By  Joseph Mattera

As a pastor for more than 26 years, I have a desire to help everyone. But, I have learned the hard way that I cannot help every person who attends our church or who comes to me for input.
The following are ten kinds of people I have identified that are so entrenched in certain habit patterns that I cannot help them advance to the next level unless they make the necessary shift in their attitude or behavior.

I. Those who do not take responsibility for themselves

The first step towards self-improvement is to remove all excuses for mediocrity or
failure. Those that continually blame other people for their failures will never go to the
next level. Leaders can complain about their spouses, the income level of their
congregations, the lack of staff, etc. but I have learned that within every challenge is the
seed of opportunity for success which requires the creativity of problem solving.

II. Those that do not have a heart to seek God

The Bible teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs
9:10). Those who do not respect God enough to seek Him and study His word so they can
make wise decisions in life are violating Scripture (Joshua 1:8-9) and cannot be helped
either by myself or any other leader or minister. Those who do not obey what God
requires for success have decided to try to be successful in life without God’s blessings!

III. Those that create distance so they are not accountable

There are certain people I have met in our church who only let others get so close before
cutting off the relationship. Many go from one church to the next because they fear
becoming too close to a leader who will hold them accountable. Often some will attempt
to attend a megachurch where they will be able to hear the word of God in the context of
a large crowd so that no one will really know who they are. Whether it is fear or
rebellion, those who live like this have put a low ceiling on their lives and will not grow
past the infant stage concerning their potential in life.

IV. Those who insist on having a negative outlook on life

There are some people who refuse to exercise faith in God or think positively as the
Word of God commands us in Philippians 4:8. This is because some have a propensity to
expect the worst in life so they are never disappointed by anyone or anything! This is a
weird way some folks attempt to shield their emotions from the pain of disappointment; it
is a very common practice with many people. Jesus often told people that they would
receive according to how they believed (for example Matthew 8:13). Proverbs 23:7
teaches that as a person thinks in their heart so they will be. I cannot empower a person
who refuses to think God’s thoughts about themselves and about life.

V. Those that refuse to have a vision for their future

There are many very talented and anointed people I have been in relationship with who
live their lives without any strategic plan or vision for their future. They are just living
from day-to-day to prepare for their retirement. Those who are successful have a
compelling vision that drives them daily and which feeds their souls even more than the
desire to make money! Inside of every believer is a God-given kingdom vision for their
future. If a person refuses to tap into that as their guiding light–and value that vision as
their barometer for success–then my continual pep talks will not do the trick either!

VI. Those who live in self-deception

There are many people who are living lives of denial regarding their relationships with
God and their families and all things regarding their inner and outer lives. The sad thing
is that denial is the first step to outright deception in which a person concocts an
alternate, false reality that continually feeds their mind and emotions the things they want
to hear about themselves and their key relationships. This insulates them from the word
of the Lord from others and the Holy Spirit. When you confront people like this they
become upset and blame you for not understanding them or for wrongfully accusing them
of something. These are the people I cannot help unless God steps in and delivers them
from satanic deception (read 2 Timothy 2:23-25).

VII. Those who do not want to pay the price for success

There are many in the church that want the perks of success but don’t want to pay the
price for success.
When I was a teenager I had a goal of becoming a master guitar player. For seven years I
practiced the guitar for 3-8 hours per day as well as playing in numerous bands. While
my friends were outside playing ball or wasting time doing drugs I would shut myself up
in my house and study jazz, rock, blues, classical, etc. and spend hours doing scales on
my guitar (which I often did even while watching television). Because of this sacrifice I
gained mastery over my instrument in various kinds of music and was in high demand as
a musician.
Whatever we do in life, we are called to sacrifice our time, invest our talents, and be
committed to a long, grueling process with many setbacks until we reach our peak
performance. This kind of sacrifice is needed in every area we desire success in including
our marriages, relationships with our children, leading a company or a church, etc.
Consequently, I have found that I am not able to empower a person to the fullness of their
destiny if they don’t want to work hard at self-improvement.

VIII. Those whose primary agenda is individualistic and not kingdom-oriented

There are some people whose only agenda in life is to advance their own agenda. They
don’t want to work with a team or flow in the context of a local church. They want me to
pour my life into them but they are rarely ever willing to pour back into the church and
serve in the Kingdom of God. I have learned that those who only want to use the church
or God to advance their own agendas (even if it is ministry related) have greatly limited
their own lives. Thus, I back away from these people until they change. This is because
we are all called to seek first God’s kingdom in which we need to die to our
individualistic sense of destiny and sacrifice and invest our time for the good of the Body
of Christ. This in turn will do more to release our greatest destiny–even more than if we
only concentrate on our own agendas!

