‘Raw’ & Easter

I was thinking about a piece of raw chicken. Pretty gross to sight, and if eaten in that form, could probably cause some serious illness and discomfort! Yet, after a meeting with a mallet, a dip in the marinade, followed by a seasoned dredge and a friendly fryin’- that raw piece of chicken becomes a tantalizing sight of delectable mouth watering goodness! What about a raw potato? What a funny looking little food it is, brown, misshapen, and ladies- talk about dimples in the wrong places? Leave it alone too long or too far from its root and it becomes susceptible to rotting, spores and disaster! Nevertheless… a nice wash, a little slicing, and a visit from its friends- pepper, salt, onion, chive, sour cream, and cheddar- and Voila! That potato is now every emotional woman’s, ‘hormonal hero’ of yummy bliss! You see, anything raw usually goes through a hard and sometimes painful process of preparation before its final product can actually be realized…

Well, like a raw piece of chicken, I had to go through my own process of preparation. I guess it’s safe to say we are all a work in progress- Anyway, strained by the events of my life, a breakup after eleven years followed by a family tragedy, I found myself completely wedged between the life I was living and the life I desired to have. So, I started to sort and sift through life’s purpose. Here is what I found- please do not read this as religious, just something personal from me, and fitting for this Easter season.

My life really was in raw form. God gave me a fresh slice of reality when He showed me that through these various trials. All I could see was my crumbled life. What God saw, however, was just a heart that needed defrosting! He truly changed my diced view on life and started to use my circumstances to help me learn, grow, and trust His great plan for me. I can say with 100% honesty that I have never been more content than I am right now. Did I think at that raw state of life that I would be where I am today? NO WAY! God perfectly prepared me- 2 cups of heartache + 1 cup devastation + 1 tablespoon desperation = My Attention! (Well that is what He wanted anyway) The Creator of my life’s recipe gently brought me through the process of raw to realized, by showing me my own desperate need to get out of ritual/traditions and into real relationship with Him. Like the potato, He grated my heart to get to the core. Now that I have truly let Him in there, He is able to discard that which is unusable, (habits, thoughts, and actions) and replace it with things that are healthy, nutritious, and beneficial for me. Now I am a partially finished product of submission and trust. I began to submit to His ways and trust His promises- (Jeremiah 29:11.) Do I still have problems? You better believe it! After all, I am a woman! At least now I have His hope!

What does any of this have to do with Easter? Well, I wouldn’t let this month pass and not discuss what this AWESOME time represents! We all will have many processes to go through in this life, and thankfully, there is help if we ask for it. Jesus, while on Earth, willingly went through a draining, brutal, painful, and humiliating process that led up to a ‘seemingly’ final product of death on the cross- Although He said, “It is finished,” He wasn’t talking about His life. He was talking about the road He paved for us from Earth to Heaven- He did this ALL for the sake of humanity. Thanks to hundreds of eye witnesses, we know that 3 days later there was an empty tomb and a risen Savior! … From the grave to Resurrected, just like He promised.

He is Risen Indeed! This is definite cause for a Happy Easter!

My Super Easy Easter Artichoke Dip Appetizer

Josie’s Artichoke Dip

2- 8 oz. Pkgs. Cream Cheese

¾- Stick of Butter

3 Jars of Marinated Artichoke Hearts (mostly drained & chopped)

1 Cup Parmesan

½ Package Italian Blend Shredded Cheese

¾ Tablespoon Minced Garlic

Salt, pepper, & crushed red pepper (all to taste)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt first two ingredients in a microwavable bowl, mix very well. Stir in artichokes, cheeses, garlic, and seasonings. Sprinkle top with a little extra parmesan, (browns nicely) put in a square pan, (8x8 or 9x9) and bake about 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve with Triscuits! YUM!