Could you take a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, but it’s good for your soul, too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.
Kathi Lipp is on the show, providing an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep so that we can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.
Her book, Sabbath Soup, includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.
Do something good for your soul and experience the peace with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”
Summary
In this conversation, Rachael Adams interviews author Kathi Lipp about her love for reading, writing, and cooking. They discuss the importance of community and supporting others in their writing journeys. They also delve into the concept of the Sabbath and how it can bring rest and rejuvenation to our lives. Kathi shares her own Sabbath traditions and the impact they have had on her family. The conversation highlights the value of rest, connection, and pursuing our passions. In this conversation, Kathi and Rachael discuss the importance of having clear direction and setting boundaries to live purposeful lives. They also talk about the power of food in building connections and showing love to others. Kathi shares her favorite recipes and emphasizes the biblical concept of loving your neighbor as yourself. They encourage listeners to steward the gift of food well and pray for those struggling in this area.
Takeaways
Supporting others in their writing journeys can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience.
The Sabbath is a day to honor God, rest, and remember God’s provision.
Sabbath traditions can vary from household to household, but the focus is on creating a rhythm of rest and rejuvenation.
Taking time for rest and the Sabbath can help us become more aware of God’s rhythm.
Saying no to certain commitments can help us align with God’s life purpose. Having clear direction and setting boundaries can also help us live purposeful lives.
Food has the power to build connections and show love to others.
Stewarding the gift of food well involves being creative in making connections and serving others.
The biblical concept of loving your neighbor as yourself applies to sharing food with others.
Prayer can bring comfort and guidance in the area of food and cooking.
Chapters
00:00 Supporting Others in Their Writing Journeys
03:23 The Power of Sabbath and Rest
06:28 Creating Sabbath Traditions
09:13 Finding God’s Rhythm in Our Lives
14:19 Aligning with God’s Purpose
23:05 Living a Purposeful Life: Clear Direction and Boundaries
25:28 The Power of Food: Building Connections and Showing Love
27:39 Favorite Recipes: Sharing the Joy of Cooking
32:26 Stewarding the Gift of Food: Creativity and Service
38:48 Prayer for Those Struggling with Food and Cooking
Transcript
Rachael Adams (00:01.292)
Well, hello, Cathy, and welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I’m so happy to have you.
Kathi (00:06.305)
Rachel, I’m so happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
Rachael Adams (00:10.382)
I have been following you for years and am excited about the honor of talking with you. For those who don’t know you or even those who do, you’re the author of 20 books. So, I’d love to start today’s conversation by picking your brain. Have you always loved to read and write?
Kathi (00:28.983)
So I’ve always loved to read. I was the kid that when my mom would say, we need to run errands, I’d be walking down the grocery aisle with a book. And I love that. But writing has always been difficult. I’m pretty severely dyslexic. And so that was a real struggle. You know, we didn’t have computers in high school. I’m from back in the day. I went to high school in the early 80s. And so autocorrect saved my life. That’s the whole reason I get to be a writer. So, I do love to tell stories. It was just always more by mouth than it was by fingers. And now I get to do both, which I love.
Rachael Adams (01:14.318)
Thank goodness for autocorrect and thank goodness for editors. That’s the only reason I can write too.
Kathi (01:17.085)
Right? Everything I write goes through an editor except for social media, and you can tell that because you can find all the typos. But you know what? I consider everything that goes on social media just a first draft. It’s fine.
Rachael Adams (01:31.73)
Well, I told you before we hit record that I attended the Speak Up Conference this summer and met a table of ladies. I’m like, gosh, they seem so close. How do these women know each other already? They were close because of their relationship with you and the beautiful community that you have organized. So, what would you love most about helping other people to fulfill their dreams of writing their books? Writing at the Red House is what I’m referring to, and I should have said that.