IX. Those who refuse to keep covenant

I have been with very talented individuals with great calling on their lives that I had to
back away from because they did not know how to remain faithful to their obligations or
because they broke confidence by continually talking behind other people’s backs. God
says that a person who doesn’t keep their word (whatever the cost) and who slanders their
neighbor cannot dwell in His tents (Psalm 15:3-4) so who am I to think that this kind of
person can dwell in my inner circle for personal development!

X. Those who lack transparency, humility, and integrity

The Bible teaches us to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7). It also teaches
us to confess our faults to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed
(James 5:16). Those that do not admit their faults and confess their sins cannot have the
kind of relationship with a mentor suitable for personal growth. It is important for me to
have a transparent relationship with those I am mentoring since a person who conceals
their sins from me is not giving me a chance to fully speak into their life and help them in
their areas of weakness. Those who want to progress in their spiritual formation have to
learn to practice the spiritual discipline of confession of sin (Proverbs 28:13).

I love Gil Bailie’s quote: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.“

So many people in the church strive to find their callings apart from what makes them come alive.  Yet, when we find our passion we  also find our motivation and vision.  It gets us up in the morning and drives us to make a positive impact. Then we are not doing out of obligation, but because we have joined with Jesus to use what HE has given us to impact this earth.  Once our passion is awakened and realized…then we build discipline, habit, endurance, and routine in our life. This discipline will compliment and extend our competence to walk out our calling.

Let’s all make a commitment today to find our passion to bring Him glory!  As John Bevere writes “A heart fully alive IS the glory of God”

Blessings

Ryan

Dearest Family & Friends,

As most of you know by now, Brock and Alissa helped bring Judah Mac Meyer into the world. Janet and I are elated!  We are not “grandma” or “grandpa”. We are “Nana” and “Papa”. That is so we can stay in some form of denial regarding our ages J. Judah’s other grandparents (pictured with us) love Jesus and each other, and pastor a church near their home town. So there is little Judah, surrounded by God-loving, Kingdom-advancing, healthy parents and grandparents.  He also has God-loving aunts, uncles, and cousins, not to mention his immense spiritual family. What an amazing kingdom context for this little boy to flourish!

I would like for you to look closely at this picture because it tells the story of how God wants to bring children into the world.  Every child deserves two loving parents, a man and woman in love with God and each other. Every child also needs the support, love, encouragement, and supplemental training of their extended family such as “nana’s”, “papa’s”, aunts and uncles.

Now use your imagination a bit and picture the new birth of a spiritual child.  Every new spiritual  child of God deserves to be born in the context of a healthy spiritual kingdom family. When a person is born again by the Holy Spirit, they become a new creation with a new family. This loving healthy spiritual family dedicates themselves to helping that spiritual infant grow into Christ’s likeness and fulfill their destiny. We have formed Kingdom Families with 2’s (Search & Rescue Teams) for this exact reason.  Spiritual Kingdom Families are the context for bringing forth new life, and raising those new believers to maturity.

One last point.  What happens to the 65% of all African-American children who are born without dads? (Hispanics 49%, Caucasian 38%)  Answer: God sets the lonely in families! Ps 68:6  It is healthy spiritual Christ-centered kingdom families, led by mature, loving spiritual fathers, that will help to support and raise those fatherless, orphaned, and abandoned children.

Do you think that starting, growing, and multiplying small Kingdom Families is important?  If so, why not proactively and aggressively jump into the process of being trained as a leader and spiritual parent. Get into a small kingdom family, join a Search & Rescue Team (2’s).  Learn how to set faith goals in the five C’s (Christ, Community, Character, Calling, Competence).  The stakes are very high. Literally, children’s lives are in the balance!

It is time for us to mature out of self-centeredness, and develop into healthy leaders and spiritual parents who take responsibility for other people’s growth in the context of spiritual Kingdom Families!

Blessings and Love,

Papa Tim

In Genesis 33, Jacob has just wrestled with God, and now is about to meet his brother Esau face to face.  Though initially fearful of Esau, Esau runs to Jacob, embraces him, and they began to weep together. (Genesis 33:4)  Their reconciliation proved to be heart felt and long awaited.  In the excitement of the moment, Esau begs Jacob to journey together with their families toward Seir.  Yet, in all of the excitement and reconciliation, Jacob had a fatherly concern…his little ones!

