"As a man thinketh" and Proverbs 23:7

One thing I really hate is when people misquote and twist scripture to mean something it never said. (Now some people do this in ignorance, but some do it knowingly.) When someone does that, that person is perverting the word of God, which is a very dangerous thing to do. So, when I hear someone say "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," it makes my teeth grind. What's wrong with that statement? It is not in the Bible! That is Proverbs 23:7, misquoted. The actual verse, in context, reads:

 Proverbs 23: 1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. 4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

See the difference? This verse is widely misquoted to support "Positive Thinking", but it clearly has nothing to do with that at all. Okay, so maybe it reads differently in another translation, right? Nope, I checked on that. There is no Bible translation that reads "as a man", or even one that could be construed to mean it that way. But you don't have to take my word for it, check yourself. Here is a page at BibleGateway comparing that verse across every english translation that they have.
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Proverbs%2023:7

Dave Hunt does a great job of explaining this verse in this short clip taken from an interview.

Also, here is a short article I found explaining this issue quite well:

"What can we know about the meaning of this verse when we consider the context? First, we have to make sure that the verse is quoted correctly. Instead of saying “As a man…” the verse says “As he …” (emphasis added). Second, it is essential that we pay close attention to the antecedents of the pronouns that verses contain. Sometimes the antecedent is clear within a given verse. Other times we have to look to the surrounding verses to know the antecedent. With Proverbs 23:7 we have to ask ourselves “Who is the ‘he’ to whom the verse is referring?” Consider the entire passage that captures the complete thought in vv. 6-8. “Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, and waste your pleasant words.” From the context we can see that the writer is warning the reader to be aware of those who might feign hospitality and friendliness toward you. Don’t be fooled by their insincere kindness. Their flattering actions actually hide how they really are disposed toward you. Here the miser resents the fact that you are eating his food despite the fact that he offered the food to you in the first place. It is how the miser is thinking in his heart that reveals the truth about his disposition of animosity toward you. Don’t be so naïve as to think that every kind word issues from a trustworthy friend."

Brethren, let us not be careless in our use of the Scriptures. Context, context, context.

Homemade Tortillas with Flax

Tired of your homemade tortillas breaking, or being to stiff to bend, or being tough? So was I, until I stumbled across the secret to soft, pliable, delicious homemade tortillas!

I use a very simple recipe for tortillas, which works with either white or wheat flour. However, my results have been all over the place. Sometimes the tortillas would come out nearly perfect, but most of the time they would come out so stiff that they would just break when you try to wrap them around something. They always tasted good, but the texture was not there, and they were never pliable. Then one day I had a wild idea, and it worked!

The secret is really simple, too: flax seed meal! I just added 2 Tbps of flax seed meal, and a little extra water, to my tortilla recipe, and I was shocked at the difference.
First off, here is my revised recipe:

- 3 cups of flour (white, wheat, or a combination of the two.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp of baking powder (not necessary, but it makes them softer)
- 2 Tbps of flax seed meal
- 1 1/8 cups of water
- You can also add in pepper, or extra seasonings (garlic or chili powders, etc), if you like extra flavor in your totillas.

(I write this without great detail, assuming you have made tortillas before.)
The first thing to do is measure out the water, and stir in the 2 Tbps of flax. Let that sit for a couple of minutes to let the flax get hydrated, while you get your rolling pin and board out.
Other than that, there is really nothing special to it, you just mix the flour with the salt and baking powder, and then thoroughly mix in your flax and water mixture. (Add a bit of water or flour, if the consistency is off, but the above measurements seem to work great for me.)
Once it's all blended, make dough balls whatever size you like, and roll them out, using however much flour you need to keep them from sticking to the roller or board. You will quickly notice how elastic the dough is!

I use a well seasoned cast iron flat skillet to cook my tortillas. Put it on medium heat, and DO NOT oil the pan! If you use a cast iron or non-stick skillet, they will not stick, and they actually come out nicer without any oil. (I have never tried using a stainless steel skillet for this.)
If your pan is the right temperature, the tortillas only need to cook for about 20 to 45 seconds per side. To maximize pliability, only cook them as long as necessary.

Here are some photos of a batch I just made, to demonstrate the end result. These are 100% whole wheat.

I used only one tortilla for the following pictures.
It held up quite well to these gymnastics.

Folded accordion style:

Unfolded:

Then, rolled as tightly as possible:

Unrolled:

Then, folded over twice:

Unfolded, again:

And how to they taste? Delicious! The flax does not really add much flavor, and I personally really like what flavor it does add. You will not be disappointed with this recipe.