Kathi (01:56.871)
Okay. Yeah, yeah. So I have we live in the middle of a forest. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that. We live in the middle of the El Dorado forest and have retreats at our house. And we have online writing communities, all that kind of stuff. People always say, well, if I can do it, anyone can do it. And I don’t know if anybody can write a book because many fantastic writers exist. Rachel, you know this better than anybody. There’s a platform for building your community and things like that. And a lot of those things I learned in a challenging way. And I’m like, it doesn’t have to be this hard for people who really wanna do this. And so there are a lot of people who would like to write a book. There are a lot of people who enjoy the process of writing a book. I love having written books. I need help with the process of writing a book. So I share, these are the things that have helped me. These are the things that have helped my friends. And I love it.
Just a couple of days ago, one of the friends at that table got an offer from an agent. And I could not be more proud if that was my daughter, sister, or mom because I’ve seen the work that has gone into that. And so I can make the path a little bit easier for somebody. I can be there to celebrate this tricky thing that sometimes our families don’t get, our friends don’t get, and our church community doesn’t get. I don’t know that people sometimes know how hard this is, how heartbreaking it is, and how you must hang on to hope but be a realist. And so if I can be the person who says, I get it, and you’re doing great, here’s some advice. I feel called to that, and I love it.
Rachael Adams (04:04.866)
Well, it’s invaluable, and I know you’re seeing and experiencing fruit right now, but I’m confident you’ll see even more when we get to eternity someday. You know, it’s like you’re going to see, gosh, I didn’t realize the domino effect of your obedience and hospitality. It’s just so beautiful, and it inspires me to want to, you know, like link arms with other people and to share my experience freely because you’re right, we need each other, and we should try to make it easier and not just like have this tight grip on what God’s given us, right?
Kathi (04:36.937)
You know, and here’s the exciting thing. Sometimes, we underestimate what we have to give to people. As we know, I’m good at this and good at this. But sometimes, we don’t know that something we may not feel great at can be a natural gift or encouragement to somebody else. And you find that out once you’re bumping elbows with other people, and you’re in the mix of it. And a lot of my life is lived online just by the nature of what I do and where I live. And you can be such an encouragement. You don’t even have to leave your house to send that text. Go onto social media and make that comment.
I read something today on social media, and it broke my heart. It was putting down the movement of self-care. I don’t know. It hit me the wrong way. I’m like, I want women who are saying, I don’t know any women who are over-involved in self-care. I see a lot of women who are taking care of a lot of different people. They are, and to come alongside somebody and say, I know what you’re doing. You are working so hard. I appreciate you and want you to know that goes far for somebody who doesn’t feel seen. And so that’s what I want for people. I want them to feel seen. That’s the bottom part of it. And Rachel, I’m just getting to know you, but I can tell like you’re a seer. I can see that. And that may have sounded woohoo. I didn’t mean for it to sound woohoo. But you see people, and you see their gifts and their needs. I’ve already noticed it in just the few minutes we’ve talked. And what a gift. That’s why the world needs more of you.
Rachael Adams (06:39.85)
Well, I feel like you saw me today, so thank you for that. Your latest book is Sabbath Soup, which offers weekly menus and rhythms to make space for a rest day. We talked about reading and writing. Have you always liked to cook?
Kathi (06:55.649)
I’ve always liked to bake. Cooking came later. There are two very there. These are very different skills. Getting dinner on the table and cooking like getting dinner on the table is like a requirement. This has to happen every night, rain or shine, whether you have the budget, time, or energy. And then there’s the cooking where it’s like I get to play, I get to do something different like those are two sets of skills, and I do love the playing for a long time I resented the You know, these people want to eat again. Are you kidding me? Like that’s all you do every time I see you. It’s about food, so I started to try to get it when you’re in the. You know the muck of it, and you’ve got little kids and things like that, so that dinner can feel overwhelming. So I didn’t enjoy it then. But as I started to say, I do because I love food. Let’s say, and that’s very weird for me to say I don’t. I haven’t said that out loud. If you’re listening to this, you may not know I am a woman of size. I’ve got curves on curves on curves. And I’ve always felt weird saying I love to eat or I love to cook, but I just, I, I’m trying to say that now because I feel like I’ve been in such a battle with food my whole life and to be able to say, no, this is something I enjoy. And I’m learning that it’s a gift for other people. Talk about being seen when you feed people; they feel seen, cared for, and loved. So.