Jacob tells Esau  that his children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds were a care to him.  If he drives hard for a day, the flocks will die. Gen.33:13   Jacob  then encourages Esau to pass on ahead of him, so that he could lead on slowly at the pace of the children. Gen.33:14  What a father’s heart!  He puts the pace of his children and flocks ahead of the desire to be with his reconciled brother at Seir.

In ministry, there is always a temptation to put purpose ahead of the people God has called us to father/mother.  We meet many pastor’s kids, who are burned out because their father didn’t move at their pace.  Instead, the demands of ministry and people quickly became the driving force of their energy and attention.  Father, have mercy on us!

Fathers and mothers, (natural or spiritual) I encourage you to take personal inventory of your life and priorities today.

Are we in touch with the needs of our flocks?(natural or spiritual)

Is our pace congruent with what they need?

Are we able to control the tyrannies of the urgent by establishing healthy boundaries in our life so that our top priorities remain top priorities?(God, spouse, family, church, ect.)

Be reminded that God chose the church…a spiritual family…to be the means by which He advances His Kingdom.  If God and the gospel is a family, the way we nurture our families must be congruent to the message we carry!  A nurtured and healthy family will prove in the end to be more effective than any “ministry” we could could ever strive to build!

Blessings,

Ryan

Over the years we have been in serious prayer to find holistic approaches to train urban youth, particularly boys, from the ages of 6-12.  This age group of boys in the urban core are the emerging leaders in a community.  They will either build or destroy our community with their emerging influence.  Over the past few months, a partnership between Della Lamb and Rock Solid Urban Impact has formed.  Coach Brett Williams, a former national title holder in collegiate wresting, has stepped forward to lead and father these boys in wrestling skills for Kingdom impact!  For the past few months, the team of about 20 inner-city boys are using our Rock Training Center gym as a practice facility.  This was a huge move forward for the team, as they were practicing outdoors in a park because they were kicked out of a school facility abruptly.  It has been such an honor to see the Father orchestrate divine partnerships.  We believe this is the first of many alignments to bring about the Christ centered transformation to our community.  Janell Williams, the coach’s wife has posted blogs, articulating the Father’s hand in these boys lives during this season. Very encouraging to read. Click here to read.

Many of you know, our gymnasium and school building was without running water and heat for years.  We had a number of copper thieves break in over the years and strip the building of many copper pipes.  We were forced to shut the water off.  What makes this all the more painful is we had just invested in over $3,500 to get all of the plumbing fixed and running 2 months before everything got stolen and damaged.  Hopelessness began to creep up in our  hearts.  Seeing the minimal resources we had get wasted was hard to reconcile.  As a church family, we still remained faithful in prayer over the purpose God had for the building.

It has also been exciting to see Father’s provision in the midst of following Him in this journey. The wrestling team began to practice in our gym even though there was no heat or running water in the building.  It was a faith journey for all of us.  As the winter months brought frigid temperatures, the team was forced to halt practices without necessary heat.  However, just in time,  a local electrician’s union voted unanimously to purchase and install infrared red heaters for our the gym !!!!!!!!!! What a complete miracle!  Over $12,000 of supplies and labor went into getting this done.  $12,000 was nothing for our Father.  You can imagine how our hopelessness began to lift after being broken into a number of times.  But that wasn’t all the Father was up to.  A few weeks later, the local plumbers union heard about what the electrical union had done.  They are now interested in replacing all of the stolen plumbing and sinks that were stolen and damaged free of charge!  We are amazed as a church family.  Please be encouraged by this.  God will bring about His provision as we seek Him first!

In His Service….and loving it!

Our Facility

Ryan

Build Up or Shut Up: The Power of the Tongue

“The tongue has the power of life and death. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” (Prov 18:21, James 3:9-10) What an incredible statement, that our tongues have the power of life and death. What are we using our tongues for? Praising or cursing? What are we doing with this incredible privilege and responsibility? It is of extreme importance that we use our tongues rightly, that we take seriously the impact of our words. The bible says that “reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Prov 12:18) The bible says that “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26) Paul said, “You must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is . . . a slanderer . . .with such a man do not even eat.” (1 Cor 5:11) Jesus said, “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12:36)

So what is gossip? What is slander? What does the bible have to say? The bible says that “a gossip betrays a confidence”- that a gossip can’t keep a secret (Prov 11:13). When someone confides exclusive information to us, and we share it with others, it’s gossip. It’s sin. The bible says it separates close friends (Prov 16:28). We love to hear gossip. “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels. They go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (Prov 18:8) How about slander? What is slander? The bible says that slander is speaking against a brother or sister (James 4:11). The bible speaks of slander as negative information that can be gathered and spread abroad (Ps 41:6). When we speak against a brother, when we share negative info about people with others, it’s slander. It’s sin.

