An Unlikely Connection

The Lord directed me, a few weeks ago and on two separate occasions, to Jeremiah 3.  “Strange part of the Bible to bring me to”, I said to the Lord internally.  I admit Jeremiah is not a book I’m too familiar with.  I haven’t spent much time there, and I was surprised that God brought me to the chapter twice in one week.

The chapter paints a picture of Ancient Israel as an adulterous wife.  Verse 1 refers back to the Law of Moses regarding divorce.  “ ‘If a man divorces a woman and she marries someone else, he is not to take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land.  But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers’, says the LORD. ‘Yet I am still calling you to come back to me’” (NLT).   Among many other sins, the Israelites were engaged in idol worship.  Speaking through Jeremiah, God continues to outline all the ways Israel has disregarded Him.  Then, in verse 12, the tone changes.  “Therefore, go and say these words to Israel, ‘This is what the LORD says: O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful.  I will not be angry with you forever.  Only acknowledge your guilt.  Admit that you rebelled against the LORD your God and committed adultery against him by worshipping idols under every green tree.  Confess that you refused to follow me…Return home, you wayward children’, says the LORD, ‘for I am your husband.  I will bring you again to the land of Israel – one from here and two from there, from wherever you are scattered.  And I will give you leaders after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding’” (v. 12-15 NLT).  I was struck by the grace and mercy present in this passage, especially since it is found in the Old Testament;  before Christ’s crucifixion took away all of our sins. 

I had an amplified Bible out and was equally struck by a reference to Luke 15:20-22 tacked on to the end of Jeremiah 3:15.  “What’s in Luke that relates to this?”, I asked.  I’ve spent a good amount of time in Luke, but I could not think of any connection between Luke and this Old Testament language of divorce, idol worship, and prostitution. 

I turned the pages of my Amplified Bible and found the story of The Prodigal Son.

The prodigal son is a story told by Jesus about a young man who hurt and insulted his family in multiple ways.  While his father was still living, he demanded his share of the inheritance that was to be split between he and his older brother.  Shortly after receiving the money, he left town.  The Bible tells us “he wasted all his money on wild living” (Luke 15:13 NLT).  When a famine hit the land in which he was living, he began to starve.  He had no money to buy food and all his “friends” left him.  He persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed the pigs.  Still, he was so hungry, “even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him” (v. 16 NLT).  This is an especially low point in the story for the young man.  Eating pork was forbidden according to Jewish law.  The young man had to have been desperate just to gain employment feeding pigs.  Considering eating the pigs’ food underscores how hopeless he must have felt. 

Jesus tells us that it was in this setting that “he finally came to his senses” (v. 17 NLT).  He realized that he could return to his father’s home, work as a slave, have more than enough food to eat, and live a life with more dignity than his current situation afforded.  He planned a speech for when he first met his father, and he was on his way. 

Here are the verses that were referenced at the end of Jeremiah 3:15:

“So he returned home to his father.  And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.  Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.  His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’  But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him.  Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet.’” (Luke 15:20-22 NLT) 

The Prodigal Son is a wonderful story because it is so rich in revealing our Heavenly Father’s love for us.  According to Jewish law, culture, and tradition during the first century AD, the father had every right to refuse his son anything and could have charged him criminally (Duet. 21:18-21).  This is what the listeners of Jesus’ story would have expected the father to do.  Instead, the father runs to his son, embraces him, and instructs the servants to place him in a position of honor in the home.  He doesn’t even seem to listen to the speech the young man prepared! 

So what’s the connection between Jeremiah 3 and the Story of the Prodigal Son recorded in Luke 15? 

The answer is found in verse 1 of Jeremiah 3: “Yet I am still calling you to come back to me”. 

The father in Luke 15:20 saw his son “while he was still a long distance away”.  The father was looking for his son.  He was waiting for him.  He knew when he handed his son the money, what his son would do.  He knew his son would go away.  He knew his son would make destructive and hurtful choices.  He knew what his legal rights were as a father.  He even knew that his son would one day “come to his senses” and decide to return home.  And he knew, that when that time came, he would be waiting to greet his son before anyone else could with a heart of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. 

