I’d like to propose that God’s love is much different and better than unconditional. Unconditional love, as most of us understand it, begins and ends with sympathy and empathy, with blanket acceptance. It accepts you as you are with no expectations. You in turn can take it or leave it. But think about what God’s love for you is like. God does not calmly gaze on you in benign affirmation. God cares too much to be unconditional in His love… Such real love is hard to do. It is so different from “You’re okay in my eyes. I accept you just because you’re you, just as I accept everybody. I won’t judge you or impose my values on you.” Unconditional love feels safe, but the problem is that there is no power to it. When we ascribe unconditional love to God, we substitute a teddy bear for the king of the universe… The word “unconditional” may be an acceptable way to express God’s welcome, but it fails to communicate its purpose: a comprehensive and lifelong rehabilitation, learning “the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

David Powlison

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Fruits, Dairy		Desserts, Fruits, Low fat, Eat-lf mail	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/3	c	Apricot Jam
1/4	c	Orange Juice
4	md	Pears; Halve, Peel, Core
		Whipping Cream; Optional
		Ground Nutmeg; Optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Bake this dessert slow and easy, or pop it into your microwave oven for a
few minutes.
In a 2 qt rectangular baking dish stir together jam and orange juice. Place
pears in dish, cut side down; spoon sauce over top.  Bake, covered, in a
350 deg F oven for 25 - 30 minutes or till tender.
Serve warm in individual dessert dishes.  Spoon sauce over pears.  If
desired, top with whipped cream and nutmeg.
Makes 4 servings.
This was very good even though I subbed peach jam for the apricot jam.
Entered into MasterCook and tested for you by Reggie & Jeff Dwork
<reggie@reggie.com>
Microwave Directions: Prepare as directed, except decrease orange juice to
3 T.  Arrange pear halves in a 2 qt microwave-safe baking dish. Cover with
plastic wrap; turn back a corner to vent steam. cook on 100% power (HIGH)
for 6 - 0 minutes or till tender, rearranging pears once during cooking.
Serve as directed.
Recipe By     : Sunset
Posted to Digest eat-lf.v096.n216
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:48:07 -0800
From: Reggie Dwork <reggie@reggie.com>
NOTES : Cal 161.6,
Fat  0.7g,
Carbs  41.9g,
Fib  4g,
Pro  0.9g,
Sod  11mg,
CFF  3.5%.

A Message from our Provider:

“If God were an impersonal force we’d be superior to our Maker”