Kathi (08:50.151)
I’m learning to be truthful with myself about what I love—what I love to eat and what I love to do. And also, you know, try to expand more and more beyond getting dinner on the table, saying, you know, this is really, this can be an act of love. Sometimes, it’s just a checkmark when days are busy, but I love it.
Rachael Adams (09:13.838)
Gosh, I get everything you said on so many levels. I’ve joked with you before that food is my love language. I mean, I eat to celebrate, I eat to mourn, I eat when I’m bored, I love to try new restaurants, I love to try new recipes. It’s just fun, you know, to get together with people and fellowship around food. And it is the freedom to say, like, that’s okay. It’s one of God’s gifts to us, right?
Kathi (09:41.133)
There are many records of Jesus eating in the New Testament, right? This there, you know, it was exciting. There was this movement. Ten years ago, many women said we don’t have to eat when we meet. We could go for a walk or we could. And I’m like, that sounds terrible. No, even if it’s just a cup of tea, there’s something about gathering at a table and being around each other. And by the way, I like to walk, but I don’t know. There’s something special about saying we’ll sit eye to eye, talk, catch up, and linger. And that makes me happy. It makes me so happy.
Rachael Adams (10:28.982)
It makes me happy, too, but as you were talking about the difference in cooking versus just getting something on the table, I think right now, in the season of my life, I’m the one that’s just like just getting it on the table because we do need to eat and we’re so busy. Now, life is hectic, and people are eating at different times. And so it’s like, well, what can stay warm, and what can be reheated? And you know, you want to ensure your stomach’s full.
Kathi (10:52.333)
Yeah, and Rachel, I assure you that your kids will look back on that, you know, 15, 20 years from now, and they’ll have their favorite meals. With you, it was just getting dinner on the table, but to them, that was love, nourishment, safety, comfort, and all those things. And so, Even if you’re putting it down and not wearing your pearls and apron, saying, is how I bless my family, your family is feeling that. And so you’re doing good stuff just by getting dinner on that table.
Rachael Adams (11:34.892)
Thank you. I hope so. Yeah. I joke that my son, especially since he’s in high school and a freshman, so I joke that his love language is food too, and so he knows anytime he’s like mom doesn’t, ice cream sounds so good right now. Yeah, it does. He’s like, shouldn’t we go to Dairy Queen or something together? We could have Mother and Son time and get a blizzard. Like, yes, let’s do it. You know he knows how to milk it, and I know I’m like, okay, let’s go for a ride and have some ice cream together. I mean, anytime.
Kathi (12:07.629)
My husband is 60, and he still does that kind of thing. Like him, he never had coffee before we got married, and now his love language is let’s go to Starbucks, which, by the way, the closest Starbucks to us is 50 minutes away. And we don’t do it often, but when he needs that connect, you we were talking about women sitting eye to eye. And men, we usually love to sit side by side to speak, and yes, we love to just go to Starbucks and have our dogs in the car, and let’s ride. And yeah, he can get me anytime with a Starbucks run. There’s just something about it. There is something about it. And okay, can I tell you how bougie my dog is? This is ridiculous. We would go to Starbucks, and she would do puppy eyes, and they would ask if she would like a pop cup. And I said she wants your water. She wants the ice water. It’s triple-filtered. And I’m like, dude, are you kidding me? Like she knows. Her favorite is that she will do a pop-up occasionally, but she wants that ice-cold water that has been triple-filtered because we got her for $25 at the pound. You know, like she’s a bougie girl.
Rachael Adams (13:35.123)
Well, you know what? Starbucks water is free. This is just a public service announcement for everybody. It’s delicious, and you can get a large.
Kathi (13:37.867)
It’s right. Every time I get a coffee, I get one of their waters because it is amazing, and their ice is so good.
Rachael Adams (13:47.448)
Yeah, yeah, it is. Well, gosh, okay, well, so we’re kindred spirits. That’s clear. But you know, like circling back to what we were talking about, so many of us are just so busy, and our schedules are jam-packed, and it comes around to Sunday, and we’re still just busy doing all the things that we didn’t get done the rest of the week. And so, your book focuses on rest and Sabbath. And so, for those unfamiliar with the Sabbath, I thought we maybe should just start there. What is the Sabbath?
