Sunday School: The Christmas Cookie Gospel

I love being able to focus on the needs of others, especially during the Christmas season.  While my class is grades 1 and 2, I find that they are at the best age to be excited about the Gospel.  I've noticed that these are the grades where the kids are less fearful of being judged by others.  Their gift is enthusiasm and they are so excited about being able to be in heaven with everyone they love.  Once kids get older, they are a bit more timid about doing something out of their comfort zone.  We decided to have the kids share the Gospel with someone by way of Christmas cookies.  I gleaned from a few ideas but pretty much this is mine so if you borrow it I would appreciate the credit and a link back here!

You may notice that we are missing one cookie... the Christmas tree.  Yes, I'm a bone head and totally forgot to cut that one out!  

Christmas Tree: We find presents underneath the Christmas tree. Christ loved us so much that he was born that He could die for us on an old rugged tree to take away our sin. This is s the best gift anyone can ever receive! 

" For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 

Angel: Throughout the Bible, God uses angels to deliver His messages for us.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:10-12

Star: The angel told the three wise men to follow the star and, when they did, it took them to Bethlehem where they found our Lord. God wants us to share our gifts, too.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:1-2

Heart: The heart represents love. Do you know that God loves you and He loved you so much He gave you a sacrificial gift, His Son, Jesus Christ. 

For God so Loved the World that He gave His one and only son. That whoever should believe upon Him shall have eternal life. John 3:16

Cross: The cross represents life and Jesus. It is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus grew up and He learned to walk and talk and become a man. He went to the cross and died for our sins- past present and future. When we believe in Him, He forgives u s our sins and gives us eternal life. 

But God demonstrates his love for us in this:, While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Dove: The dove represents God’s Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus lives within us when we believe and receive Him into our life, which means we are never alone. God is always with us, to love and comfort us.

So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us. 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Candle: The candle represents light. The Bible tells us we are to let our light shine. Our faith, thoughts, and feelings are to be full of light. Christmas gives us a special opportunity to let our light shine. We can tell others about Jesus and that Christmas is His birthday.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Snowman: If we receive Christ and confess Him as Lord, our sins will be washed whiter than snow.

Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

Church: A church is more than a building. It is a place where we can go to worship God our Father and fellowship among other believers. As believers we need to be there for each other so that we may encourage one another and hold each other accountable.

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood. Acts 20:28

the cookies completed, wrapped and a sheet of paper printed with the above message

Of course, the kids had to reward themselves with one final cookie.  They got to decorate and eat a gingerbread man (sugar cookie).  They really loaded the cookies up!

Pinned there, Done that: Pretzel Toffee

I am afraid that I have a bit of a Pinterest addiction... Ok, possibly more than a bit.  I just love seeing all the creative things out there.  See, I'm not a "creative" person.  Give me an idea and I can run with it, but I have to be given the idea.  That's where Pinterest comes in to play as they have ideas coming out of their ears! But I wanted to be more than a lurker on there (although lurking is just fine over there!) so I'm going to try to actually try some of the things I pinned. Which I am going to call my "Pinned There, Done That" section.
First up is this delicious looking pin from the Legume Loyalist website for Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark .  It is very much like our family favorite of Saltine Cracker Toffee.  I love, love, love the M&M pretzels so this pin just made my day.  Just yesterday we gave the recipe a try using our recipe for the Saltine Cracker Toffee and just substituting pretzels for the crackers.  We actually crushed the crackers before laying them in the pan and I think we used to much. Next time I will lay out the crackers first to get a more accurate amount and then crush them.

This layer is too thick. It worked, but to create more of the Toffee Crunch you would either have to double the Toffee recipe, or reduce the amount of pretzels. You can see from the other picture that the toffee just barely covered everything.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

37 saltines cracker squares (this is equal to one package of the crackers I use)

1 cup butter, cubed

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups (12 ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Place crackers in a single layer in a foil-lined 15-in. x -10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. In a large saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil. Stir for three minutes longer with it at a strong boil.  Remove from heat and carefully pour over the saltines. rs.

