December 8: Pondering

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.- Luke 2:19

Are you the type of person that likes to read the same couple of books over and over again or are you a once and done type of person? Are you someone who is boisterous in your expression or are you reserved and prefer to stand back to take everything in?

These questions are related, but more on that in a moment.  

We have become a culture that is afraid of the quietness. We thrive with our schedules, our coffee dates, and making sure we upload our #motivationalmonday pictures.  We shy away from quiet moments of prayer and devotions and look for a podcast or some worship music instead. While each of these things are great and can be beneficial, spiritual growth happens in the quiet time with our Bibles.  

Figure this, the pastor gets the most out of the sermon because they have been pondering the sermon text privately all week; the small group leader benefits most from the content because they’ve been preparing to bless people. We learn best when we delve into the text or content.

Mary was a thinker. When the angel came to her to tell her she was with child she responded by being quiet in spirit; when the shepherds came to her exclaiming everything the angels had said, she did not respond by saying, that’s old news I was told nine months ago that all of this was going to happen.  Instead, she treasured everything in her heart.
Whether you are hearing the Christmas story for the first time or the 100th time, may we slow down, read the Bible with intention, and ponder everything in our hearts like Mary.

Take some time to prep some chili and while it’s cooking be intentional about how you use your time.
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Recipe: Vegetarian Chili

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 (15.5 ounces) cans black beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (16 ounces) can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (16 ounces) can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
• 2.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cocoa powder
• Brown sugar/maple syrup to sweeten to taste

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic sauté until they soften but don’t brown about five minutes.
2. Add the peppers and sauté until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Set your slow cooker to low. Add the beans, vegetables, diced tomatoes, spices, cocoa powder and, sweetener. Stir to combine and cover. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Written by: Abigail Elliott

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