this is a post about baking chocolate...that has nothing to do with baking

Every Monday night, the boy squad and I have Family Night. We play a game or go for an outing (they love that). We have a treat (they love that too). Then we have a lesson (not so much loving of that!). Actually, they're very good to sit and listen to me prattle on for 15 minutes about faith or values or family harmony--and I especially caught their attention tonight--



I brought the vanilla extract to our lesson and had them all smell it. There was much in the way of agreement that it smelled **wonderful**. I asked if any of them wanted to taste it--to which they all shook their heads "no". Either they've all tasted it at some point, or had it be enough that I told them it only SMELLED good but tasted yucky. They wouldn't be fooled.



Then, I took two wrapped squares of this from out of my pocket:

It was wrapped up so pretty...and it smelled so good...and they were sure it was going to taste delicious....

I couldn't keep myself from laughing as they all bit into it and the surprised/disgusted faces appeared followed by spitting and running to the kitchen for water.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO US MOM?!" they asked between drinks.

"Because", I explained, "That's how bad choices are. Some of them are packaged so nicely. They look good. They smell good. They draw us in and tempt us to taste them. But it's all bitter when you act contrary to what you know is right."

And there was a full 5 seconds of silence as they thought about that.

And they "got" it.

And in the few hours since I've put them to bed and cleaned up the house and done some thinking, I've "got" it too. There's a lot of baking chocolate calling to me in my life right now. There have been stretches of weeks and months (and I think even a whole year one time) where my life seemed perfectly in balance: physically, emotionally, spiritually--everything just seemed to work. Sometimes it's just the normal course of trial that comes into every mortal life that sets me into a spin; but-- more often than I'd like to admit-- I get drawn away by the temptation of chocolate. Those things that really don't hold much of a promise for me sinisterly capture my attention, my time, my emotions.

Maybe I shouldn't have done this post, because I don't have any real answers how to keep from falling for the counterfeit over and over again. I know I get smarter with each lesson learned and each bitter bite I take, but it seems like baking chocolate can be packaged with enough *variety* that you can believe again and again that THIS TIME it's going to be real. But it always tastes like poop. Or what I picture poop to taste like. I know...that's gross.

I think I'll learn to make brownies. That seems a beautiful--and tasty--solution :). I'm going to stay on my toes too, remaining as aware as I can that life continues to be what I make of it. It's precious and fleeting. And most of all, remembering I'm not alone in having to discern the fake from the sweet truth.

How about you--anything you know for sure is a counterfeit in your life?