But maybe you’ve heard this before; “I can share this with you, because I know your mature and you can handle it.” or “Well it’s true isn’t it? It’s not like I’m making this up.” or “Everyone’s got a right to his or her opinion.” or “If this person was here I’d say it to their face.” So what is God’s standard? What does he say? Ultimately our opinions about what we can and cannot say don’t matter. The bible says in Ephesians 4:29; “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph 4:29)

According to this verse it doesn’t matter if someone’s mature or if they “can handle it”. It doesn’t matter if it’s a true statement. It doesn’t matter if you’d say it to their face. Is it helpful for building this person up? Is it benefiting those who listen? According to this verse, the only opinion we have a right to, is one that is helpful for building someone up and that benefits those who listen. How many times do we think about whether something is building someone up before we say it? And what about the listeners? Is what we are saying benefiting those who listen? Is it making it hard for others to love people? Are we causing others to judge? If we’re not going to build people up then we better shut up.

Now the question arises: What do we do when people slander us or share gossip about us? How do we handle hurtful actions and words? Our hearts inclination many times is to do the same to those that hurt us or to talk about it with other people. What should we do? “When we are slandered, we answer kindly.” (1 Cor 4:13) “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Rom 12:14,17) “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt 5:44)

The only person we should talk to when someone has wronged us is that person. And if the person is not won over by confronting them, that doesn’t change the rules. We still don’t have the right to have conversations with others that are not building people up. If we feel that we need to talk to someone about a situation, then we should only do it without using names. The bible is pretty clear on what to do when a person sins against you. We must move from our selfish, careless, reckless words and unbiblical myths to biblical due process. “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” (Matt 18:15-17) And “do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” (1 Tim 5:19,20) “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11)

So how do we keep our tongues pure and our hearts clean? This isn’t a behavior issue. It’s a heart issue. “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matt 12:34) No matter how hard we try to say what’s right, if it’s in our hearts, it will eventually come out. We must repent. We must open to God’s healing in our hearts, and fill up with God’s love. May the overflow of our hearts be love. “Love builds up.” (1 Cor 8:1)

Exodus 14:13-14

“Moses answered the people (Isrealites), ‘Do not fear, Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ ”

In reading this, I felt as though this was a word to us in this season. As we come to the end of this fast, there is eager expectation to see what God has for us, both individually and corporately. There is breakthrough and deliverance that many of us are hoping and praying for. There are many battles to be won. In light of this passage our “fight” is different than God’s. He calls US is to stand firm, be still, and watch Him move in power. As we do this, He fights for us! What an exchange!

Like the Israelites, many of us need God to come through in the impossible like never before. I believe this year will be a year of seeing God do just that!  How will he find us standing in the midst of the impossible? Will He find us in fear or faith? Will he find us striving? or at rest in His presence?

It’s a matter of positioning. It’s a matter of standing, and standing well!!

Praise God! This year, let us be found standing and standing well!!

Amen??

Now, let’s eat!!! 

- Brandon and Kelly Kubicina

In reading the Word, Stan often receives from the Lord “pictures” in which God uses Stan’s imagination to make Scripture come alive to him.  Within the last week we have experienced some major shaking in our own lives, and we have found ourselves repeatedly turning to Psalm 46 to be reminded of the truth.  We wanted to share with you the “Stan version” of Psalm 46.  May it come alive to you as it has to us in recent days.  God is faithful to make Himself real to His kids even, and especially, when everything is shaken.

First, here’s Psalm 46, NIV:

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Psalm 46 - Stan Version:

The darkness of oppression and uncertainty falls upon the earth, hanging like a veil over the hearts of people worldwide. Everyone feels the chill deep inside and hurries to busy themselves with things that they hope will make them feel warm again, things that will bring peace to the trouble clouding their minds. The earth trembles with earthquakes, groans with tidal waves, and weeps, spilling out lightning, thunder and rain upon its inhabitants. In the distance, the drums of war beat louder and faster stirring the hearts of kings toward conquest and sharpening the swords of nation against nation. As the darkness thickens the people of the earth stoke the fires of industry and technology to turn back the tide of blackness, hoping that the next new invention will burn bright enough to restore hope and order to their troubled world. Men huddle around these fires, pressing towards the flames to feel warm again, but alas, the heat is not enough to stop the love of most from growing cold.

The saints watch all of this and ponder it in their hearts. They watch from the resting place of the Father’s heart, the city of the Eternal God. They are themselves in the world, but their hearts do not reside there. God is their fortress and strength, always present in the darkest times of life. In His city the darkness takes no hold and His light shines bright, warming the souls of all and laying their fears to rest. They open the books of the Chronicles of their God and remember the things that He has done, the things that He has promised that He will do, and they give thanks. There is a river in that city that makes glad all its inhabitants and causes them to rejoice and break out in song. The river of the Spirit runs deep in the city. All its people drink deeply from it and they sing a new song:

“Be still. The Lord is God. Be still and remember that the Lord is God. In the end, He will be exalted above all those in authority and over every nation on earth. He will sit enthroned on high, worshiped by all the inhabitants of the world; a day of much rejoicing, gladness, hope and an everlasting peace.”

We love you all and are thankful to be able to call you family,

Stan and Dana (Stana J)

Recently, the Lord has exhorted me to focus on the current season of my life.  I have a tendency to live in the future, and miss God’s heart for the present.  We can choose to live in the past, in reaction to the past, or in the future.  The biblical instruction is to learn from the past, plan for the future, and embrace the present.

God’s people are told to remember their history, so they may learn from it (Dt. 5:15; Ps. 105:5; Mt. 16:9; 1 Cor. 10:11).  Jesus told us, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Mt. 6:34).

Paul writes to the Church in Galatia, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).  Jesus also instructed the disciples to abide in Him, His word, and His love (Jn. 15).  How often I leave the place of His love, forgetting His past faithfulness, to strive over the very things He has promised.  We have all walked in reaction to a past offense rather than “keep in step with the Spirit.”  To obey Jesus we must embrace His will for today, avoid the pitfalls of past offenses and anxiety for the future.  To embrace today, we must live each moment in step with the Spirit.

Gracious Father, I pray that you would guard our hearts from anxiety about tomorrow, hurt from the past, and forgetting your faithful handling of our lives.  May we know our history as the people of God, so that we may corporately seize the era of grace we are living in.  May we also be a people who remember our own salvation and journey with Christ, so that we can seize the current season of our lives.  Let us walk in step with the Holy Spirit, not with hyper-spirituality or religious duty, but in the easy yoke of Christ.

3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[a]”

As coinheritors in Christ, taking on the identity of sons and daughters of God in Christ know this, oh brethren; ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’.  The source of life in the entire universe is God.  The Creator spoke life into existence and with the words ‘let there be light’ all matter in the universe has the same reverberating words imbedded in them.  The stones that Satan tempted Jesus to turn into bread had this same reverberation of energy, yet it was made altogether separate from their Creator.  Why would the Creator of the universe EVER turn to his creation for His sustenance?  Jesus knows this, that He isn’t simply matter floating around in space into obscurity. He is the Son of God, Giver of life.  If He desires life He goes directly to the Creator of life for life, and it is in His words there is life for Him to consume.

Furthermore, we can look to Proverbs 18:20-21 to tell us just what kind of power words have:

20 From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled;

with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

21 The tongue has the power of life and death,

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Let us break off the chains that bind us, and speak words of life to fill our empty bellies in this time.  We are more than just bread and stones; we have the Living God inside of us, and what we need to sustain ourselves body, soul, and spirit is the powerful life-giving words of the Maker.  Let us turn away from those things we consider be our sole source of sustenance, and be sure to speak with the power of Christ within us those life-giving words of His Spirit.

Next to none had any one man ever needed the life giving words of His Father in Heaven as much as did Jesus in His suffering.  Next to Jesus there are others that can be found in scripture, which for their part leaned on the sustenance of God in the midst of an outward lack in worldly eyes.  Like Job who said, ‘I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.’

Even in our apparent lack and suffering our sustenance for life can be found in His words.  Let’s take the time to delight in His words more than we enjoy our 3 square meals.  For His words are not simply winds being blown in one ear and out the other, but it is food for our body, soul, and spirit.