Check out the podcast at the end of this article. It was recorded before this Christmas. We hope to resurrect the podcast regularly very soon.

Mangea, mangea! (Eat! Eat!)

 Lots of people know how to make visitors to their home feel welcome. But, Italian ladies do it as well as anyone in the world.

We travel a good bit in our ministry here and there’s one word I hear a lot when our host’s family originally came from Italy. “Mangez, mangez! Oh, you don’t like it! Mangez!” (Eat, eat!).

So there you are at the table and you’ve eaten delicious pasta, pizza, Italian sausage and whatever for an hour or so. Your belly is a full as a tick which has been latched onto a dog for three weeks. The only empty space you have left is your left-front shirt pocket and it’s tight.But, this dear lady wants you to eat more. Her generous heart wants to bless you as much as possible.
 
I wonder if God doesn’t have a little of an Italian mama in Him. He wants you to eat and eat!
 
“…He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps. 107:9, NKJV)
He’s not going to leave you alone. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” (Ps. 34:8, NKJV)
 
Now you can quit, huh? Think again.
 
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread. And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good…
 
(See?)
 
“…let your soul delight itself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1, 2 NKJV).
 
There’s one big difference between the Lord’s food and earthly food, though. When you eat what the Lord offers, you can eat and eat and eat and your stomach doesn’t swell. You just want more and more and instead of hurting you, it brings you life.
 
So, the Lord says to us today, “Eat! Eat! You don’t like it! Eat!” Someway, these Italian mamas must have a heart a bit like God. They both want us to eat.
 
I guess it’s natural because a lot of these Italian ladies I meet are children of the Lord so I guess it’s natural that they share His family traits.
 
And can a share a secret with you about this Italian food? It’s GOOD! Not as good as God’s food, but not bad, so …
 
Mangez, mangez!

Pushing Back Your Limits! (Coffee Stains podcast)

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Hmmm …

“Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison