fit=1112%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_7509.jpeg?fit=1112%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/img_7509.jpeg?fit=1112%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MARTIN-POSSIBLE-SCHOOL-PIC.jpeg?fit=1083%2C879&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/143625079"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8936"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19395,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8936\/revisions\/19395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
CREATIVE WAYS TO SAVE ARE THE LORD’S SPECIALTY<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n