31 Days: Intentional Meals

My husband works for the company that runs the world’s largest cigars stores. He has been working for said company for over two years and is currently the bar manager for one of the stores. Yes, you read that right. Cigars and booze. When we moved to Orlando to plant a church this is not how we planned it. As I was growing up as a Christian in the South this is not how I saw my life playing out. As a matter of fact once upon a time I would have considered my husband and me to be on a pathway straight to hell because of the places and people we associate with. But this has all been very clearly part of God’s plan for our lives and our ministry. As Michael Frost said:



“If exiles are looking for where God is already working, they might be surprised by what they find. They might find God in the bar or the biker gang, in the strip club or the casino…No one in Jesus’ time would have thought to find God eating with tax collectors or playing with children.”


Due to my husband’s occupation he works an interesting schedule which means I spend five nights a week at a cigar shop. No seriously, five nights a week. This means I get to talk to lots of people and form lots of relationships. Usually I try to cook/bake something for the employees at least once a week. This week I made them soup and we had a ‘family dinner.’ It was lovely. Everyone had some and the results lead me to my 1,000 gifts list:


38. ‘Family Diner’ with friends


39. Empty soup pot means dinner was shared with others


40. Diverse languages spoken at a multicultural dinner


41. The connection to the Creator that comes with preparing real food.


42. The joy in chopping veggies and meats

Click here for a list of articles regarding the theology of meals.

Can you believe this is the last full week of 31 Days? I can’t. Where has October gone?