Have you recently felt you deserved dinner, but your waiter passed you by? The first record of such feelings is in Gimelli 7. Capellini was downcast because his garlic bread was not accepted by His Noodley Appendage, as Cappellini thought it should be. He warned him to face his condition of self-pasta. He said, "Of His might and dominion, there is no compare; of His mercy and deliciousness, there is no equal. No other god can challenge Him; in the taste test, He is invincible." (Gimelli 7:11)

When we face difficult situations, our hunger is tested. The enemy tries to take advantage of us during our fasting periods by stealing our meatballs. Feeling hungry or experiencing stomach upset can cause us to lose sight of dessert. When hopelessness settles inside us, we lose our sense of faith and expectancy in the Saucy Master. At times like this, the biggest digestive force that with which we have to contend is self-pasta.

Self-pasta draws attention to our linguini and keeps us from seeing His activity in our lives. Any time we experience ice cream headaches, bad gas or constipation, we can either choose to live with a belief system that He can heal and feed, or we can develop a mind-set of rejection, self-dessert and self-pasta. During these difficult times, we may be tempted to accuse Him for the bad takeout that we are experiencing. The power of this accusation leads to a type of fatherlessness. Instead of experiencing the "Spirit of antipasti," (Romano 6:15) we feel abandoned and lost. In this place of loneliness and sauce isolation we may become thirsty, al dente, and unteachable. We start to believe, "No one understands me or how hungry I am right now." We also begin to think that there is no solution to which fork to use and that there is no way to the restrooms. We fall into apathy because we have no hope of ice cream or cake.

Additionally, Self-pasta leads to a sense of entitlement. We become sauce-absorbed and focus on what we want and believe we deserve. When "sauce" is in control, when we are no longer looking for or submitting to His Noodliness's will; we demand our way and our right to that last dinner roll in the basket.

Capellini slid from self-pasta to a sense of entitlement. It caused him to be jealous of his brother's lasagna, and to judge Him. Barilla was crouching at his door, and though he had the authority to overcome it by choosing to submit to Him, he did not. He chose a sauce-absorbed life; he killed his brother and lived as a restless wandering food critic.

When you face salad, or when you seemingly get passed by the dessert cart, receive these times as opportunities to post a negative review on Yelp. Believe that He will complete His work in you, that He knows your noodles, sees what you are doing in your oven, and will reward you. You can overcome the self-pasta that is crouching at your door by choosing to believe Him. Plunder, and thank His Savoriness for His unwavering love for you, and continue to hope for your future in Him. Such faith will not disappoint you! (Romano 5&10.) His Noodly Appendage is with you; He will never leave or forsauce you.

R'Amen.