However, not every place we venture into gets an “A+” rating. This was the unfortunate instance of our breakfast this morning. After walking through the farmer’s market and picking out our produce for the week, we sat down at a restaurant downtown we had not yet tried. We should have been tipped off to the foreboding negative experience when our waitress took 10 minutes from the time we were seated to approach our table.  I’ll spare the detailed critique of our visit which culminated in a tip of $1.14. And believe me, we usually tip well (as most former waitresses do). However, the greatest mistake, in my opinion, that this restaurant made? They didn’t listen. They had no interest in what we thought, what we wanted, or what we needed. In fact, they never once asked how our meal was. When our waitress (finally) brought our food to our table, she said nothing. She set it down and walked away. I was baffled, so used to a courteous, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Normally I smile back and say something to the extent of, “No, this looks great!” However, this time I was in need. Both my coffee and water were empty. She walked away. She didn’t have a chance to listen, because she never asked. Grayson ended up walking over to their coffee dispensers and pouring his caffeine-deprived wife another cup of joe.

This must be such a frustrating stage of development for a child, to understand enough of the world to know what you want, but not have any way of communicating those desires. For now, he resorts to a screaming fit– his frustration of not being heard.

I find that God is using our current stage of parental development to teach me to listen—to Him. If I cannot, by listening to Ezekiel, understand what he needs, then I must rely upon God to teach me and lead me in raising my son. Gary Thomas puts it so well in his book Sacred Parenting, “That’s why I think listening is a key component of Christian parenting and spirituality. It changes the nature of our faith, and it redirects what we do. It moves us from merely a human-centered faith of willful obedience and timeless principles, and ushers us into cooperating with God as He actively moves upon His world. It is one of the ways that we can ‘seize heaven’ and invite God’s presence into our lives.” And “Listening reminds me of how completely I depend on God to carry out the task of parenting. I’d be absolutely lost without His insight.”

Gary Thomas notes, “I wonder:  How would our marriages be transformed if we learned to listen to God on behalf of our spouse? How might husbands feel encouraged if wives learned from the mouth of God what kind of day their husband was having and made appropriate preparations for his return home? How might wives feel uplifted and strengthened if husbands would take time out of their day to ask, ‘Lord, what do I need to do today to better love my wife?’ How might kids find strength and warning and guidance and inspiration if their parents would glean insights from the God who created them, from the God who knows their thoughts and who hears every conversation they have with their friends?”

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” James 1:19

For the Crust

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 1 packet (or 2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast

Make well, then add and mix in:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 

Knead the dough. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water, knead some more. The dough will become more moist as you knead. Dough should be elastic. Pull, stretch, and/or roll onto pizza pan. Fold edges over each other to create a handle. This crust does not need to rise! It’s my favorite for taste and simplicity’ sake.

For the Toppings

• 6oz mushrooms sliced thin
• 5 mini sweet peppers (varying in color), chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno pepper(s), chopped 
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed 

Additionally:

• Pulled chicken (I used 2 chicken thighs I slow cooked in the crock pot the day before)
• 1 avacodo, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until crust begins to brown.