Archives For eucharisteo

Gingerbread Men

December 5, 2011

{Design inspired by the amazingly talented Nevie-Pie Cakes}

Are you busy in the kitchen baking your Christmas cookies? Have a party to go to and don’t know what to take? This is my favorite recipe and the one time of year that I go all out and make these cute little men. I won’t lie, they take about three days to make {if you have a house full of children to take care of, that is}. But they are worth. every. second. And they make the cutest gifts for friends and neighbors!

Gingerbread Men

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Torani Vanilla Syrup
Satin Ice Fondant
Americolor food coloring gel

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
4. Use same cookie cutter to cut out pieces of Satin Ice fondant. Paint top of cookie with Torani Vanilla Syrup and place cut-out fondant on top. The syrup will help the fondant to adhere to the cookie. You could use corn syrup instead of the Torani.
5. Paint desired design on top of fondant using Americolor food coloring and a touch of water {and a clean, small paint brush}.

Blessings!

In Recipes
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Teach Me, Lead Me

December 4, 2011

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!
{Psalm 143:10 ESV}

Blessings!

In Scripture
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Beauty Within

December 2, 2011

Do you see it?

I didn’t. The day after Thanksgiving we went out early to get a Christmas tree. And let me say this now: I’m not a shopper. Whether it’s for clothes, food or Christmas trees. Thank you, but no thank you. I would rather have somebody choose it for me. And so I left my husband to make the final decision while I went to watch the children play.

After they tied the chosen tree to the top of our car we went home and set the tree up. My husband was pulling the branches down and spreading them out when he noticed this sweet little nest sitting deep within. It was awfully fragile so we assume it was quite old. But such a beautiful image. Here we had gotten a tree to bring home and decorate and it was already decorated for us. This thrilled my one daughter to no end as she is a bird enthusiast.

I’m so thankful my husband had more care for what he was getting. I can guarantee I would not have picked out the same tree because my time was more important.

*sigh*

How often do we rush through the process? Maybe it’s while going through the checkout lane at the grocery. How often do you look for the beauty that is within? How long has your cashier been standing there? How many grumpy faces have passed them by not even making eye contact? Your neighbor? Maybe take them some cookies this week and spend a few minutes chatting? Not the neighbor you talk with on a normal basis. No, that one neighbor that never seems to have visitors and never seems to smile {even when you wave}. Move away those prickly branches and seek out the beauty deep inside. Possibly they have forgotten that they contain a seed of beauty that is in desperate need of attention.

As we prepare our hearts during this Advent season, as we continue to learn more about Him, shine the light of Christ to those around you. Stand out from all the holiday hubbub. Convey that time is the greatest gift we can give to one another.

Blessings!

In Blessings, Encouragement
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Our Guiding Light

December 1, 2011

Today we begin.

As I place the advent wreath on the table my children cheerfully announce, “I remember that!” And I remember the nights last year that we sat around the table listening to Daddy reading. Teaching us about the baby. And I sat listening and for the first time ever rocking my very own baby boy. Feeling a connection to Mary that I had never really understood before.

And I become afraid that this year we’ll forget. This year we’ll get caught up in the busyness of the season. That we’ll, once again, allow our minds to become consumed with the here and now. That we’ll be so focused on wrapping presents instead of unwrapping the most precious gift.

So we pray. We ask for Him to guide us back. Like Mary we follow the Light. Knowing that when our eyes are focused on Him we are able to then see the foolishness of what is hidden in the darkness. So many times I am lured away to what is known and comfortable. Wanting to ‘fit in’. Not wanting to come off as ‘too extreme’. But living for Christ is living to the extreme. Following Him will seem foolish to those who don’t know Him. And so we must keep ourselves in His light. Allowing Him to lead us to the Truth. Knowing that He was born for a reason and to not take Him for granted.

We have been blessed with this advent wreath for the past year. Using it to teach us from December 1st through Resurrection Sunday and beyond. I know it’s late, but get one for your family? All profits are donated to Compassion International. A double blessing. And sign up for Ann Voskamp’s mailing list to receive the Advent Devotional for your family. Beautiful, just beautiful words. Thank you Voskamp family. I anxiously look forward to another advent season. Training our hearts to be more like His.

Blessings!

In Blessings, Encouragement
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How He Loves Us

November 29, 2011

It’s Sunday morning. It seems snarkiness is at its best these mornings. We fluster about and get the kids in the car. I can’t find my notepad that I use during the sermon to take notes. Frustrated. The children are put in their classes and I hear the littlest one crying. My heart sinks. We hold hands and walk to where we’ll sit. We set down our beverages and stand to sing. It’s dark and the music is loud.

And I drift into His arms. My hands surrendering to Him.

The busyness of the week seems to melt away as I’m reminded of His love for me. The words we sing comforting this tired and worn soul. And He opens my eyes. I come running to Him thirsty for His grace. My children come timidly seeking my grace. He offers agape. I offer a stipulation.

“If you do this then I will love you more.”

Those words never leave my lips, but they work themselves out through my actions. A raised eyebrow. A huff. A turned back. And through this realization my heart breaks and the tears stream down. I sing loud and with eyes closed tight. This unreal love. This amazing and undeserved love brings me to tears most every Sunday. The time when I rest from the troubles and into His arms. My day of remembrance of where I came from to where He has brought me. A love I have never known before. How can I show this love to my children? How can I be in a constant state of remembrance?

Never say “Amen”

I hear a story of a little boy asking “Why did you say ‘amen’? Shouldn’t we always be in prayer?” Oh, isn’t it the youngest that teach us? Never say ‘amen’. Always, always stay in your Father’s arms. He is forever with you. Yes, He sees us all nice and dressed up on Sunday mornings but He doesn’t take the rest of the week off. He sees us also at our worst. Our ugliest. And yes, He loves us even then. It is impossible for us to understand His grace and His love and that is why I am moved to tears. He doesn’t beat us down emotionally and make us feel guilty for our sins. But oh we do that to each other. No amount of eucharisteo can ever express my love for my Father. I thank Him by loving and showing grace when, to us, it seems unwarranted. Oh how He loves us. I thank Him with tears.

Blessings!

{Linking up with Unwrapped Tuesdays at Chatting at the Sky }

In Encouragement, Parenting
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