Holidays Got You Down? Here’s What You Can Do

December 7, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

Can you be a believer, follow Christ, be in community with God, and not be merry and bright at Christmas? Many People Struggle With Holiday Blues According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 65% of people indicate that the holidays bring on the blues, and 55% of Americans struggle with holiday loneliness. According to Cedars-Sinai psychologist Dr. Michael Wetter, the holidays don’t necessarily exacerbate depressive conditions specifically. Still, they do tend to create more stress. NAMI found that 51%... Read more

Food Glorifies God in Italy

July 13, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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We are planning our next adventure to Italy for September, which is always the highlight of our year, one that incorporates food. Being first generation Italian, one might think that I would have gone dozens of times before. But no, this all began when my Papa died in 2021. His final wish was to have his ashes returned to his hometown of Giulianova in the Abruzzo region of Italy. That’s along the west coast for those of you not familiar.... Read more

Feed the chickens when they come home to roost- or visit

July 10, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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My children – all grown and into their thirties- come home to visit, and the first thing I do is feed them. I’d never really thought about it until recently when my son asked what there was to eat as he arrived through the garage door. Like Pavlov’s dogs, I have conditioned my kids to associate food with me. Or are children born with this association? Feed our children and ourselves It’s reasonable to imagine that babies... Read more

Moving, an Arsenal of Plans, and the Provision of God’s Love through Food

June 27, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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We were feeding some massive life changes recently. Moving our household of 23 years was among them. There really is nothing more disruptive and unnerving than moving. In fact, psychologists indicate that it is among the top three most significant stressors in a person’s life, right up there with the death of a loved one and a major illness. After 23 years of living in the 3300 sq ft traditional, center hall colonial we built when the kids were in... Read more

Prayers on the Edge of the Knife

June 9, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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The fluid movement of the knife as it slides through the skin of the tomato, that little punctuated give as the skin bursts from the pressure of the sharp edge, and prayers. Each slice is rhythmic and mesmerizing. “Dear Father in Heaven, Hear my prayer today.” Does anyone else pray while they cook? As a child, I accompanied my grandmother to church every week and sometimes twice a week on holidays. She was a woman of routine. Same pew in... Read more

Garden Prayers

June 5, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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There is a time to plant and a time to uproot within life’s garden. Each time can be exhilarating, painful, anxiety provoking and filled with guilt. But God won’t leave us alone in our time. Being let go from my executive role with a sizeable multi-location hospital system in the Northeast sent me reeling into an emotional abyss of shame, guilt, anger, and fear. I felt violated and targeted for things that I knew were untrue. I was furious for... Read more

Comfort Food – for Our Souls

May 31, 2023 By Sondra Lintelmann-Dellaripa

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Food is comforting, despite our relationship with it having become fraught with “Emotional Eating” concerns lately. As someone whose family has been impacted by eating disorders, I know the fears on emotional eating have validity. Before I go further, let me share a special place for anyone who might be struggling – NEDA – The National Eating Disorders Association- has been a lifesaving organization for our family. However, I would like to talk about the presence of food as... Read more