Just like the father in Luke 15, God saw all the horrible things that the Israelites were doing and still called them back to Him.  Despite all their hurtful, selfish behaviors, he still wanted to love them, take care of them, and have a relationship with them.  I am awestruck by the grace and mercy of God because this was in the Old Testament!  Jesus’ blood had not yet removed their sins.  How much more grace and blessing do we operate in today because we live after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection!

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  Just like He did in the Old Testament, and just like the father of the prodigal son, He is calling to you.  He’s looking for you and waiting for you.  Maybe you’re already a believer in Jesus, but you’re struggling with trusting Him and living life the way He asks you to.  Maybe you’re not a believer yet, but you realize that you can only get so far on your own.  Wherever you are in life, our Heavenly Father is eager to be the first to greet you as you return to Him.  Speak to Him out loud.  Whatever you need in life, speak to Him.  He wants to help.  He wants to give you all that you need (Philippians 4:19).  He wants to show you a life of love.

Trust

I was looking through the newspaper Sunday evening when I came upon the classifieds.  I allowed that section to linger in my hands, and the Holy Spirit said, “Don’t look in there.  There’s nothing for you.”  I immediately thought, “What?!? Don’t look in there?  I often look in the classifieds out of curiosity, and there’s no harm.  And if there’s nothing for me in there, then why can’t I look?”  Knowing that I was not being obedient, I put the paper down and opened it up.  Almost immediately, I found a post for an Assistant Professor of Special Education at a local university.  They required an earned masters degree, 3+ years experience in P-12 Special Education, an emphasis in elementary/secondary, and evidence of leadership.  Check, check, check, check.  The position was part-time and for the 2014-2015 school year.  Perfect!  The only problem was that God gave me a specific direction to pursue for next school year, and this wasn’t it.

Thus began a tormented hour.

I wrestled with the idea of working at the university level.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I went back to school to earn my teaching certificate.  I LOVE helping other teachers reach their students better!  And what influence I could have!  I would be shaping new teachers.  How many hundreds of students could I help by educating pre-service teachers?  “Wouldn’t that be a great use of my gifts and interests, Lord?”  I tried every way to justify applying for that position.  It seemed like a perfect fit, but I didn’t feel peace.  “How about I apply, God, and if it’s not your will, you just shut the door, and I don’t get it?”  This seemed like a good compromise to me.  “Why are you asking me, when you already know this isn’t for you?”, He answered.  “How can this not be for me?” I asked.  “It just isn’t”, He answered.

I brought the matter to Jeremy.  He has a very calm and even disposition that settles me when I’m a wreck.  I told him about the job and all the reasons why I think it’s right for me.  Then, I told him I didn’t plan to apply because it didn’t line up with the assignment God already gave us.  He didn’t delay in answering.  He agreed completely.  This was all the confirmation I needed.  If Jeremy is anything, he’s logical and almost always right (which drives me crazy!).  For him to agree that we should pass up on a logical opportunity in order to pursue the seemingly illogical direction God’s given us, well, that’s all I need to be certain I’m on the right path. 

And then peace returned.

Later that evening, I reflected on the silliness of the whole thing.  I knew what my direction was before picking up the classifieds.  I knew that I wasn’t supposed to look in the classifieds because there wasn’t anything for me.  I argued.  I disobeyed.  I was tormented and anxious for about an hour while I worked through if I was going to proceed in obedience or not.  But still, I wondered, “How could such a good job not be for me?”  Then it hit me.  This was just like in the garden!  Adam and Eve were given everything they could ever need or desire.  All of creation was theirs, except for one tree.  They knew their direction and purpose in life.  Still, they drifted toward that one tree; which God included in the creation that He called “good” (Genesis 1:31).  It wasn’t so much that this tree was bad, but it was bad for Adam and Eve.  Likewise, it’s not that this job is bad, but it’s bad for me, right now, because it doesn’t align with the assignment God has given me.  The right thing at the wrong time becomes the wrong thing!

I continued to ponder.  Adam and Eve had everything they could ever need.  God had just created everything with a few words.  If they needed more of anything, He would have done it again.  Why didn’t they believe God and not eat that fruit?  Why didn’t I believe what the Holy Spirit said?  Why didn’t I trust the plan for next school year that God had already given me? 