Bake at 400° for 5 minutes, check to see it isn't burning and bake for another minute longer. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with the chocolate chips. Return to oven and  bake for another 1 to 3  minutes longer or until chips start to melt; spread chocolate evenly over top.

Chill for 15-20 minutes or until set; break into pieces. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container

Let the Christmas Season Begin :-)

I just love Christmas and it isn't uncommon for me to be watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas songs year round.  This time of the year the Hallmark channel becomes my favorite television channel.  Yep, I'm one of those people.
I wish everyone in the family loved Christmas like I do.  My mom does (she lives with us) and so does my husband... but my son, well..... he really REALLY struggles with this time of year.  Part of it has to do with seasonal depression but also with his autism.  He finds so much fault, with himself, that he feels guilty receiving gifts. If he appreciates the gift then he feels guilty because he thinks he must of come off needy to the other person.  ACK!! His black and white world drives me crazy at times!  This year he also has the stress of college - which has been a major undertaking for him.  On top of that, he is frustrated with the ehlers-danlos syndrome and his joints popping out all the time on him.  How that boy has managed to not break his neck on the stairs is just by God's hand.  So if any of you are praying people... can you keep my son in your prayers.  Thanks!
This year I'm going to focus on the art of giving with my Sunday School class. I could not have asked for better planning myself, with a special missionary guest speaker at our church last Sunday.  I had the kids join the adult class and we listened to him share about his ministry in Tanzania.  His main focus is children's ministry but he also does so much more.
Next week the kids will be putting together bags for the homeless.  I found the idea on Pinterest (Oh how I love that site!!!) and we will be putting in a bottle of water, hand warmers, protein bars, peanut butter crackers, toothpaste, toothbrush and a Gospel tract.  I know that there are many other wonderful items out there we could put in and I wish that I had the money to add socks, gloves and hats, ect....
The following week the kids are going to decorate cookies for two families I know of that could use the holiday cheer.  They will also make a card for them and I will be putting together some baking items for the families to use for their own holiday baking.
Our last week (right before Christmas) We are going to put together small care packages for church members that have lost loved ones this year, people with medical needs, and those that have been home-bound. Again, simple little gifts but it will encourage the children to look beyond their own needs.  I'll update this a bit later with some pictures... for now I just wanted to share the ideas.
When it comes down to it, we all have the opportunity to enjoy the greatest gift of all; God's gift of His Son Jesus Christ.  He is the best thing we ever unwrapped! So take the time to thank or Lord and Savior - He is always available and loves to hear from us.

My new favorite Christmas song:  By Francesca Battistelli

Heaven Everywhere

I hear the bells, they're ringing loud and clear

You can't help but love this time of year

It's Christmastime, there's something in the air

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

Somehow there's a little more of love

And maybe there's a little less of us

Or maybe we're just slightly more aware

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

[Chorus:]It's the smile on a man who has finally found hope

It's the tears of a mother whose child has come home

It's the joy that we feel and the love that we share

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

It's funny how it takes a holiday

To show us how the world could truly change

If we all took the time to really care

There'd be a little more of heaven everywhere [Chorus]

It's the grace that we show to a world that needs hope

It's giving our lives knowing they're not our own

It's the joy that we feel and the love that we share

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

[Bridge:]Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o'er the plain

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

Hallelujah, hallelujah

It's the joy that we feel and the love that we share

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

There's a little bit of heaven everywhere

When the going gets tough.....

What do you do when the going gets tough?  I've got several bad habits (eating bad for you foods, spending money I really don't have, pity parties) that I always seem to steer towards first.  Some not as bad like baking, crafting, cranking the music up really loud or taking a dip into the hot tub. As I'm getting older I find that I am turning more quickly to the Lord... I only have day long pity parties instead of week (or month, or year) long ones. My ultimate goal is to seek Him first and foremost and I am forever thankful that God is patient with me.

