Today, I wanted to share a simple, comforting meal inspired by foods that would have been common in Jesus’ time — not bread, not lentils, but fish, olives, herbs, figs, and honey. Foods from the Sea of Galilee region. Foods of everyday life.

There’s something about cold weather that makes us crave food that feels like a hug. Not a polite side hug… but a full, blanket-and-socks-and-you-don’t-have-to-talk kind of hug. Enter: chili. Faithful. Reliable. Always shows up when things get chilly — kind of like God, honestly. Whether you’ve had a long day, a long week, or a long season (you know the kind), this is the kind of meal that says: sit down, breathe, and let something warm you from the inside out.

Yes! They appear in Scripture more than once. The most famous moment? Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Genesis 25. Imagine being SO hungry you give away your family destiny for soup! (I get it… lentils are good, but Esau—buddy, choose a sandwich or something.)

There’s something so sacred about food shared after a long day’s work — especially when it’s cooked with love and served with purpose. I often think about one of my favorite Bible moments found in John 21:1–14 — the story of Jesus appearing to His disciples after His resurrection. They had gone back to what they knew — fishing. The waves lapped against the boat, the sun rising slowly as their nets came up empty again and again. These were seasoned fishermen, weary in both