A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul

By Dr. Carol Kennedy

Do you like chocolate?

Do you find it sweet, delicious and satisfying?

Gods Word can be the same. Once it becomes part of your daily diet, you will hunger for it.

Like chocolate, Gods Word is sweet, satisfying and delicious. Dr. Carol claims chocolate as her modern parable, and shows the reader how the Word sweetens relationships and calms situations.

Find God at work in over 100 stories. Smile and cry at Thanks for the Soldiers. Feel your heart strings tugged while reading The Granmum Bag.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449734633

Dr. Carol Kennedy

Award winning author, Dr. Carol Kennedy, has over three decades experience teaching, consulting and speaking to varied audiences. Women of Faith and Cancer Survivors equally praise her ability to combine humor with inspiration. Popular Presentation: “How Can I Unlock God’s Power In My Life?” Dr. Kennedy received the President’s Award from the Florida Authors & Publishers Association, in the category of Women’s Christian Inspirational Literature for A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul. www.drcarolkennedy.com

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Copyright © 2012 Dr. Carol Kennedy

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The following stories and testimonies are taken from real life experiences. The story lines are kept accurate to tell the story, but names, dates, certain details and geographical locale have been changed to protect privacy.

Enjoy the stories and see if you agree that God’s word is very much like delicious, sweet chocolate.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-3464-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-3465-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-3463-3 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011963012

Printed in the United States of America

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/24/2012

Contents

Dedication

Preface

What’s a Take Away Verse?

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

Chocolates, Pecans and Coffee Beans

Thanks for the Soldiers

Lord, Are you Sure?

He’s Delightful!

A Grandma’s Love

Actions Still Speak Louder than Words

The Granmum Bag

I Like this Road map

If Clothes Make the Man

or Woman

It Starts With Me

Moses Tells How it Happened

My Treasure Hunt

Sometimes an Apology

Isn’t Enough

The Whole Story

What’s so Special about Mary?

Are you Hungry?

The Balloon Is Full

Just Look Up

I Never Tire of this Story

I Am So Thirsty

And the Lightning

Bugs Danced

It Is no Secret

Jesus Is for Everyone

Pain and Suffering Stink!

Leave It Behind

Bring It On!

I’ll Never Return This Gift

From a God-Whisper

to a Ministry

The Ten Finger Prayer

God Never Gets Tired,

I Need Some of His Energy

Where’s the Light Switch??

Satan Never Gives Up,

Neither Should I

When I Looked In the Mirror

How Do I Get to Know God?

Keep the Wicked Away

God Won’t Forget

Hey, Who Cut in Line?

My Bottle Is Blue

A Cancer Note

All Three Are Here

Challenge Anyone?

Marky’s Rose

Jesus Knows Our Names

Moses and Sibling Rivalry

Nothing But the Truth!

Adam Was a Blueprint

What a Neighbor!

Find an Attitude of Gratitude

At First Light

Claim Your Quiet Place

Clean Out Your Closet

Don’t Forget to Open the Door

If We Are Asking for the Right Reason

Jesus Even Prays for Me

Jesus Says We Can Pray

for Anything

Let’s Write Verse Forty One

Pray and Stick Around for the Answer

Why Do I Worry?

Wow, I’ve Got Jesus Praying for Me!

Family First with God in Mind

Just Look Up

I Can Scale a Wall,

with God’s Help

No Grey Areas

Our Sins Hurt God

Crumbling from the Inside Out

Go to the Cross

I Met Jacob Today

My New Normal

As Long As It Is Called Today

Christ in Us

First through the Jews,

Then the Gentiles

For It Is By Grace

I Joined the Club

If Jesus Wept, So Can I

I Wonder What He Wrote

Why Does Jesus Weep Today?

It’s Been Ten Years

The Grief Monster

Who Do You Trust?

How Can I Be Robbing God?

Only One Is Perfect

We Are Family

We Are All Sinners, But…

How Do I Know

If the Holy Spirit Lives in Me?

What Does Love Really

Look Like?

A Few Tips

What Is the Anti-Christ Like?

Love Is Not Hiding

What a Reference!

Don’t Give Up in Fear

God Always Finds a Way

To Carry out His Plans

A Dog Did What?

Go Deep

God Can Make U-Turns

God Keeps His Promises

God Thinks Outside the Box

God Chooses People in

His Time Zone

Seek and Find

The Way Back

Their Feet Will Slip

Who Is This Chosen Lady?

So Who Sinned?

Where Was Daniel When His Buddies Were in the Furnace?

