Christmas Gift Ideas: # 4 of 4 – A Great Way to Start Your Day!

Friends! Anybody besides me rushing around like a crazy person??? No time to rest, recharge, relax? Never fear, I’ve got just the prescription to start your day in the best of ways whether you have just a few minutes or maybe a half hour or more. Not only would this book make an excellent last-minute gift, you may consider grabbing one for yourself…

The book? Take a look at Bible and Breakfast: 31 Mornings with Jesus (Feeding Our Bodies and Souls Together) by Asheritah Ciuciu.

I don’t even remember how I learned about this book, I just know I ordered four copies and have wrapped three for our sweet daughters-in-love. (Shhh, don’t tell.) They love cookbooks like I do, especially with pretty pictures (!!!) and the fact that this book is also a Bible study makes it even better!

Even if you think you have zero minutes, author Asheritah Ciuciu will assure you you’re fully capable of trying this lovely way of beginning your day. Her website, www.onethingalone.com is rich with resources including my favorite, “No guilt in quiet time.” She’s a busy mom like so many of us whether our kids are still at home or not.

Each devotion includes a “snack on the go” for busy days, and a “feast at the table” with Bible study prompts for days when you have time to dig deeper. There’s also room to jot down your thoughts.

Recipes range from muffins to smoothies to creative ways to prepare eggs. All are labeled according to if they’re “freezer friendly,” “kid friendly”, “gluten free,” etc. Instructions are easy and simple to understand, which for this challenged chef, is a welcomed delight.

From the first few pages, Asheritah answers frequently asked questions beginning w/ a biggie, “What if I don’t have time to eat breakfast?” She says, “Just as a nourishing snack is better than starving all morning, so a few minutes with Jesus is better than nothing at all…Throughout this challenge, I’ll invite you to think creatively about how to feed your soul while feeding your body, like listening to a Bible passage while munching on an apple during your commute.”

A printable reading plan is available via her website. She adds, “You don’t have to arrange your schedule for Bible and Breakfast—it’s meant to fit right into your busy life, because Jesus wants to meet us in our mess.” She shows us examples from the Bible such as the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary and Martha, etc.

In 2016, Asheritah invited her blog readers to join her in a 31-day challenge which she called “Bible and Breakfast.” She says, “The response was overwhelming. In just a week, more than a thousand women signed up to join me, and for 31 days we swapped recipes and Scripture insights—all from our own kitchen tables around the world.” This book is the result of a fun little-turned-large experiment!

The very first recipe in the book, Double Chocolate Banana Muffins, sold me, being the chocoholic that I am. The most intriguing dish (to me) is called “The Mason Jar Omelet.” I plan on trying this with our little Claire Elizabeth over the Christmas break as she’s never met an egg she didn’t like and this will be cool to watch cook in the microwave.

Every so often, there’s a section called, “Develop a Healthy Habit,” where you can reflect back over the past few days (usually a week) and evaluate what’s working, what’s not, where you’d like to go, etc. I like this let’s-take-an-inventory kind of idea, vs. everyone attempting New Year’s resolutions we know won’t still be around come February.

Now you know what’s next: Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and grab several copies of Bible and Breakfast! Your family will thank you for the variety of new recipes and our Lord will welcome you with open arms each morning as you meet with Him in a new and fresh way.

I pray you and your family have a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a Happy-n-Healthy 2020!!!

‘Til next time!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”