To filter the food for my spiritual tastebuds

I'd been interested in the claims people were making about the benefits of drinking A2 milk. At first I thought the main difference was that it came from Jersey cows instead of Friesians but a bit of research revealed that it contains different proteins and enzymes. Apparently many families found that various annoying medical conditions have been dramatically improved by simply discarding regular milk in favour of A2. As my eldest son, Logan, has a history of allergies and atopic eczema, I decided to give this simple change a try. However, he declared he hated the flavour.

That irritated me as I honestly couldn't tell the difference. My tastebuds are always pretty accurate at distinguishing filtered water from normal Adelaide tap water, so I wondered whether this aversion was all in his head. To test it, I bought a secret bottle of A2 milk long after returning to the normal brands. I slid off its label, replaced it with a Coles Home Brand one and put it in the fridge.

A little later, Logan went to fix himself up a milkshake and took a mouthful. I was grinning to myself for pulling one over on him, when his brow furrowed as he took a few more sips. Then he stared at his cup and said, "This tastes very A2-ish."

I had to conclude his claim was true. It has been a wonder milk for many but not for Mr Super-Tastebuds. I think Logan was born fairly discerning in many ways. He senses if there's anything a bit 'sus' about other things than food and drink, such as stories in the media, excerpts from books and whether people are lying. There are all sorts of philosophies bouncing around in the big wide world, touted by self-appointed gurus and experts, and some are separated by only a hair's width. I think we can all sharpen our perceptiveness with reflection and study. Logan seems to be one of those people who are endowed with a head-start. A visiting pastor with a prophetic ministry once called him extremely sensitive and fine-tuned after merely setting eyes on him. Perhaps the taste bud side-effect is just part of this.

Many years ago, a naturopath wrote on my case-study notes, "She's scattered and un-focused because she takes anything on board without any filtering." This was during a phase when I was madly scouring the internet for anything I find about a particular issue. I didn't want those words to describe me. I needed to remember to choose one very trustworthy source as a filter. For awhile, I'd forgotten this. For me, the ancient words of the world's number one bestseller fit the bill.

The Bible tells me knowledge of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It's coherence and unity soothe my restless soul. I've found it to be full of reliable principles for guidance and direction, even in areas it's not specific about. When we study it seriously, we cannot help having the hidden motives of our hearts revealed. Then we find it easier to sense the innate truth in any other literature that tries to convince us of its rightness. Some may say, "The Bible makes you rigid and gives you black and white thinking, blinding you to the grey areas of life." I can't help thinking that people this description seems to fit are not really studying the Bible with an open, truth-seeking heart.

I've found its principles to be water-tight and sound; the evidence of its prophetic voices coming to pass in mind-blowing ways years after they were made. It's as trustworthy as pure gold and silver for genuine seekers. As a side-effect, we can't help developing a discerning palette when it comes to other voices which may strike us as a wee bit 'A2-ish.' And when we come across new sources that contain goodness and truth, something inside of us recognises it instantly. In a society that craves the fresh and new, it's good to remember that principles with ancient roots that have stood the test of time for thousands of years and are still changing people's lives are not worth turning our noses up at.

Even though history is full of misguided people who claim to be following its principles, genuine readers with earnest hearts won't be duped.

Logan continues to be his usual sensitive, discerning self. Last night, he and his cousin who now lives with us, were both wincing because Andrew had added some finely chopped celery to the toasted sandwiches he was making. "The meat, cheese and salsa lull us into a false sense of blissful security and then we get sudden crunchy bursts of over-powering flavour that give us a horrible jolt." Some things won't change but at least the rest of us get a laugh.