Did you know there are almost fifty verses about loving your neighbor in the Bible? As my daddy says, “If it is in the Bible more than once, then we better pay attention because it is important!” I have been able to reflect on several passages about loving my neighbor and they have given me a newfound joy in helping others. Mark 12:31 says, “The second [greatest commandment] is this: “Love you neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” What a responsibility, challenge, and opportunity we have to help others! Galatians 6:2 reminds us to carry each other’s burdens. This has certainly reminded me to extend grace to others during this time of confusion and uncertainty.

From a young age, I was able to watch my mother love her neighbor and set an example for me and my brother. We didn’t know we were learning how to take care of our neighbors at the time. Our mother was following a conviction that the Holy Spirit had laid on her heart. I am so thankful that she followed that conviction because it taught me the importance of showing the gospel to others in small ways.

There was a gentleman in our community of Holly Springs, MS named Mr. Louis Greene. Mr. Louis never learned to drive and lived a very conservative lifestyle. He didn’t have very many clothes and I can remember a distinct smell that would permeate the vehicle when he would gratefully hop in with his toothy grin. Growing up, I didn’t know the extent of his struggles and I attribute that to my mom loving him and treating him the same as anyone else that would have gotten into our van. When Mr. Louis wanted to go grocery shopping, to church, or for a lunch out, he would just start out walking. It didn’t matter if it was 100 degrees or 20 degrees. If my mom saw him walking, she would always pull over and take him to his location. He could always count on a Sunday morning pick up! Mr. Louis attended First United Methodist Church in Holly Springs and he would always wear a brown polyester suit with a cream shirt and a brown tie that was always a little crooked. I thought, why does he always wear the same suit and the same dilapidated shoes? Now I think what an example he set to others in his church by always coming in his best to worship our mighty Savior. Just the other day, my mother sent me Mr. Louis’s obituary. Sweet Mr. Louis lived to be 75 years young!

In the spirit of my mother’s example and as an effort to help with our neighbors during this quarantine, I have several recipes that will make an abundance for you to share with a neighbor! One way that our family has taken extra precautions when delivering is that I will call Mrs. Nash, one of our neighbors, and tell her I am bringing supper over. The boys will take dinner over and place the food at the doorstep, ring the doorbell, back away a few steps, and wait for her to answer the door to pick up the food. This not only helps our neighbors with a meal while practicing social distancing, but it also gives the boys an opportunity to visit with Mrs. Nash and receive some highly favored Cheez- It crackers from her pantry.

The first recipe is from our very own Mary Todd Gordon. Mary Todd shared this recipe that she got from another church member, Jamie Yates. Jamie took this recipe to the Gordon family during a time of need. The recipe is for white chicken chili. I throw everything in the crockpot and let it cook for the afternoon. Serve with Fritos, Tillamook shredded cheese (you will thank me later), and a dollop of sour cream. I always double this recipe in order to share with neighbors and feed our family for several meals. If doubling, I still only use one packet of the white chili season packet.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

5 to 6 frozen chicken breasts
1 white chili season packet (I use McCormick brand)
2 cans of chicken broth
1 can of rotel
1 can of white northern beans
1 can white Shoepeg corn
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans (optional)
Combine all ingredients in crockpot, set temperature on low and cook for 6 hours.

BLUEBERRY BAKED OATMEAL
(From www.cookieandkate.com)

2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans 2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or 1/2 teaspoon regular table salt)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 cups milk of choice (almond milk, coconut milk, cow’s milk all work)
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
2 large eggs or flax eggs
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or coconut oil, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces or 1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries (or 2 1/2 cups of your preferred berry/fruit, chopped into 1/2” pieces if necessary), divided
2 teaspoons raw sugar (optional)
Optional toppings for serving: plain/vanilla yogurt or whipped cream, additional maple syrup or honey for drizzling, and/or additional fresh fruit

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the nuts onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, toasted nuts, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.

In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the milk, maple syrup or honey, egg, half of the butter or coconut oil, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. (If you used coconut oil and it solidified in contact with the cold ingredients, briefly microwave the bowl in 30 second increments, just until the coconut oil melts again.) Reserve about 1/2 cup of the berries for topping the baked oatmeal, then arrange the remaining berries evenly over the bottom of the baking dish (no need to defrost frozen fruit first). Cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture, then drizzle the wet ingredients over the oats. Wiggle the baking dish to make sure the milk moves down through the oats, then gently pat down any dry oats resting on top.

Scatter the remaining berries across the top. Sprinkle some raw sugar on top if you’d like some extra sweetness and crunch.
Bake for 42 to 45 minutes, until the top is nice and golden. Remove your baked oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top before serving.

I prefer this baked oatmeal served warm, but it is also good at room temperature or chilled (I’ll leave that up to you!). This oatmeal keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 5 days. I simply reheat individual portions in the microwave before serving.

Love Thy Neighbor