Tag Archives: Jeremiah

Want a Clove?

We didn’t eat sugar in our house growing up. But we did eat cloves. Okay—we didn’t eat cloves; I did.

It all started when my mom gave them to us in church (instead of  breath mints) to help us stay awake. She recommended that we suck on them, which my sisters did; but I found they were much more effective when chewed.

Years later, in college, I found I was often struggling to stay awake during class and even at work. With a very full schedule, sleep was at a premium. I remembered the value of cloves, and I filled a small container to keep on my person. It really helped—even if some people did make fun of my odd habit. I always offered they could try one, but they usually declined. At least I could stay awake—when I really needed to!

But the ultimate in clove-eating came this week when I ate them…because I was hungry! I was waiting on someone for lunch and experiencing starvation-like pains in the meantime. (Well, maybe not starvation-like, but pretty severe!)

In desperation, I searched my desk drawers for something…anything…to eat, and that is when I saw my old container of cloves. And, yes, I ate them—not just one or two, but probably fifteen or twenty. (Incidentally, I found that cloves have a way of warming your stomach on the inside—quite helpful for short-term hunger control!) Continue reading

Miraculous Problems

Are you facing a miraculous problem?

Yes, I know, that sounds like an oxy-moron. After all, everyone has problems—often plenty of them, but the last thing we call them is miraculous. Miracles solve problems; they don’t make problems, right?

God’s Word tells of many miracles. We love to read of how God delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. We love to tell children the stories of Daniel in the lions’ den and Gideon’s victory over the Midianites. We wish we could have been there when Jesus fed over five thousand people with five loaves and two fish or when Esther was used by God to save her people. We may even wish we could have been the one to kill Goliath or to lead the Israelites as God leveled the walls of Jericho.

But we tend to forget that in every one of these examples of miraculous deliverance there was first a miraculous problem—a problem that God allowed and maybe even placed in that person’s life so He could show His power. Continue reading