Strawberry Almond Bread...and a little post on Freedom :)

Sometimes I have a craving for something I can't place; I'll have it for weeks before I actually figure out what it is I've been craving. Ever have that happen to you? Maybe it hasn't happened with food, but with things far less tangible though just as necessary for a healthy existence, like strength of mind with a heaping cup of fearlessness thrown in for added flavor. Those are two ingredients that play the same role in life as salt does in a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Without them, life's just flat and bland - you know something's missing, even when it's only a pinch.

I'll admit, there are moments when I need more than a simple dash of fearlessness and strength of mind to spice up my life, more like a gallon! Thankfully, I still have a mustard seed of faith lying around somewhere; it keeps me going when the reserves are low. But I really love it when I come across an inspiring blog post, that also revitalizes me and gives me a reality check. Take this post written by Oscar of Freshtopia, for instance. Here is a man with enough strength and fearlessness to get him through the hardest of knocks, like a brain cancer diagnosis.

What reveals his strength? There's enough evidence in that blog to safely say he's a loving man who truly understands what it means to be free, even when inflicted with an illness that would make most feel physically limited and emotionally defeated. So what does that have to do with freedom? Everything. The worst oppression is the kind that's self-inflicted, losing your personal freedom to negative thoughts and bitterness. The first sign of this? A mentally insatiable craving for something more; feeling like life owes you something, and focusing on that so much that you lose yourself and the ability to love in the process.

Freedom comes with acknowledging your blessings in the midst of what seem to be curses, and that's fairly impossible without strength of mind. Reading Oscar's post made me think of a kind of independence that all of us should strive for. Happy 4th of July!

...and because this is a food blog ;), here's a recipe for some tasty Strawberry Almond Bread!