vegetables

War and Peas

When I was a kid I basically had two strategies for vegetables I didn’t like. One was to smother them with a sauce or somehow incorporate them with another food that I did like. The other was to hide them under or in something else on the plate that I could get away with not eating. A hollowed out potato skin was classic camouflage. But my parents, who didn’t miss as much as I thought they did, were probably on to my ruse. It was a foolish little battle I would fight with the food lovingly prepared for me.

One of our granddaughters stayed over at our house last night, and when she came in she was crying. When I asked what was going on, I found out it was because she needed to take some cold medicine. The bad taste, or what she was afraid would be the bad taste, was so abhorrent to her she was that upset. Even though the medicine would alleviate some of her symptoms, she was ready to go to war to avoid taking it.

When I was a young teenager I answered God’s call for my life and began the process of discovering what God intended for me. Later, as an adult, I decided to put myself in charge and relegated God to the backseat. But experience and knowledge of God’s nature teaches that he doesn’t belong in the back, or even riding shotgun. He wants to drive. I’m so thankful God was patient with me while I learned the lesson that took years to play out. The truth is, we never really stop learning until we enter heaven. We hope to come to know which battles are worth fighting and who should always be our general. We can spend forever pushing around on our plate the good things God has for us, or we can simply dig in and accept his leadership, healing, and love. For ourselves, and for our families, it’s essential.


I alone am this living Bread that has come to you from heaven. Eat this Bread and you will live forever. The living Bread I give you is my body, which I will offer as a sacrifice so that all may live.
John 6:51 TPT

I Choose You

In this moment I choose You
and the next
and the next
in mundane times
when all I long for is creation
I turn around and You’re there chasing me
it’s beyond all reason

I know You seek me
as You’ve sought all since the fall
sometimes a choice
is a hundred small choices
sometimes Your voice
is a thousand small voices
and I’m listening

©Joel Tipple 9/28/2019

Food Impostors

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I’ve come to the conclusion
after how many years has it been,
that the stuff I’ve been ingesting
with the very tiny print
and the multi-syllabic words
that read so scientific
might not be so good for me.

Sure there’re pretty pictures on the package
smiling folks living the life,
so I’m led to believe
they must eat a lot of this stuff,
makes ’em feel better than alive.

Farmers replaced by marketers;
what have they caused us to imbibe?
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Do you think they’re concerned with your insides?
Do you really want to be fed by cookie elves?

It’s years of habits I’m breaking,
no mistaking
the work it would be taking
to put good foods together
instead of relying on my buddy
monosodafoodasortaglutsamated.
But no doubt the things I won’t miss
are being tired
and constipated.

Lord knows we can’t predict
when we might go.
He’s the only one who can say when
we’ll reap what we’ve sown.
But out of respect for the vessel
He’s made,
I’m intent on running it better
before it finds the grave.

Please and Carrots

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Would you feed me please
and carrots?
It’s what this little bit of me
most dearly loves.
For other children
see,
it may be macaroni
but tender colorfully
grown fare
are what please me.

Would you feed me please
and carrots?
Just stay away from me
see,
with those doughnuts.
They only make me feel slow,
I’m certain
don’t help me grow,
and surely
worse
I perceive,
than no lunch.