Kathi (14:16.802)
Yeah. Yeah, so Sabbath is a day set aside. so I, the biblical principles behind it are a day set aside for honoring God, for rest, and remembering God’s provision. And you know, there are some other things, but those are the three main points. And the way that we honor the Sabbath can look very, very, very different from household to household, tradition to tradition. What we have embraced as our Sabbath tradition, and by the way, let’s just get it out of the way. We have no kids living at home, so I know it looks very different, but that’s the stage of life we’re in now. That has not always been our stage of life. When Roger and I married, we had 13, 14, 15, and 17-year-olds. So, the Sabbath looked very different when that was happening than when this was happening. But what we’ve done with our Sundays, and for us, it’s Sunday, from Saturday night to Sunday night, when we choose to celebrate most weeks. It doesn’t work out every week, but most weeks, when we celebrate, it is a day without have-to’s. So, it’s just a difference in our rhythm and our routine. So what I did, how I started this out, was I didn’t want to cook on Sundays. Cause that was a have-to, but it didn’t feel special when it was like, fix yourself something. Like, you know how to make a sandwich. Like that didn’t feel special either. So what we would do, and this is kind of what we’ve done since our kids were those teenagers is, Saturday night was our big meal. So, like, that was like the roast chicken or something. Now, sometimes, I lovingly prepare roast chicken. Sometimes, it was lovingly bought at Costco. I don’t care how, didn’t you know? I like to cook, but there are weeks when cooking is not the priority. And then, sometime on Saturday morning, I’d make a pot of soup or buy the two containers of soup at Costco, just being real, right? And so we would get home on Sunday after church, and I would just put that big pot back on the stove and heat it, and people could come by with their bowls and have soup for lunch. And then for Sunday, Saturday morning dinner, I’d do something that was a little more casserole -y. So, like an enchilada casserole or One thing that my son still asks for is something called a poppy seed casserole, which is, let’s just be honest, not the healthiest thing you’re ever going to eat, but it’s comfort food. And I wanted something my kids wanted to gather around that they would look forward to. So I would cook on Saturday so we could shove it in the oven on Saturday night. we’re good to go. I put the pot of soup on Sunday after church, and on Sunday, I put the casserole in the oven, and we were good to go. And you know, we would have the bag of salad or the side of asparagus or whatever that was. But, on Sunday, I was putting things into appliances or onto stovetops so we could be fed and fed with love. And it just made it so Sundays were different. We used a lot of paper plates on those Sundays, so we weren’t doing a lot of dishes just to set it aside, and my routine grew from there. I can have leftovers for Monday and Tuesday night if I do two chickens on Saturday night. If I make a big soup pot, we can have that for Tuesday night. And so I call those loop meals leftover on purpose, and you loop around and do not have to cook seven different dinners weekly. And in this rhythm, we also have one night where we get something from, for me, it’s Trader Joe’s. For you, it might be Aldi’s or something like that, something that you can stick in the oven and go out one night, and then the rest is taken care of. And that’s kind of the rhythm we’ve done, but it makes it so Sunday is pointed towards rest because I do not feel like I have to do all the other things now, and I get it. Some people have soccer games on Sunday, the right, or those kinds of things, so maybe you look to point towards Sabbath for Friday night or Pick your weight. Yes. There are so many things you can do, but I don’t believe That the legalism will get us there, and by the way, I’m very grateful that my next-door neighbor, a firefighter, doesn’t always take his Sabbath on Sunday. I’m very grateful for the nurses, doctors, and people who have to make accommodations to keep the rest of us safe. And so I think having a time set aside that says, I want to honor God, I want to connect with people I love, and I want to remember God’s provision is the point.
Rachael Adams (19:56.202)
Yeah, there’s a story even in the Bible, and I don’t know where it is, but it involves Jesus healing somebody on the Sabbath. Everybody gave him such a hard time like you’re supposed not to do anything on this day, so I think that goes to what you’re saying about the legalistic approach: if somebody needs help that day, help them. Yeah, right. Yeah, right, right. And we all make decisions for our family. You know, we all make the right decisions for our family. And if you’re super convicted about something, pay attention to that. But I also believe that God meets us there in an attempt to honor the Sabbath.