Trust.  Could it be that trust, or a lack of it, is at the root of all sin?  I didn’t trust God, and I wasted an hour in anxiety.  Adam and Eve didn’t trust Him, and their actions introduced death and decay to this world.  Do all of our sins begin with a lack of trust in our Heavenly Father?

In Jeremiah 29:11, the LORD tells us that He knows the plans that He has for us.  He goes on to describe them as plans to prosper and protect, plans for good and not for evil.  Jesus tells us that “the very hairs of [our] head[s] are all numbered” (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30).  Wouldn’t a God who tells us that He has good plans for us, and who cares enough to keep track of the number of hairs on our heads, give us good direction?  Wouldn’t this be the kind of God that we would want to trust?  Could it be that remembering this, accepting it, believing it, and letting it affect our thoughts and actions leads to a decrease of sin in our lives?

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.”  The fruit of the Spirit that Paul refers to grows in our lives when we remember that we are a branch connected to Jesus, the vine.  It is through Him that we grow and produce fruit.  Without the vine, there is no way we are doing anything!  Only by focusing on Jesus, and His love for us, do we become fruitful.  Remembering His great acts of love for us develops our trust in Him.  He then enables us to live in obedience and produce fruit.

The more we focus on the love the Holy Father, Son, and Spirit have for us, the more we walk in trust.  The more we trust our Heavenly Father, the easier it is to walk in obedience.  As we obey more, the fruitfulness of our lives increases and the ability of sin to have power over us steadily decreases.

“Heavenly Father, help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  We want the fruit He brings to our lives to increase and sin to decrease.  Help us to trust you!  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Love Stories

Jeremy and I have had the pleasure of forming wonderful friendships with a handful of couples at our church over the last 9 months.  At a summer BBQ, our conversation with these new friends settled on how spouses met.  After listening to sweet and funny stories of new attraction, Jeremy and I were asked how we met.  Our story seems rather simple and very appropriate for a Christian gathering: we attended the same Bible study.  The most scandalous element is that I thought he was pretty hot, and he thought I was pretty.  We didn’t “hook up”, as they say, until almost 9 months after that first meeting. 

What is a lesser known, though far richer, story is how we broke up. 

To put these events in context, I must back up in the story a bit.  I transferred to Pacific Lutheran University in 2001 lonely, depressed, and feeling like everything I had confidence in was shattered.  My life was not turning out how I had expected in high school, and I was dealing with a myriad of personal issues.  I was attempting a fresh start with my move to Washington without knowing how to let go of all the pain I carried with me.  For two years I wrestled with my past unsuccessfully.  When Jeremy proposed, I thought our engagement would somehow, magically, fix all of my problems.

That’s not what happened. 

Shortly after he proposed, I returned to California to visit my family.  Realizing being engaged did nothing to take away the pain and loss I was feeling, I gave up hoping that I would ever have joy and peace again.  I melted down in a big way!  I hooked up with people I had no business spending time with.  I tried to drink the pain away.  After a couple of weeks of spiraling downward, I stopped wearing my engagement ring and avoided calling Jeremy.  I was ashamed of my behavior.  I didn’t know how I could ever have joy or life again.  Jeremy deserved way better.  About two months after I accepted his proposal, I called the whole thing off.  The wedding.  Our relationship.  Everything.

I looked ahead to a life without purpose, meaning, joy, fulfillment, or hope.

Jeremy looked to something different.  He gathered our friends and family around him, and they prayed.  For a few days, they prayed.  Jeremy also called repeatedly and sent flowers.  I mostly ignored him and wondered why he insisted on being bound to such a mess.  After a couple of days of phone calls and the arrival of a beautiful bouquet, I decided that he, at least, deserved a returned call.  I stayed at home one evening, determined to make him understand that he deserved far better than me, and dialed his number.

Strangely, he didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.  He told me that I needed to stop and listen.  He spoke to me of love - not his love for me, but God’s.  He told me how important I was to God and that God had amazing plans for my life - plans that brought life and not destruction, death, and hopelessness.  I don’t know how long he reminded me of God’s intense and specific love for me, but something amazing happened while he spoke.  Cliché as it sounds, the events of my life flashed before my eyes.  I saw my life, and the people who were in it, in a new light.  I saw so many ways that God had showed me love and that there was a purpose for my existence.  Hope was sparked, and I knew that there was a better way to live.

