Valentine's Day-Burst of Cranberries

Today on the occassion of Valentine's Day when the world celebrates love, I have a very special guest- Kelly Parr from Fresh Encounter Body, Soul, Spirit. Kelly and her husband were missionaries in the South East Asia region for 15 years. They lived in Malaysia and travelled throughout teaching and now reside back in their home state of Missouri.

When I first felt led to invite Kelly to do a guest post for Valentine's Day, I felt it was unfair. Unfair because she is on a 40 days fast. So I thought to myself "how can I ask her to do a guest post on food when she is fasting?" But I felt so strongly about it that I did go ahead and ask her, and she so willingly complied!

Personally I am amazed at her strength. I am not even close to the word "fasting". Do visit her blog for a "fresh encounter of body, soul and spirit" and enjoy the recipe Kelly shares with us with a very powerful message!.....

WHAT I’M CRAVING FOR TODAY!

Believe it or not, today is Day 39 of my “Body and Soul” cleanse and I am overwhelmed with a craving for … something sweet, nutty, and chewy but yet really crunchy! Ever had that craving?

For me, when these cravings occur especially during a fast (and especially knowing I have only ONE more day left)… these cravings are usually followed by intense stomp my foot kind of emotions ! This foot stompin emotion only shows me what the little girl within really needs – LOVE!

Maybe you are not craving for something sweet, nutty, chewy and crunchy like I am today, but since it is Valentine’s Day, perhaps you are! Or maybe… just maybe what you are really craving for is not food at all? It’s a crave that we all have in common– a craving for LOVE! Whether we are married, single, divorced, widowed, old or young - we long to be -loved. We were not only created for love but we were created by Love and if this craving for love is not met… we tend to seek for love in all the wrong places only to realize that nothing satisfies; nothing fills our craving for pure love.

• A love that gives and doesn’t take
• A love that is expressed in word, thought and action

Today I want to introduce to you a double blessing - one that can satisfy our emotional craving for food - my “Burst of Cranberries”! The other blessing is one that satisfies to the very core of our being– Gods unconditional love! Only God’s love can fill and satisfy our deepest longing to be loved. You were created for love – to receive love. We cannot give love away that we are not comfortable with or that we first have not received ourselves.

So let’s take a few moments this special Valentine’s Day and as you open your mouth to pop one of these sweet, nutty, and chewy “Burst of Cranberries” in … open your heart and receive and infilling of God’s love - His perfect love that loves us unconditionally!
He’s waiting!
PS. Oh yea... I almost forgot to leave you the recipe!

BURST of Cranberries
1 ½ cups raw almonds & cashews
1 cup medjool dates seeded
¼ cup dried coconut

• Pulse ingredients in a food processor
• Add a squeeze of fresh lemon
• A drizzle of honey for sweetener
• 1 tbl coconut oil1 tsp vanilla
• Pulse a bit more(Don’t over pulse or it will turn into nut butter!)
• Form into bite size balls
• Roll balls into a mixture of:blended dried cranberries & dried coconut
  Enjoy!