Rachael Adams (20:34.338)
Yeah. How have you been since you’ve instituted and become more serious about your Sabbath? What has shifted in your heart, family, and spiritual life?
Kathi (20:45.133)
I think we are more aware of God’s rhythm in our lives and paying attention to that. When you haven’t experienced rest for so long, trying to take rest feels stressful. Trying to pull back from your day-to-day life feels like a stressor because you know you’ve been running 24 -7. Okay, when we pull back, things will feel stressful. I must be aware that God did not design me for 24 seven. Either I’m adding things that don’t necessarily need to be there, or I’m not asking for or getting the help I need. And that’s a conversation many families need to have that it’s very easy for mom to be the ta-da so everybody else can rest. And that’s not biblical; that’s not okay. So we need to be aware of those rhythms throughout the week, and when we start to plan for that Sunday, I anticipate it’s a little bit like, you know, how excited we are for Christmas or how excited we are to celebrate a wedding.
Sunday is a smaller version of that for us. And it makes me so grateful. It also really helps me filter what I say yes to and what I say no to. I believe I live more in line with God’s purpose for my life because I’m saying no to many things that feel right and good for others. They are alright. This is not going out drinking, going out smoking, going out getting, that’s not what I’m saying no to. I’m saying no to attending a conference that I would get a lot out of or saying no to helping this person because I know who I’m supposed to be helping. I am aligned with God’s purpose for my life. And so there’s not the friction. There is day-to-day, week-to-week friction in all of our lives. But I don’t feel out of sync and out of purpose. And yes, sometimes I help even when that’s not what I’m called explicitly to, but I don’t commit to ongoing commitments that are not aligned with us.
Rachael Adams (23:25.77)
You have an obvious direction on what you’re supposed to be doing and your purpose, and then you’re okay setting boundaries. And you know, Jesus, that’s what Jesus, many of his rules for us are for our best. He’s setting these boundaries for our benefit, and we keep trying to break out of them when it’s, like, no, I’m trying to protect you. Do you understand?
Kathi (23:49.823)
Right, it’s such a simple example. We have a fire safety council here because we live in California, and we almost lost our house a couple of years ago to the Caldor fire. I believe in the purpose of our fire safety council, and I was on the board for a long time. I was on the council, but I realized that by serving, I only needed to be there for some meetings.
So, I stepped back from being on the council, and now I’m the social media director. And I can do a lot more reasonably with social media, and I can do that from the comfort of my house. And I can occasionally show up at the meetings, but I’m not required to show up at the, and when I thought through that, you know, sometimes we do performative helps, like, look, I’m here at the community meeting. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I would rather quietly help in the ways I can than get burnt out by showing up and showing off. And that’s just my needy, broken heart that wants to be seen for what I’m doing. But God is aligning me. God is saying you don’t need any recognition. You can do what you’re doing. And it’s okay, Kathy, do what I’ve called you to do.
Rachael Adams (25:10.572)
I think that that is a word for so many of us. We, God, see what we’re doing, but we also need to say no to some things, say yes to rest, say yes to the Sabbath, and be intentional. It will; everything you’re discussing will take some planning.
Rachael Adams (25:28.492)
You know, meal planning, grocery shopping, blocking some time off in your schedule on certain days, knowing your schedule for the week to be organized, and thinking through what you need and when. And that’s why your book is so helpful: You’re making it easier on us. We must still plan and prepare, but you are making it more accessible.