I had Bible study today in which we wrapped up the book of Ecclesiastes. An excellent study and it was not anything that I had anticipated it would be.  The first time I read Ecclesiastes I saw it as being depressing but now I see it as one of the best Bible books on hope!  For me there is just nothing more reassuring to know that there is nothing new under the sun.  What I've struggled with are basically the same struggles everyone has dealt with since sin entered the world.  It stinks to know that others are hurting, but there is also that comfort in knowing that I'm not alone.

Right now I'm going through a rough patch.  The kids are all going through various struggles, hubby is stressed out over his job, my own health issues... blah. It is just hard feeling for me to get over the funk this time.  When we were kids we often used the term "Indian Giver" when ever someone took back something that they had given you.  I'm very much like that with God.  I'm an "Indian Giver."  I give God my struggles and then take them right back (because I want to control things.... yeah people, I'm a control freak) Trust is a hard to have when His ways aren't always the ways that my eyes see best.  I know the truth.  His ways are not are ways and sometimes its just best for me if the answer is No or wait.  I don't think there are certain things that I can do and yes, I am bold enough to tell God that! I can think of several areas in my life, past and present, where I can say that I was not the right person for the job God gave me.  There was something I read in this week's study:
God doesn't want our ability He wants our availability.
It is when I struggle, feel at my weakest and uncertain that I cling to God. The situations I'm going through cause me to cling (eventually!) to God. He isn't looking for me to know all the answers, He knows the right answers.  It doesn't matter if I don't know what I'm doing as He knows what He's doing.  He just wants me to be available to Him.

There is no quick fix or witty wording that I give that will tell you how to conquer this issue.  I will continue to Trust in God (even if it takes me time to get there) and continue to move forward.  What do you do when the going gets tough? Is there a favorite comfort food you seek out? A hobby you dive in to? Song or artist you listen to?  I would love to hear about it.

As I mentioned, I find baking very comforting and its a blessing to be able to turn around and give the baked items away to someone.  Here is a recipe I like to whip up when I'm feeling down:

I no longer remember where I got this recipe from. It has been in my MasterCook program for... well, ever since MC came out! This is one of my favorite cookies as they remind me of brownie bites. I've seen other recipes for Mud Puddle Cookies, but they are not the same as these cookies. I'm guessing that the creator of these cookies named them mud puddles because of their soft center.

It took me several attempts at these cookies before realizing that the centers, of the cookie, were designed to be soft, with a fudge brownie type consistency. At first I thought that they were not being cooked long enough but getting the centers to be less soft caused the outer edges to be well over done. The texture in the center is so different from the outer edges that it isn't uncommon for me to have to explain that these cookies are not under-cooked  They are quite addictive and once people get used to the texture, it is hard to keep them away from them.

Mud Puddle Cookies

1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.

Add condensed milk and stir until smooth. Add flour and mix well. The dough will be soft like brownie batter would be.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough 1-inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. I like to use my silicon baking sheets to prevent sticking. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Cool completely

Meanwhile combine powered sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough milk for desired glazing consistency. Drizzle over cookies

This recipe yields 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Come follow me.....

