On a sun-warmed Sunday afternoon, our girl and I stand in line behind ten people at a local gelato shop. It smells like hints of espresso, vanilla, and other delectable scents.

We ask for a sample of a new flavor: Passionfruit-strawberry-lemon sorbet. It has a refreshing tang so we order it along with mint chocolate chip gelato.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user Dawn Huczek

There is anticipation as we wait for the teenager, behind the counter, to scoop the sorbet and gelato. I pay, and finally we stroll outside, sit, and eye peachy-yellow sorbet and pistachio-green gelato with brown flecks.

Did you know we eat with our eyes before we taste it?

I enjoy cold, tangy, minty and chocolate chip flavors melting in my mouth.

As the cold slightly tart sorbet touches my tongue, then slides down my throat, I give thanks. What a gift to be able to taste so many different flavors.

It made me think of what I read this morning at my kitchen table:

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! - Psalm 34:8 NASB

I was thinking of how I can't taste the goodness of the sorbet unless I open my mouth, and receive it. And before I do, I see it.

Likewise, I taste and see that the LORD is good, when I open my heart, mind, spirit, and soul to Him.

I see Him with the eyes of faith. And by grace, I receive Him.

Tasting the goodness of God is not merely a mental exercise.

Thinking about sorbet, without actually placing it in my tongue, will not result in tasting it.

I experience the Lord's goodness when I believe He died and rose again, so I could have a relationship with Him. I experience His love, which is not based on my goodness (Romans 5:8).

Every time I willingly open myself to more of the Lord in my life, I have an opportunity to taste/experience His goodness.

And I say "Yes" to tasting His undeserved forgiveness. His forgiveness rooted in His goodness and undeserved favor, and not on my goodness. Thankfully.

The Lord's goodness is not based on my external circumstances, which change from day to day.

His goodness is His character. Just like my sorbet is sorbet.

God is good, and He cannot be other than good, even if I deem what He allows in my life as not good.

Psalm 34:8 tells me one way I can experience the Lord's goodness is by taking refuge in Him.

When we are stressed, do we find refuge in food, entertainment, or talking to a friend? None of those things are necessarily bad, but if they keep us from going to God, then they are not good.

From past experience, I am learning God is the only true refuge. He is the only one who is never too busy for me.

He is the only One who is not burdened or overwhelmed by anything, so whatever I share with Him, He can handle.

And when I share honestly with Him what is troubling me, I taste the goodness of His presence. I open myself to receive Him, goodness personified.

He is the warm blanket of love around me when I feel the cold of rejection.

I experience the goodness of His peace in exchange for my worries.

He is the sweet in the midst of my bittersweet.

When I focus on His promises to never ever leave me or forsake me (Heb. 13:5), I taste the goodness of His faithful presence.

He is my firm anchor keeping my boat afloat in the raging storm.

My past favorable experiences with the gelato shop have made me a repeat customer. Likewise, the more I experience the Lord's goodness, the more I want to make Him my refuge.

He is the healing balm to my wounded soul.

To be honest, sometimes I don't immediately sense His presence or comfort.

But He has been faithful to me for several decades so I can trust enough to keep clinging to Him. I can trust I will eventually taste and see His goodness.

So I give thanks for what He will do in His good time because He is good. He promised me an eternity to reveal His goodness.

And I am grateful for the glimpses and little tastes He has already given me.

Have you taken the risk of tasting and seeing the Lord is good by taking refuge in Him?

How have you tasted and seen the Lord's goodness in your life?

Thank you for being here. I don't take your presence or your words for granted.

A God-sighting here: Just read this excellent post on Psalm 34:8, The Socially Acceptable Sin, via a link on Ann's blog.

Linking with wise Ann

And sweet and gifted friend Laura Boggess, 

Linking with encouraging and talented friend Jennifer Dukes Lee,

and the amazing Jen 

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user chris bulle

Dear Friends,

Thank you for being part of my Dream Series, which was spread out over 12 posts.

For your viewing ease, I am putting links to all of the Dream Series posts here in sequential order.

1.  Go with what gives you joy, and have fun. Read post here: What my daughter taught me about going for your dreams. 

2.  Instead of beating myself up, I am telling myself a truth: it is okay to be in process.  Read post here: Being okay with being in process.

3.  God is in the business of restoration: He takes the broken (us) and makes us new, if we let Him.  Read post here: What if your dream is part of a bigger story?

4.  At some point, you will find yourself in fog, and wonder where is God?  Read post here: Finding hope when the fog rolls in...