Kathi (25:46.253)
Right, in the book, there are 24 meal plans in there. So you can take a meal plan, buy the ingredients, and do it. Or, hey, this looks interesting. I don’t want to cook for a week, but could cook for a weekend. And so I could have these three meals ready. Or I could go to Costco, buy chicken and soup items, get French bread, and buy enchilada casserole. Some people would ask why I need a cookbook for that. I get it. But sometimes, we need somebody else to tell us, you can do this. This is okay. And there’s one week in there, and that’s the no-cook plan. It’s just buying the food and repurposing it when you need to. I was talking with somebody when I was on a book deadline. In The last three days, we have had a restaurant chain, like Chipotle, called Baja Fresh. And they have this family platter, and it’s like 40 or $50. But three days before my book is due, I buy that, and that’s what we eat. Like, that is, we can make tacos out of it, we can make a taco salad out of it, we could, like, I’m not cooking for those three days. And sometimes, buying a family meal from someplace is the plan, and that’s okay.
Rachael Adams (27:16.984)
No, that just gave everybody a big sigh of relief. Because the last thing you want is more pressure. You’re trying to ease everybody’s pressure, and that’s why I love this book and this concept so much. So you mentioned your poppy seed recipe, maybe some of your soups. You have, like, what is on a typical week, what is your go-to recipe, one of your favorites, your family’s
Kathi (27:39.699)
Okay, so I love fall, and you and I have a deep love for fall. The cream of chicken and wild rice soup is a banger. It is just a banger. When I’m going to a social event, somebody says, “Just bring your favorite dish,” I have a macaroni and cheese with Goulier cheese that is not so strong that kids wouldn’t like it.
Kathi (28:07.691)
It also has a panko crust topping, and I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about it. Now, it does have alcohol in it, it has gin, it’s tomato gin soup. You don’t have to do the gin; you could do something like white grape juice or something like that, but it’s a recipe. I tasted this soup at a restaurant in Arizona called the white chocolate fondue, white chocolate cafe, that’s what it was called. And I went home and kept making it until it tasted like the one at that cafe. And I love it. And there’s a bunch of salads, fall salads, and fun things. But you know, there’s a recipe for everything, and my chocolate chip cookie recipe in there is; it makes a ton, too.
Rachael Adams (29:03.43)
Okay, I want to know this is there because you’re not the one. Some say, ” Well, I make this, and I’m not giving you the recipe like this is our family’s secret. But you’re just like, nope, here are my best secrets. That’s how you are with your writing, too. Like, no, I know this works. I know it’s delicious. Here you go
Kathi (29:22.168)
I understand if you’re KFC and you need to keep the 11 spices locked in a vault, and you know if your grandmother said never share this recipe, let’s just be honest: none of my lineages were known for their cooking. My mom’s a good cook, but, like, yeah, I don’t have any of that kind of recipes. So many of my recipes are things that, like, you know, Somebody talked about on the internet, and I was like, okay, but I like this better. Like this, it needs a little bit more salt or a little more cayenne or whatever. So it’s altered. Think, you know, we’re all just. Food is like a language. We’re all just putting it together in different ways. There is no greater compliment you can give me than we make that once a month in our house. Like that’s the best thing you could ever tell me.
Rachael Adams (30:19.512)
Yeah, well, I think something; we’ve talked about our love for food, but one of the things that I love about food so much is that my grandmother, growing up, had raspberry bushes along her fence row. She would make raspberry jam crepes and spread the raspberry jam in them, and so now, every time I eat a raspberry, I think of her. And food has a way of that. When you eat something or smell something, it reminds you of something you were saying. Even the tomato soup reminds you of that restaurant and that experience. And there is so much to that with our memories, people, and legacy. We mentioned this about spending time with our family, but even yesterday, I had a group of my Bible study leadership team at my house. I was fellowshipping around the table, and we made Chipotle bowls, which was very casual. But it was beautiful, and we just prayed now because Bible studies are getting ready to start, so we were praying and planning. Food and hospitality around the table can be a ministry, and we don’t need to underestimate its power and significance.
Kathi (31:32.353)
I was raised being told that our five senses were for protection. Smell, taste, like if something tastes off, you don’t eat it. If something smells off, don’t. It’s for protection, but it’s also for connection. Because when you smell that soup cooking on the stove, you can anticipate something good will happen. There is nothing my husband loves more than when I’m sauteing onions. Like he doesn’t care what’s for dinner if he smells sauteed onions, I am getting appropriately groped in the kitchen because it just makes him so, so, so happy, right? And so we have those deep connections through our five senses. That’s not an accident. God designed us to connect those to a place, time, and memory of your grandmother. I love that you have that connection with raspberries. We have blackberries all over our property and are about to go into blackberry canning season. And I want that to be something that when I drop off a jar of blackberry jam to a neighbor, I want them to think well of me.
