I'm not sure what happened to my closely guarded diet during these recent holidays, but I won't ask. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has been so busy cooking and preparing food that she didn't have time to oversee my diet.

I love it when a plan comes together.

As usual, I used this time for my benefit and delighted myself with all the food. And believe me, the food was delicious.

One thing I like about holiday eating is that you can always go for seconds and if careful, thirds.

As the family is around the table and the chatter continues, I can sneak another portion of that delicious turkey. There is no way I can have too much turkey. From one turkey to another, I can only say, "Gobble, gobble, gobble."

Another benefit of these holiday meals is the leftovers. Sometimes, it has been my experience that leftovers are more delicious than the original. I'm unsure if it's The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage's culinary skill or just the quality of the food. The second time around is a winner. The third time around is not too bad, either.

In our house, the planning of the holiday meals begins in late summer. Our shelves are stocked with all kinds of food for the holidays. We have a special refrigerator in the garage stuffed with all sorts of things for the holiday.

If I had to choose which food I enjoyed the most during these holidays, I would be in trouble. Or maybe I could say, like my uncle used to say, "It's what I'm eating at the time."

I must say that the pie selection is right up at the top of the best part of the meal. There were all kinds of pies: pumpkin pie, apple pie, lemon meringue pie, and those were just the pies I saw and ate. My plan is, if I eat only one slice at a time, I may not be caught.

I ended the holiday season well stuffed with some delicious food. No complaints from this side of the Parsonage.

The week following our Thanksgiving dinner, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I sat in the living room relaxing. I looked at her and said, "When is our next Thanksgiving dinner?"

Looking at me with one of her looks, she said, "When I find the next turkey." And then she stared at me until I was just slightly uncomfortable.

About a week after our Thanksgiving dinner, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage planned to spend the day shopping for Christmas presents. I was instructed to get my lunch for that day.

I don't mind getting my lunch as long as she doesn't know the ingredients of my lunch. But how can you compete with all that food in our refrigerator this time of the year?

When lunchtime came, I opened the refrigerator and looked at all the delicious food. I was trying to figure out which I would pick first. No matter which one I choose, it would definitely be delicious.

Then I had one of those "Whaaaat" moments. I saw something in the refrigerator I had not thought about for a long time. I had all the Thanksgiving food in the refrigerator, and in the corner was a jar of grape jelly. I haven't seen that jar in a long time, and I'm not quite sure why I happened to see it now.

I knew the cupboard beside the refrigerator had several jars of peanut butter. What came to me at that moment was a P&J Sandwich. For those under 50, that is a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.

Suddenly, my tongue began wagging in culinary anticipation. There ain't nothing better in this whole wide world than a P&J sandwich. As a kid, that was my favorite lunch I took to school every day. And it doesn't matter what the jelly is - grape, strawberry, blueberry, it's all rather delicious.

Looking behind me to ensure the way was clear and that The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage had not come home early, I set out to fix my favorite sandwich.

Don't get me wrong here; turkey is a wonderful sandwich. But it doesn't compete with this P&J sandwich I was about to indulge in.

I don't know who invented peanut butter, but they have greatly served humanity. Then, adding jelly to peanut butter sandwiches is another brilliant accomplishment.

Quickly, I put together my P&J sandwich, got a fresh cup of coffee, and then went to the kitchen table to celebrate my lunch. After finishing that sandwich, I was very much tempted to go for sandwich number two. What would be wrong with that?

If The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage knows what I had for lunch, how would I explain it to her? Keeping it a secret is my number one agenda.

Munching on my P&J sandwich, I remembered what David said. "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4).

I love food, but my greatest joy is in the Lord. As I focus on Him in my daily activities, I begin to understand the important desires of my heart. It's amazing how God surprised me with something that really made my life happy. The finer things in life aren't everything. Sometimes it's the simple things that make me truly happy.

Dr. James L. Snyder, is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. James is an award winning author whose books are available at https://amzn.to/2SMOjwO.

Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail [email protected]. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.