Count Your Blessings

Today’s verse:  Psalm 118: 1  “O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good,because his mercy endures forever” 

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling inadequate?   Like the whole world is against you?  Do you feel overwhelmed by your problems or addictions, stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle?  We all have days like this, and some of us suffer more than others. There are many reasons for feeling down (I’m not talking about depression, which is a clinical issue) but just a feeling of blah.

It helps to count your blessings.   Sometimes it is hard to see our blessings, when we are depressed about our weight, or our over-eating, or our smoking, etc.  But let’s not take our blessings for granted.  Even though we feel unhealthy, we have:

• Lungs that work well and steadily, even when we abuse them by smoking
• Bones that protect our organs and muscles, even though they may be weak from lack of exercise
• A disease fighting immune system, even though our drugs and diets fight back
• A heart that doesn’t stop pumping, even when we don’t treat it well
• Nerve cells that send messages to the other parts of the body, even the damaged parts.
• A digestive system to nourish our bodies, even as we try to destroy it through bad food choices

Our bodies continually support us, no matter how we abuse them.  We need to be healthy and repay our bodies for taking good care of us.    And we need to remember to thank God in all of His glory for taking care of us.  He is always there for us. We need to continually praise Him for the goodness He shows us, even as we destroy what He has blessed us with.  Take time today to thank God for your many blessings and ask Him for strength to deliver us from the evil we are doing to ourselves. In His goodness He will hear our prayer. Blessings to all!

Today’s Healthy Living Recipe

Following up on yesterday’s post, I am continuing with a salad every day this week because salads are so great when fresh veggies are available.  Here’s another great idea!

Grilled Eggplant and Fresh Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs med.eggplants, cut lengthwise intl 1/2 in. thick slices
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, if you like it hot)
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
3 small fresh red Fresno chiles or other hot chiles, finely chopped (or replace with 1/4 cup finely chopped red roasted peppers if you don’t like it hot)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 pint (about 1 1/2 cup) multicolored grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

Heat grill on medium.  Brush eggplant all over with 1/4 c. oil.  Sprinkle with coriander, cayenne and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Grill 10-12 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk mint, chiles, lemon juice, vinegar, remaining 3 Tbsp. oil and 1/2 tsp. salt until well combined.  Add tomatoes, toss to combine.

In small bowl, combine yogurt and milk.

Arrange eggplant on large serving platter.  Top with tomato mixture.  Drizzle with yogurt mixture.  Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.