Rachael Adams (32:52.195)
I wish I were your neighbor.
Kathi (32:53.773)
You know what? We will find ways to connect, even if it’s online. We’ll be online neighbors.
Rachael Adams (33:01.996)
Yeah, absolutely. Well, so speaking of that, that segues into the next question I want to ask you. You know, the greatest commitment is to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. And you’re talking about showing Christ’s love through food and, you know, taking your neighbor some jam or taking them a pie. My next-door neighbor, Miss Doris, is in her 90s, and every time she comes to visit, she brings us something. And one time, she got us an angel food cake. And she takes that to anybody sick or a funeral to comfort them and show that she cares. And so she came and taught my daughter, Caitena, how to make the angel food cake. She shared her special recipe. She brought us the angel food cake tin and spent time teaching us, not just giving us the recipe.
Rachael Adams (33:55.606)
And it was one of the most memorable moments, and it’s something that Kate and I want to know when somebody is sick or, you know, has a baby or whatever to show that we care. An angel next door is what we have in the stories. And so all that to say, my question is, is there a biblical concept of love that applies to this topic? And not to put words in your mouth, but in my mind, I think, love your neighbors yourself. What a great way to show somebody that you love them.
Kathi (34:27.149)
You know, and that’s the verse. That is the biblical concept. We have a neighbor, and our neighbor, you know, it would take me 20 minutes to walk to him, but he’s still our neighbor. We are just by where we live. And we didn’t know him before the Caldor fire. But during the Caldor fire, he found me on Facebook and repeatedly gave us an update on our house, which was such a comfort that he didn’t need to do. And it was after the Caldor fire he had COVID and was very, very sick. And so when he returned, I said, you know, I’ve made some extra for dinner; could I bring it over? And he said I would love that. He finds out from one of his friends that when he comes up here to stay, he brings a stack of Lunchables and dry cereal. Like that, this guy is fighting fires, and that’s what he eats. And now, every week, I drop off a cooler bag with, you know, from two to five meals, depending on what we have. And I always love the saying that hunger is a mighty delicate sauce. He appreciates it so deeply because he doesn’t have anybody cooking for him. And then I have my mom, who lives in a town that we see about once a week, who’s 80. who is perfectly capable of cooking for herself but says it’s hard to cook for one person. And so, you know, I, we make enough. And I think about the times in Exodus when people felt they wouldn’t have enough. And I have had God show up for me so many times through neighbors, friends, and strangers to ensure I had enough.
And I want to live out that biblical principle of being enough for somebody else that God says you need to go. I’m feeling, excuse me, tremendous guilt because our neighbor, another neighbor, isn’t doing well. I’m like, we need to make her soup. And I always have the ingredients for that chicken and wild rice soup on hand because I have them in the freezer and the pantry. But the beautiful thing is,
Kathi (36:54.101)
You can go to the store and grab a loaf of bread and have a bag of pre-made salad dressing with the dressing. And I can bake up a pan of brownies in a half hour. That can be the first person I can be, the angel neighbor. I can be the angel friend. I can be the soup angel. And one of my friends lives about a half hour away. And when my husband and I had COVID, when Roger was in the hospital, she was at my house with soup in about, you know, three hours. And I want to be on the first line of defense because when you’re going through a stressful time, whether it’s a baby, which is a great stress, yay, an injury, a sickness, somebody in your family has passed the last thing you need is another decision. And so if I can take away the decision of what to have for dinner, my job is done.
Rachael Adams (38:00.214)
Yeah, absolutely. Mean some of my, you know, had a hysterectomy a couple of years ago, and people showered me with meals and even gift cards for meals, you know, that’s a blessing too.