Jesus Even Heals Politicians

God’s Timing Is Always Perfect

My Words As an Offering

A River Takes Many Shapes

To Do God’s Will

I Must Surrender Mine

My First Heart Transplant

Contributing Authors

All about Marilyn

By Dick Kennedy

My Mom

By Darlene Petty

My Mom a Fighter

By Janiece Cooper

My First Cancer Battle

By Judy Miller

Open Our Eyes

By Pati Sprague

Two Coins, One Chicken

By Pati Sprague

Conclusion

About The Author

References

Dedication

For

All the chocolate lovers who might also desire to taste the sweetness of God’s Word. Read and sense how chocolate and the scripture are so much alike

For

The Taste of Chocolate Women’s Ministry team of ladies, who very courageously stepped-up with me to begin this ministry

For

My husband Dick, who is always right there, cheering me on to the finish line

Psalm 68:11

"The Lord gives the word

And a great army brings

the good news." (NLT)

Psalm 19:14

"May the words of my mouth

And the meditation of my heart

Be pleasing to you,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

(NLT)

Preface

A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul is my modern day parable. A parable is a story using familiar objects to teach Scripture lessons and make the story relevant. The use of chocolate and all its positive attributes is very similar to Scripture. I began to think of all the characteristics of chocolate and discovered I would have to confine my positive chocolate affects to the premier dark chocolate. Milk chocolate just wouldn’t do. For the parable to work, I had to use the dark chocolate theme.

It is the dark chocolate that contains antioxidants, 67% good fats and has the ability to lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Two ladies have shown me prescriptions from medical doctors stating: to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, eat two squares of unsweetened, dark chocolate daily. Until I researched the good affects and strengths of chocolate, I had no idea it actually could do all that. God’s Word is like chocolate in many ways!

God’s Word is:

1.   Sweet

   Psalm 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

2.   Satisfying

   Psalm 107:9— . . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

3.   Energizing and creates endurance

   Psalm 136:1—Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.

4.   Healthy

   2 Timothy 3:16—All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

5.   Calming

   Psalm 46:10—"Be still and know that I am God.’

The program, planning and creating of the women’s ministry event, centered on chocolate all fell into place. My music lady created a Chocolate Song, which would become our theme song. Ladies jumped in to volunteer, donate finances, door prizes, and their time and resources, the likes of which I have never seen. The Holy Spirit charged us up and led us during the planning and implementation and completion of the first half day ministry program. I was moved. I was impressed. I was thrilled. So were nearly one hundred women.

What’s a Take Away Verse?

Since my relationship with Jesus has grown over the years, I am able to see His fingerprints and feel His presence more than I ever imagined possible. He was there to comfort me, strengthen me and help me in all my struggles.

A few years ago my church initiated a scripture reading program called SOAP. Soap was an acronym for a scripture reading method:

S:   scripture to be read

O:   observation of the scripture setting

A:   application to my life

P:   prayer—conclude with a prayer the reader would write

Part of the SOAP process brought me to the realization that on most scripture reading mornings, God had a special verse or phrase or entire chapter that spoke to me loudly. It was the scripture that would get my attention the quickest and loudest. It would be that scripture I would choose for my SOAP method, and would be the one I needed in my life at that particular time.

This method proved to be exactly what I needed to be sure I wrote down and seriously thought about a scripture every day. This SOAP method carried me to the back porch most mornings, to a little round, mosaic table, surrounded by little white Christmas tree lights. The numerous white lights seemed to warm me from the inside out, and they put me in the mood for writing.

Most of the short selections you will read are written in a SOAP format. At times you will see scripture throughout, or in a little different order. All the instances, I am sharing how a particular passage spoke to me that particular day.

This SOAP study method further strengthened my relationship with Jesus, and it led me to begin a women’s ministry I named, A Taste of Chocolate. Throughout my morning writings I began to see how sweet God’s word is and how I desire it.

That feeling led me to imagine how I could connect my morning reading adventures with sweet, savory chocolate. In the beginning, it seemed a far stretch, but the Holy Spirit kept nudging me to follow through on that notion. And so I did.

In the following pages you will see how the Word has sweetened a situation, calmed a relationship or just seemed deliciously appropriate, just like chocolate.

I know that Scripture has the power to give me the strength and energy to get through tough situations, sickness, death and grief. The Word gives my life balance and directs me in many situations.

As you read through the stories, see if you can feel the attributes of chocolate. See if perhaps you can sense a feeling of calm, elation, sweetness, energy, or balance in your own life.

Enjoy reading how the Word has sweetened my life in so many areas and perhaps you will taste the same.

Acknowledgments

Heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following people:

Husband Dick for his endless support and expertise as my Writing Consultant

Dale Schnepp for his special touch with the author photograph

Pati Sprague for fine tuning and editing, always available in a moment’s notice

Janet Flanigan for her typing expertise

The Taste of Chocolate Ministry Team for stepping up with me in this book venture. Without your continued support and willingness to follow me through this God-Whisper, there would be no women’s ministry. And there would be no A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul book.

God’s timing is surely perfect.

He has placed each of you in my path at just the right time.

I’m glad you said yes.

Abbreviations

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version ®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

A Taste of Chocolate for the Soul –

How it All Started

See how the Word is very much like chocolate. Read and learn how negative, sad events were transformed into a successful women’s ministry and book.

It all started one bleak, dreary September morning, on my back porch, while I huddled in my tiny corner surrounded by the warmth of my little white lights. I was feeling sad because I received the news that many close friends and church family members had just been let go, fired, or down-sized from their jobs.

I’ve been downsized so many times in school systems that I should be a size one! I jest now, but at the time it was devastating to my family and me. I had over 20 years with the local school system, and after the initial sadness of a job loss, I would always be hired in a position that was a better fit for me. I eventually learned to redirect my thoughts to a positive place, knowing that God would open a window of opportunity for me if I just gave him the chance.

I was involved in several ministries and small groups at my church, and people looked to me as a leader who could advise and help them in the job loss situation. I remembered that losing a job is a grief event. People experience the sadness, depression, loneliness, denial and other phases of grief with the loss of a job as much as in the loss of a loved one.

I prayed for guidance so I could assist my friends and church family. I continued to rise early and read my scripture in the morning, on the back porch, still surrounded by my warm white lights. As I prayed for guidance and wisdom I received a ‘God-Whisper’ that kept repeating itself: "Carol, step up."

I have learned that when I get a nudge, whisper or even a smack between the eyes as I am in prayer and the Word, that it is not coincidence but rather is intentional from the Holy Spirit. I say, "Okay, step up. Step up to what?" I keep reading and writing. I know full well that within the next few days, I will somehow receive an affirmation as to what the whisper means.

The next day, Sunday, I was approached by two ladies, looking and feeling very sad from the insecurities of job loss. They questioned me about our women’s ministry. Remember you were going to get the women’s ministry started last year? Whatever happened to it? A second lady commented: I sure wish you would start something to cheer us up.

"Well, I am thinking, a women’s ministry? I wonder."

The next morning in the same chair, with the same grey, dark atmosphere, lit by my tiny white lights, I heard another God-whisper: Carol, step up

Following is a summary of my God and Carol exchange:

God:   Carol, you need to step up. Don’t be so sad

Carol:   Well, God it is sad that so many people have lost jobs. People are scared, and want to know what’s going on

God:   Well, stop worrying. I’ve got it, but you need to step up

Carol:   Okay, step up to what?

God:   A women’s ministry. This is an opportunity for you to use your skills

Carol:   Whoa, women’s ministry! Oh my, I’ve done that before and well, it is a lot of work, and it takes an awful lot of time and energy. I don’t think I can do it.

God:   No, you can’t do it all by yourself, but you have me

Carol:   Well God, in case you forgot, I’ve done this before and it seems it works for a while and the women get nagging each other, and make each other angry and they get jealous and

God:   Stop, I can assure you it won’t happen this time,

Carol:   How do I know that? You know how women are when you get more than two together…

God   Yes, I think I know how it can be, but it doesn’t have to be that way

Carol:   Okay. How’s that going to work?

God:   Put me first

Carol:   Okay, that sounds logical to me. It is hard to implement though

God:   Yes, but you can do it, if you step up. Use this as an opportunity to keep me in the focus and bring them together.

Carol:   Okay. God is first, then…

God:   CHOCOLATE

Carol:   Oh my, now I know I must not be hearing this right. I’m supposed to check this out with the Bible to be sure I didn’t just use that word for my own selfish gain.

God:   Here’s how it will be: Holy Spirit first, then Chocolate, then you and the other ladies

Carol:   Okay, I will certainly pray on that to make it a reality

So, I ran the idea by several key ladies that I knew had a heart for women’s ministry and loved to serve the Lord. I still wasn’t sure about the chocolate idea. However the more I thought about it, the more I realized the benefits of chocolate. Dark chocolate is desired by women; it tastes great; it has health benefits and would be a draw to get women together on any day of the week. We were studying the parables of Jesus in our Women’s Bible Study - how Jesus used objects like mustard seeds, water, wine, bread, soil and dirt to teach the Scripture. Jesus had been known to state on several occasions that some of the people were slow to learn so he used common place objects to relate the Word and his lesson.

Bingo! That’s it! Chocolate would be the popular, everyday object ladies could relate to for fun, fellowship and blessings! I realized that, yes, chocolate was parallel to the Word in so many ways, and I was about to have the time of my life sharing this modern-day parable with as many women as possible.

The next morning in my prayer time I finally admitted to God, I got it. Chocolate would serve as the object in this parable to teach His word. I felt him smiling down on me. The next step was to call a meeting, and then see if anyone showed