day 5: FMF, love and pumpkin pecan bars

Five minutes on "welcome"...I just finished reading the passage in Mark about Jesus welcoming the little children and his encouragement for us to enter the kingdom like that.  And I wonder if it's because children know how to love more fully and as we grow we forget that. Perhaps as we grow the weeds of this world choke out our freedom to love. I see in my children the freedom to show affection and say what's on their mind and live free of expectations. And I want to love like that. I want to welcome deep love into my life and welcome others into my arms as Jesus joyfully did with the children.

Because I love the Five Minute Friday community, I'm going to attempt to participate through this 31 Days and tie Lisa's prompt word to loving deeply. The "regular" 31 Days of Deep Love Diving post follows...Fridays I share a recipe along with the DLD challenges.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Most Fridays I share recipes aimed at a healthier me, healthier you and a healthier world. And as I mentioned here, I believe food and love are somehow connected - sharing a meal was one of the last things Jesus did before laying down His life for us. Which is why recipes are part of Deep Love Diving. (View all the 31 Days of Deep Love Diving posts here)


If I say pumpkin pie, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Was it "Thanksgiving?" And after reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, love and grace and thanksgiving are forever wrapped up together in my mind. So I wanted a recipe that immediately connects us to a day when we gather to give thanks. I don't like pumpkin pie (it's a texture thing) but I do enjoy these...

Pumpkin Pecan Energy Bars
(based on the recipe found here)

1.5 cups great northern beans
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canned organic pumpkin
1-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
1.5 cups organic oats
1/2 cup pecans






1. Combine the first six ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add in oats and process until combined.
3. Transfer to bowl and stir in pecans, plus )any other ingredients you'd like to add. I mixed in puffed millet. Raw pumpkin seeds, banana chips, unsweetened coconut also would work well.
4. Bake at 275 degrees for 20-30 minutes until firm.

*The pumpkin pie spice I used was old so I added in 3 tsp. For fresher pumpkin pie spice, start with one tsp. and add more to taste.

The challenge: Write God a love letter.

Writing helps me process my thoughts and after three days of meditating on what it means to love Him with my whole heart I want to share this with Him in a letter. Obviously, He already knows my thoughts and what I'm going to write, but I think He'll rather enjoy of receiving a letter anyway.





The challenge: Give away something you love to someone you love.

I don't know about you, but when I find some thing I love, I tend to hold it tight. But God says we're never to grasp onto the things of this world and I wonder if, when we open our hands to others, we open our hearts to Him. So today, I'm giving something I love away to someone I love because I want to live with open hands and an open heart. If you love these energy bars, make some to give away. :)    




*Images for the Deep Love Diving banners and buttons were courtesy of this site.