Kathi (38:09.473)
Yes. Thank God for Venmo and being able to send gift cards instantly, right? Because I can’t ship my soup. I mean, there’ll be somebody who says you can, but no. I would instead get DoorDash when you need it most. Yes, taking that decision away and just saying, here’s the food. You know, sometimes people have dietary restrictions. I know those are my closest people, but to say no, how can I help? But I’ll be there at three. Does that work for you? It is such a gift.
Rachael Adams (38:48.854)
Yeah, my other neighbor has a great garden and brings us tomatoes. Then my sister-in-law has chickens and brings us eggs, and every time I get a new shipment, it’s like DoorDash, but it’s from my neighbors. It’s country DoorDash.
Kathi (39:03.597)
It’s country door dash. Love it. Is there anything better in the world than the homegrown tomato? No. They must be shipped while their skin is so strong that they’re never allowed to ripen like in your garden. And our tomato crop this year is pitiful because I got
Rachael Adams (39:11.604)
No! That you cannot buy them that way! They’re so good!
Kathi (39:30.271)
I got a little ambitious and tried to plant too early in the season, but we still had one snow. So, I will appreciate our tomatoes next year and practice some patience.
Rachael Adams (39:44.216)
Yeah, well, there’s so much we can do to show love to other people. We can love our family, our friends, and our community well, and this is such a good reminder. Is there something that you are loving? It doesn’t have to be food-related, but it can be. What first comes to your mind?
Kathi (40:01.741)
My goodness. You know, right now, it’s very silly. There’s a TV show it’s called Ghosts. There is a British and American version; my husband and I adore both. And, just it’s a kick, you know, there aren’t a lot of sitcoms anymore that my husband and I like to sit down and watch. And this is a lovely break. I wish I had come up with something more spiritual, but that’s what we love now.
Rachael Adams (40:36.866)
It is rare for my husband and I to agree on something we both want to watch. And that is a gift too, that you can do that together. We’ll have to check it out. And so I want to know today’s conversation is light, fun, and joyous. But some people may be lonely and think I’m not cooking for anybody. You see, I am like your mom; I’m cooking for one, which isn’t much fun. And so I want to be mindful of all the women listening and, you know, even the financial burden of food and cooking and all the things that many women are burdened with today. And so I would just love for you to step, to pray with us that we would steward this food gift well and give what God has given us. Yeah, absolutely. You know, I was a single mom at one point. And while I was not lonely with my kids, I was lonely with that companionship and that purpose. So I get that deeply. Can I pray for them? Can I pray for those people listening right now? Father, thank you for the gift of food and all the ways to enjoy it. And
Rachael Adams (41:46.87)
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I would love that.
Kathi (41:56.671)
We are so grateful that most of us live in abundance, whether it’s time, energy, or finances. But God, I know so many people are struggling right now. They don’t have the time. They need the money to eat or share the way they want. God, I pray that you would give us the creativity to make those connections so that we could be in the community and serve and be served when the time comes. Many women I know are doing the heavy lifting right now. God, I pray that you would ease their burden, that they would understand and feel and sense your presence in such real and concrete ways, that while you are in so many ways of mystery, God, we are so grateful when you reveal yourself to us in such powerful ways. God, I pray for the ministry of this podcast and that women know that they are not alone but that they are an offering, and they are offering to you, and they are an offering to each other. Thank you for loving us and caring deeply about our rhythms and rest. We are so grateful in a world that doesn’t feel like it cares. We’re so thankful that you care so deeply. In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray, amen.
Rachael Adams (43:22.984)
Amen. Well, Kathy, I know I want to stay connected with you, and I’m sure listeners will, too. They’ll want to grab a copy of this book and all of your others and listen to your podcast and all the things. So please tell us how we can best stay in touch with you.
Kathi (43:35.585)
You can go to SabbathSoup.com. We have everything there. If you want to try out some of the recipes, we’ve got ways for you to do that, including links to order. But we want to support you in getting some rest, friends.
Rachael Adams (43:51.739)
That soup and rest sound delightful, especially as we enter fall. Thank you so much for being my guest. It’s been a joy to be with you.
Kathi (44:00.289)
Rachel, thank you so much for having me on. What a delight this podcast is.
Connect with Kathi:
