Kugel Story

Since Rosh Hashanah was last week,
this is a good time to share my kugel story.

Maybe you’ve heard this joke: “How does a Jewish-American princess make dinner? She doesn’t! She makes reservations.” Well, that describes me to a tee. In other words, I don’t cook. But many years ago, when my husband and I had the family over for Rosh Hashanah dinner, I couldn’t “make reservations,” though I did have reservations about cooking for our fourteen guests.

One dish I made was kugel, using my mom’s recipe. It’s not Rosh Hashanah without Mom’s kugel, and I even made an extra one just in case. (Kugel is noodle pudding, and Mom always made hers with cinnamon-sugar, cottage cheese, and pineapple. Delish!)

My Rosh Hashanah dinner was a success. The food made a hit and everyone had a good time. Then, as my husband and I cleaned up, I wondered about the second kugel.

“John, I don’t remember serving the extra kugel, but I can’t find it anywhere.”

 “We probably served it.”

 “But, I don’t remember serving it.” “

 “Then we must have put it in the freezer.”

 “I already checked the freezer. It’s not there.”

 “Check the freezer in the garage.”

 “I did. It’s not there either.”

 “Well, it has to be somewhere.”

I kept going back and forth from freezer to freezer to fridge. No kugel.

About a year and a half later I happened to open my oven. Guess what was waiting for me in there. Yep! You guessed it! The missing kugel had been hiding in there for over a year. Seeing it in the oven sparked my memory. The kitchen counters had been so crammed that Rosh Hashanah night, that I used the oven as extra “counter space” to get it out of the way.

When I showed John the lost-but-found treat in the oven, I think I caught him contemplating serving it for dinner that night. He was probably starving, poor guy, since I never cook!

Shanah tovah!

God Is Near

“‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the LORD,
‘And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself
in hiding places so I do not see him?’ declares the
LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’
declares the LORD.”
(Jeremiah 23:23-24 NASB)
from Hebrew Scriptures

This verse appears in Scripture as an admonishment from God to false prophets who are misleading the people. God is letting those big liars know that He knows what they’re up to and how foolish they are to think He doesn’t see them. But this verse holds a very dear truth for those in relationship with Yeshua. This truth is that God fills the heavens and earth, which means there’s no place you or I can go where He’s not there with us. I find comfort in this reality. Wherever I am. Whatever I’m doing, God is right there with me.

Often, when I talk to God, I have to remind myself that I’m not engaging in an exercise of unloading the contents of my soul into the expanse of oblivion, where there’s no one who hears or cares. I have to remind myself that God is truly receiving in His heart the words spilling out of my own heart. He really does care about me. He really is near. Not only is God near to me at those times, but He is with me at all times. When my heart absorbs this truth, I experience such comfort and joy that I want to shout Hallelujahs from the rooftops.

God is near to you as well. Right now. At this very moment. He knows you. He loves you. He wants His very best for you. And, if you’ve already received Yeshua’s eternal gift—the payment for your sins so you can be in a right relationship with Him forever—then not only is God with you, His Holy Spirit lives in you. Now that is truly good news!

Is this a good time to pour your heart out to God? If it is, you may want to remind yourself, like I do sometimes, that He is right there with you. He is your closest and dearest confidante. When I talk to Him like that, I have to remind myself to stop and listen too. You may want to do the same. God’s Holy Spirit may have something so special, so beautiful, to speak into your soul.

If you don’t know Yeshua yet, then this might be a good time to talk to Him from the very truth of your heart. You might want to tell Him your doubts, your fears, any feelings, and ask Him any questions. If you are truly sincere, then, in His perfect timing for you, He will respond to you.

“’Call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen
to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search
for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’
declares the Lord.”
(Jeremiah 29:12–14 NASB)
from Hebrew Scriptures

“‘Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened.’”
(Matthew 7:7–8 NASB)
from New Testament