I'm pretty far behind on the blog but Life is getting better.  I'll still be posting on this blog but I've started a new blog that I hope will eventually transition this blog into.
Living through life (with interruptions)   I'll be showcasing food, crafts and ministry ideas.
Hope you faithful followers will join me there.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I am getting older, I am getting better about handling the holidays. Any of you ever see the movie, "Christmas Vacation"? There is one scene where the husband and wife are discussing holiday guests and expectations... Here is the movie quote:
Ellen: You set standards that no family activity can live up to. 
Clark: When have I ever done that? 
Ellen: Parties, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, holidays... 
Clark: Goodnight Ellen 
Ellen: Vacations, graduations... 
 I must admit that I have suffered from what I've dubbed, "Hallmark Movie-itis."  I wanted everything to be perfect.  I mean, really, is it so much to ask for one holiday to be drama free, family all loving towards one another and no selfish attitudes??  Yep, Vivian (so I say to myself) it is an awful lot to ask for.  See, the world isn't perfect and we aren't perfect people.  Sin entered into the world and thus we have imperfect people.  I have my very own selfish attitude, drama moments and unloving acts that I do. I'm afraid that I don't meet any other persons expectations of how they want THEIR holiday to be.
I'm not saying that I still wish for that perfect holiday but now I am more relaxed and allow people to be who they really are.  Part of the problem is I lack the ability to be in control of every situation (and I absolutely HATE that I am not... but thankfully God knows I would only make a mess of it any way so he keeps that ability to Himself!) So I am learning to be in control of the things I can control - My behavior. How do I choose to respond to each and every behavior I face; that's what I can control.  Does it make everything jolly? Nah, I would be lying if I said it did.  But it does take 98.9% of the expectations I have for others away from me.  That in itself allows me to have a fairly stress free holiday.  So my prayer for you is that you control the things you can and give God the rest of it.  Love your family, quirks and all and appreciate the fact that God gives us reason to celebrate.  

Thanksgiving in our home wouldn't be complete without the Macy's Parade and little smokies wrapped in crescent rolls.  My kids would be horrified if I didn't have those smokies! Perhaps the husband would be too...but he wouldn't admit to that!   My daughter has decided that another dish has to make it into the must-have category,  Butternut Squash Bake.  When I was part of the Secret Recipe Club, I discovered this fantastic recipe.  It really is quite delicious!

Butternut Squash Bake
adapted from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
1 large butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled and cubed (I used some squash that I had roasted and stored in my freezer.)
1/2 cup mayonnaise                                                    
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 egg
15 Ritz Crackers, crushed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon fresh oregano,  chopped fine
salt and pepper

Heat a large pot of water to boiling, ad squash and cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes. If using frozen squash, thaw and drain liquid. 
In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter; add in crushed crackers, cheese and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper; stir well.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in another small saucepan; cook onion until translucent and just beginning to brown; add garlic, saute for a few more minutes and remove from heat.

When the squash is cooked, drain the water and toss the squash in a bowl.  Add mayonnaise, onion, garlic, hot sauce and egg. Mash together well. 

Pour into an 8x8-inch pan or casserole dish; top with cracker cheese mixture and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.  Remove foil and bake for an additional five minutes.

Gratitude Attitude

Gratitude becomes a bit of a catch phrase this time of the year.  November, after all, is the time when we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, so I guess it is perfectly fitting.  However,  I wonder how many of us see gratitude as an attitude we should be having ever day? I'm guilty of not having the gratitude attitude. Sure I'm thankful for my family, house, food... all the things we have.  What I struggle with is being thankful for the things I'm not so happy with.  Medical bills, health problems, personal issues, meal planning (sorry, I had to throw that one in because I absolutely HATE having to come up with an idea for dinner! See how bad my attitude is?!).  I can tell you all the right things I should be feeling: medical bills? be thankful that you had medical care. Health problems? Be thankful that they aren't worse. Personal issues? Bah... who doesn't have those? Be thankful you HAVE family to complain about.  Oh, and meal planning?  Seriously??? If only others were so blessed that they only had to look inside a full freezer and figure out what to make!
The sad truth is though, I know the right things in my head but don't feel them in my heart.  Our pastor tells us that the longest distance in the world is that from your brain to your heart.  I believe this to be true because it seems to take forever for my heart to live the truth that my brain knows.
So how does one go about having a gratitude attitude?  Have you ever done a Google search for gratitude?You will find everything from books written on the subject to cute little journals you can make. But for me it is has to simply be just choosing to be grateful.  I don't want my gratitude to be words I write down in a journal, I want it to be an action in my life. While I will take the time tomorrow to especially reflect on all my blessings, I especially want to remember all those things that aren't such, "happy happy joy joy" blessings.  God truly is good and has been amazingly good to me and my family.  I have some pretty tough things in my life but the fact of the matter is nothing is so difficult or big that My God isn't bigger than.  For me, knowing just that, gives me a gratitude attitude!