I think our story is quite romantic.  I gave Jeremy every reason to walk away from me, and he would have been justified.  What he did showed me more love than I had ever experienced in life.  He showed grace, patience, and mercy, and he saved my life.  I smile every time I think of his selfless act.

Still, there is a far greater story interwoven throughout the one I’ve just told.  The only reason Jeremy’s words were effective is that they were grounded in what Jesus did for us.  We, as humanity, were a mess.  We refused the wonderful plans our Heavenly Father had for us.  We turned our backs on Him and decided we knew better about this world and our lives.  We rejected Jesus when He came to us.  Yet, He willingly gave His life on the cross to save us from our sins and bring us lives of health, wisdom, and blessing.  Think His sacrifice somehow doesn’t apply to your sins because His death and resurrection happened so many years ago?  It does!  The Bible says Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  (Hebrews 13:8) If Jesus arrived on this earth for the first time today, He would surrender his life as the sacrifice to cover your sins (John 3:16). 

Jesus knew that you would turn away from God’s wonderful plan for your life.  He knew that you wouldn’t want anything to do with Him.  He still loved you so much that He was willing to suffer and die so that you could be free and have life (John 10:10).  Know that He loves you.  Rest in His love for you and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in walking out the plans He has for you.  You are loved!

Our God Heals!!!

When we decided to have a baby in 2008, Jeremy and I thought it would be a fairly quick and easy process.  We looked at the calendar, counted out nine months to accommodate the school year, and then decided when I would stop taking birth control pills.  The plan worked wonderfully until I stopped taking the pills.

The summer we hoped to conceive came and went without so much as a period.  The same remained true throughout the fall and winter.  After almost nine months of waiting to ovulate, I brought the matter up to my primary care physician.  She referred me to an OB/GYN in the area, and we began a small array of tests.  Almost two months after I first visited my doctor, a diagnosis was revealed: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).  I didn’t fit the profile, my OB/GYN told me, but the blood test results were clear.  We discussed treatment options and what the journey to conception might look like.  We decided the best course of action was a prescription for Clomid to jumpstart my ovulation.  Once again, Jeremy and I looked at the calendar to determine the best possible timing.

This time, after two months of trying and at least one super-emotional argument (Thanks, Clomid!), we received the wonderful news that we were pregnant with the baby that would become our Pearl!

Throughout my journey to conception, both pregnancies, and in the almost 5 years since I became pregnant with Pearl, I have discovered that many women suffer with difficulties conceiving.  I am also aware that my story probably sounds simple and easy to many who struggle to conceive.  My point in sharing our story is not to gain attention to what I endured and overcame, but to draw attention to how I overcame PCOS.

After my pregnancy with Pearl was well-established, I began to think about future pregnancies that Jeremy and I hoped for.  I thought of how we would probably encounter these difficulties again.  And then I stopped.

 I wondered why I expected this illness to persist.  I wondered why I expected defeat in my life.  I wondered why my thoughts were aligned with disease, destruction, and difficulty.

Then I started thinking again.  I thought about Jesus and what he came to do on this earth and on the cross.  I thought about how he was whipped horribly before crucifixion and that the Bible says we are healed by his stripes (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24).

I decided to give it a chance.  I decided to trust that my Heavenly Father loves me and answers prayers.  I asked God to take away the PCOS that was in my body.  I didn’t claim it for my own; I didn’t say that it was mine.  I recognized it as something foreign that needed to be gone.  I believed that God could heal me and wanted to heal me.  Then, I thanked him for the healing.  I hadn’t seen it yet, but I thanked him anyway because I knew he was more than able.

Pearl was born, and I nursed her for over a year.  About nine months after her birth, I happily welcomed the return of my period!  I haven’t had a single problem or oddity with my cycle since that day!

Strangely, although thankful, I didn’t jump up and down and shout from the rooftops that I had experienced a miracle.  I asked God for healing and expected it to come.  When the manifestation of the healing came, my response was similar to what I would have for an expected visitor: happy but not shocked.  It wasn’t until I was recently relaying my story to a gal at our church that I realized how amazing these events were.  She was also diagnosed with PCOS and expressed that she was greatly encouraged and challenged by my story and the faithfulness of God within it.  Her response opened my eyes to the miraculous nature of what occurred in my own life!

