Confession: I had never had fried rice until I moved to Saint Louis. Mississippi folks are decidedly leery of “foreign food”—which is basically anything Big Mama didn’t cook! Now that I have been here (on and off) for the better part of 2 decades, I smash Beef Fried Rice with a Vess every two weeks or so. I crave it. It is the St. Louis way, one of many cultural shifts I’ve experienced since meeting my husband and making the Midwest my semi-permanent home.

Go figure.

What you are around is what you will become. If you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself in a heck of a mess wondering how you got there.

Even more important: We are called to be light, to be salt–like that blood pressure destroying soy sauce they use to fry that rice I love so much. That means that instead of being influenced, you ARE the influence. People ought to see safety and savor in you, desire to BE LIKE YOU instead of like the world.

If you find yourself taking on their traits, instead of them taking on yours (or worse, they are taking on your terrible characteristics), then you are failing at this Christian walk.

That being said and all things considered may your 314day be So St. Louis.