5.  We will either trust God to provide what we need, or we will trust ourselves to provide, and miss out on God's best provision for us. Read post here: When God says "no" for your own good

6.  At the beginning of any dream, we need to stop and figure out where we are...One of the hardest things to do is to admit where one is right now.  Read post here: A parable at Land's End/Part 1

7.  The middle territory can be terrifying. It can also be more interesting and richer than the beginning."-Lauren Winner  Read post here: A parable at Land's End/Part 2 or what to do in the middle

8.  Oh, for the courage to choose Your love as I dream instead of fear. Read post here: Fear vs. Love

9.  Don't focus so much on obtaining your dream that you lose sight of the journey with God. (Care to tweet this?)Read  here: On the way to reaching your dream

10. Do you ever feel like you have to do something big for God? Phil did. Read here:When your dream goes from boom to bust/Part 1

11. Phil asked, "Why didn't God ride in? His theology was up for grabs. "It was a dark time of searching." Read here: On finding hope when your dream goes bust/Part 2

12. Whenever we let fear control us instead of faith in God, we step out of the current of His love and power. Read here: How can you be like a jellyfish?

Was there a post that really resonated with you? Thanks for being on the journey with me.

So whatever you do, do it all for God's glory. Here is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman about it:

Subsribers  click here to listen to video

If you know someone with an eating disorder, may I recommend Emily's book, Chasing Silhouettes...I'm learning a lot as I read it.

Emily Wierenga is a wife, mother of four boys (two of whom are hers), artist, and author of 'Chasing Silhouettes: How to Help a Loved One Battling an Eating Disorder' (Ampelon, 2012) available here (Paperback & Kindle). (This is Emily's affiliate link.)

For more info, please visit www.chasingsilhouettes.com

Grateful to be linking with these beautiful communities...You will be blessed if you visit these sites:

Lovely Emily

Encouraging Jennifer 

And Mary Beth 

Copyright Dolly Lee/Soul Stops 2012.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr user Tim Green aka atoach

It's time for Five Minutes of writing for fun, or therapy...with the gracious Lisa-Jo, serving as the hostess of our writing party. We visit the person, who linked up before us, and some friends.

The guest of honor today is "Root."

Start.

The tree's roots sink deep into the dark rich soil,

hidden from my view,

soaking in water, and nutrients as they

travel up this invisible web, feeding and

nourishing the trunk, then the branches,

and the leaves, lovely and green,

until autumn, when they fall.

What am I sinking my roots into that

no one else can see, but God

alone? Am I firmly rooted and

grounded in His love? Is my identity

as His beloved what I daily soak my

mind, thoughts, and desires in so

that he transforms me from the

inside-out till one day I say

and do something different than I used to,

like when I find myself giving thanks

for the ability to clean up vomit in the

middle of the night instead of complaining,

although I am not happy about it,

but there is His sweet presence allowing

me to do what I could not do on my own.

Give thanks. Give thanks for His presence.

Give thanks that I can comfort our girl,

and help make her more comfortable

instead of cursing the dirty sheets,

and floor.(*)

Only possible because my roots have been

soaking in His presence, and letting Him

change me.

And when I don't soak in His love and presence,

oh, I can see and hear the difference.

The words I chase after, and cannot cap again into

my bottle. But I can

say I am sorry.

I can turn again

to Him, and root myself

in His love.

STOP.

(*) To clarify: our girl's vomiting is a past event...thankfully...but it is what came to mind when I wrote in the mad dash of 5 minutes as it was clear it was God, not me, guiding my response....it was like a memorial stone reminding me that it is never a waste of time to sit and soak in God's Word and His presence...so sorry to have caused any of my friends concern...You are so dear...Thank you!

¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,- Ephesians 3:16-18 ESV  the verses afterwards talk about comprehending how vast God's love is....

I'm learning I cannot change my heart. Only God can. I can cooperate and let Him change me by association with Him.

The more I am in His presence, the more He conforms me to His character.

What are you rooted in today? What helps you to stay rooted and grounded in His love?

Praying you may be rooted and grounded in His love this weekend, and may His love change you from the inside-out.

Thank you, friend, for being here. You are a gift.

P.S. Please pray for those affected by superstorm Sandy. And if God leads you, there are different groups, such as WorldVisionUSA, that are creating flood relief kits to hand out.

Please join the party at The Gypsy Mama by either linking up and/or reading other entries. 

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2012.