My prayer is that you might also be encouraged and challenged.  Do you have something in your life, whether health or otherwise, that is not right?  Is there something in your life or body that is not everything that God intended it to be?  Our loving Heavenly Father is all-powerful (Genesis 17:1) and the God that heals us (Exodus 15:26, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24).  He wants you to be well.  Our God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).  His healing is for you, too!

Waiting at the Feet of Jesus

Psalm 62: 1-2 says “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.”

Wait quietly.  What does that look like?  What does that mean?  Quietly, perhaps, is the easier word to define.  To do something quietly is to do it with little volume, maybe even none.  But waiting?  Waiting, I believe, is the more difficult term to comprehend.  Waiting implies stillness, a lack of motion and, possibly, action.  How could it be that this is a prerequisite to victory and salvation in times of trouble?  

In Lamentations 3:26, the author tells us “it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD”.  This idea is repeated in Luke’s gospel.  While Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, Martha complains that her sister is ignoring all the work of hosting Jesus and his disciples.  On the surface, this seems like a valid complaint.  Culturally, the women were expected to be taking care of the preparations for such a visit.  Mary and Martha’s contemporaries probably would have agreed that Mary should have been helping Martha.  Jesus, however, disagrees.  He lovingly answers Martha’s complaint with truth that benefits us all.  “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). 

  

One thing.  Only one thing.  Jesus says nothing about waiting in his response to Martha, but we see it in Mary’s posture and what she chose to occupy herself with.  Despite all of the tasks that she could have found to do, she realized that the only important one was to sit at the feet of Jesus and wait to receive from Him.  Jesus reiterates this over and over in the gospels.  He calls us to wait and receive.  Peter struggled with the idea of waiting, too.  He initially refused to let Jesus wash his feet before the Passover (John 13).  Only when Jesus told Peter that he could not belong to Him unless He washed Peter’s feet did Peter acquiesce.  At the time, Peter did not understand that Jesus came to serve him, not to be served.  

I think we often share Peter’s struggle.  Jesus came to serve us, and He exists eternally to serve us.  Yes, He is God and deserves more praise and honor than we could ever imagine.  He is also madly in love with us and came to this earth to serve us.  He conquered sin and death so that we might receive blessings and favor during this life and everlasting salvation when we walk this earth no more.  He came for us to wait at His feet and receive from Him.  

Fixing our eyes on Him is the only thing that matters.  When we do this, we find peace.  When we do this, He is able to work everything out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Singled Out In a Sermon

Saturday night I experienced one of those sermon’s where the Holy Spirit seems to suddenly focus a laser beam on my head.  Pastor Roger was preaching on overcoming inadequacy, and I was agreeing while not feeling particularly connected to the message, when I suddenly found myself without breath and completely singled out in a room filled with a thousand people.  It’s not that Pastor Roger did anything to single me out, but it was God speaking directly to me through the Word he gave my pastor.  

The specific words he spoke were “anonymity” and “flying under the radar”. 

I was raised to believe that the promises of Jesus and the presence of the Kingdom of God are for today and every day.  I believed, as a child, that God cared about the details of my life and was willing to provide guidance and direction through the Holy Spirit.  I believed that God was active and involved, even in the smallest of ways.  As a result of some life-shuddering events in my teens, I faltered.  I thought I must be wrong.  Not about Jesus and the eternal salvation that He offers; but about His peaceful presence and concern related to every area of my life.  I, somehow, accepted the lie that Jesus did not come to save specifically me.  I only had salvation because Jesus came to save the world, and I was part of the world, I thought.  This belief, salvation by default, led to acceptance of all sorts of other lies about my lack of value and worthlessness.  As a result, I’ve spent much of the last 12 years believing that I am saved, but sitting on the sidelines watching others have amazing, joyful, peaceful, active relationships with God.

I don’t mean to say that I’ve been stagnant in my relationship with the Lord.  His Holy Spirit has been calling me, beckoning me, to come into a deeper relationship with Him all those years.  Still, I struggled with believing that God actually loves me by His choice and not by default because I am a part of this world.  This process sped up dramatically in November of 2012 when the Holy Spirit called me into a deeper understanding of Christ’s love for me.  Tired of feeling not quite entirely fulfilled, I decided to jump all in.  Scared that I would be completely wrong about my new suspicion that God was in love with me, I determined myself to receive whatever He had to give me.  2013 ended up being an amazing year of experiencing God’s love in big and small ways!  I have peace, fulfillment, joy, and a depth of relationship with Him that I have not experienced since I was a child. 

Near the end of 2013, the Holy Spirit breathed the phrase “Taking new territory in 2014” into my spirit for me and my family.  We’ve already taken risks we wouldn’t have a year ago.  We’ve trusted God, and seen Him deliver, in new ways.  We’ve also said “yes!” to the Holy Spirit’s leading when before we would have ignored or rebelled.  We’ve seen God be faithful and do amazing things!  We’re choosing in this new year to say “yes!”  We’re choosing to avoid anonymity and the false sense of security that it brings.  We’re choosing to take risks and claim new territory for God’s glory and His kingdom in 2014! 

To what is God calling you?

Something Old...Something New

Something Old

Five years ago, newly wed Jeremy and I went camping with another newly married couple and four single friends. During the course of the weekend I mentioned that my mom and I were planning to visit the Fremont area of Seattle in the near future. Scott, living near the area at the time, strongly recommended The Essential Baking Company in nearby Wallingford. I eagerly heeded his advice that Labor Day and have every Labor Day since.

This year my mom and I realized in late August that free September weekends were nonexistent. After only a brief conversation on a pleasant Saturday morning, we embarked on our annual late summer journey. Previous years we've arrived in time for breakfast and espresso. This year, given our spontaneity, we arrived just in time for the noon rush. Breaking from my usual habit of ordering yummy breakfast pastries and a mocha, I ordered their version of a cuban sandwich. I believe it was called "El Cubano". The sandwich came toasted to the perfect temperature; warm but not too hot. The bread was crispy and soft. A tangy but not overpowering mustard sauce graced the ham and dill pickle. The portion seemed small at first glance, but was adequate by the time I finished. Anyone living in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area who has not stopped by the Essential Baking Company should consider visiting. In addition to yummy pastries and sandwiches, the restaurant serves espresso beverages, delectable desserts, salads, soups, and quiche. The interior is cozy and filled with people every time I visit.

Something New

Earlier that week I had the opportunity to lunch with coworkers at a newer deli in Midland. According to the coworker leading us to this spot, the Midtown Deli & Espresso just outside Tacoma opened a couple of years ago. Always excited to learn of new restaurants in the area, I was eager to sample their offerings. When we entered there were few other customers. The menu was posted on a large board near the door and on a wall behind the cashier. It includes breakfast items, salads, sandwiches, espresso drinks, and desserts. Quickly I noticed their homemade blackberry cobbler. Being in a salad mood, I ordered a Cobb salad without blue cheese and an iced tea. The food for our entire party of six arrived in a decent amount of time, however I did have to remind the waitress that I ordered an iced tea. When the food was almost prepared, the waitress brought the requisite dressings. I was disappointed to find that the dressings were the individually packaged type sold in many grocery store delis. My salad arrived much larger than I expected. The woman sitting across from me also ordered a Cobb Salad. Curiously, her salad included chicken and avocado. The avocado and chicken were absent from my salad, although I was fortunate enough to enjoy bacon with my salad. When I pointed out the discrepancy to the waitress she informed me that Cobb Salads do not come with chicken or avocado. My coworkers voiced their concern at the lack of ingredients on my salad and the waitress checked the menu. She then promptly returned with a plate of avocado and a plate of chicken. The ingredients tasted fresh and the salad was delicious after I received all of the ingredients and assembled it properly at the table. I felt full after eating only half of the salad and was able to take the remaining portion home for dinner. The interior seating was a mix of older pink arm chairs at small tables and harder plastic chairs at larger tables. A sports game played on a TV mounted in the corner near the ceiling. I feel the ambiance would benefit from a decision to pursue one motif. Sadly, I was unable to order the Blackberry Cobbler. I think the deli has potential and I intend to visit again, if only to taste the cobbler.