Christmas Munchies and Memories

Every family has Christmas traditions. My family had several. We opened all our presents on Christmas Eve and got our stockings Christmas morning. We would have lights all over our house, inside and out. Across the top of our walls we had these nails and each season we would hang different paper cutouts that we did; during the Christmas season, it was snowflakes. There were many more that I won't go into detail, but the one that this blog is about is one of my favorites. My mom (with help from us) would make hundreds of sugar cookies with her homemade frosting as well as other goodies and we would make plates to pass out to people.  

With the kids grown, my mom has not made cookies in many many years. This year we were both struggling to get into the Christmas spirit so we decided to revisit this treasured tradition. We got together on Saturday and made chocolate chow mien noodle clusters, white chocolate pretzels and almonds, turtle candies (chocolate, caramel and pecans) made with homemade caramel that my stepdad, Ron made, and of course the main event... my mom's famous sugar cookies.

We donned our aprons and set out the cookie cutters... we were going for a variety!

Rolled out the dough and cut away!  

Cookies cooling and waiting to be frosted!

 

While the cookies cooled, we made the pretzels and almonds.

Mixed the frosting and made several colors... let the frosting begin. Ron helped frost as well so it was the three of us sitting at the table frosting away! It was a blast.

Finished frosted cookies...

  

Anyone that knows my mom, knows that she is the BIGGEST turtle fanatic and collector around. With thousands of jewelry, trinkets, etc around the house, I convinced her that she should include some turtle cookies in the mix as well. So this is a few turtle cookies, both sea turtles and tortoises.

The day turned out to be so much fun and it was so wonderful to spend the day making special memories. We put together tins and plates to pass out to people we know. I am filled with the Christmas spirit now and I hope the people we pass them out to will enjoy them as much as we did making them.

Bravo Zulu to me... :)

Spring semester is finally over! I am going to school to become a Veterinary Technician and I had no idea how much work they really do. I was blown away at the amount of material I have to read and the intense school work. Because of my hearing loss, I am taking online courses, however starting in the fall I will have clinical hours done at a veterinary office as well. Most people think of online classes as easier but let me tell you first hand, at least in this program, it is not. I attended a regular college for 2 years and my workload was nothing compared to the last 12 weeks. Thankfully, I am determined and excited to learn and do my best. I worked my tail off the last 3 months and it has shown. I am pretty darn pleased with my grades and I hope that I can continue doing this well over the next 2 years.

It is a great feeling knowing I did a great job this last semester and that I don't have anymore deadlines, assignments, quizzes, exams and 100s of pages to read for a while. I am relaxing and enjoying my time off until May 20th. Well, actually most of it will be spent recovering from knee surgery that is in 2 weeks, which I am so glad is finally here but that is for another post. Thank you for listening to me brag a little as I patted myself on the back and gave myself a big Bravo Zulu, something I know that I don't do nearly enough... hardly ever in fact. But today I am proud of myself and I think I should be. :) 

Spring, Spring, Spring

One of my all time favorite musicals is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I love everything about it, even the cheap old school affects and backdrops LOL. But most of all I love the songs. I am a sucker for musicals and well just music in general. And my favorite song in this movie has been in my head for weeks now, Spring, Spring, Spring (song below).

Being a Wisconsinite, we are no strangers to snow and as I posted a few months ago, I was super excited for the first snowfall of the year and how magical and awesome it was. I stick by that post, however after the long winter I am now happy to welcome spring back.

The robins are out and even though I can't hear them, seeing them brings a smile to my face, brightens my mood and boosts my energy. My little low rider (dachshunds aka wiener dogs) are also excited for this season change as they once again have a yard to run and play in that is not covered in 10 inches of snow, which when your belly is only 6 inches off the ground, that matters.

This is a time for new beginnings and rebirth. I don't think it is a coincidence that Easter is near the beginning of Spring. And yes I know that it is winter in some parts of the world, but for us here in the States, the time is ironic. Easter is when Jesus rose from the dead, was resurrected and started a new life in Heaven. It is also what makes it possible for us to rise from the death of sin and begin a new life in Christ, reborn. This coincides with the life that comes with spring as well. The snow melts, the frozen ground begins to thaw and the dead grass starts to grow again. The animals awaken from hibernation and emerge from their homes (tombs) to start fresh and soon babies are born everywhere. Spring is the season of living and life in my opinion.

This blog is no different. With the Christmas to Easter adventure over, my blog is now coming out of hibernation and I am starting new again, with a new look and a new outlook. Spring is here, praise God for all that it entails.

I'm Alive!!!

I am back! Shortly after I started this blog, I joined forces with a great friend, Dwight, to do a different blog, Christmas to Easter. In that blog, we posted a daily devotional and reflection on a Bible verse each day from Christmas to Easter. It was an amazing adventure but because it was time consuming and also I felt it was a calling from God to do, I really needed to be focused and committed to that and so this blog was abandoned. Easter has passed and it was a bittersweet goodbye to that blog, however I can now get back to writing on this one. The posts will not be daily, but I hope to post something at least weekly if not more. Please forgive my long absence and I hope you all enjoy the blog. A new look is coming this week. :)

Let it Snow...

Yesterday I had my first snow of the season and I loved it. I was excited all week and as it approached I was giddy and filled with anticipation.   

Granted I know that with snow comes dangerous driving conditions; high energy bills for keeping the house warm; freezing temperatures; shoveling driveways; scraping cars; ice to slip on; runny noses; frostbitten fingers and ears; wind-chills that burn your face and a bunch of other negative things. Yes, snow does bring all that and I admit that I am not a fan of any of those things. So why might you ask, am I filled with excitement at the thought of snow?

I am not sure the exact reason to be honest, but I think it is because I choose not to think about all the hard aches the snow brings, but focus on the snow itself.

As I look out my window at night and see the snow falling to the ground, lit up and almost glowing by the street lamps around me, all I can see is the beautiful, breathtaking miracle about to create my winter wonderland. I think of snowman, snow angels and snow forts; sparkling icicles hanging from houses; the snowflakes you can catch on your tongue, the way fresh fallen snow can cover the barren and dismal winter grounds and make it glisten and shine in the sun; how the bare trees that once looked sad and dead now sparkle like diamonds as each branch and twig are covered in pure white fluff.

It also reminds me of God’s wonderful hand of creation. Not all of his creations are full of life, snow is just water, yet he can turn a dismal and depressing scene into one that makes you stand in awe of its beauty.

Not only does it remind me of His awesome power, it also reminds me of His words in Isaiah 1:16-18. 

Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." 

God wants to completely cleanse us, to wash our sins away so that we are "whiter than snow". Freshly fallen snow in the sunlight is so white it is blinding, can you imagine being whiter than that, being cleaner than that? It seems impossible, especially when I consider all of my sins. But God can do it and has done it to me and continues to every day and He does it through the precious blood of Jesus. 

 

This winter, I encourage all of you and myself to look at the snow when it falls and blankets the ground and streets, I mean really see it and give thanks to God who has given it, also remembering that God wants to make our soul as white as this new-fallen snow!  Thank you Lord for this breathtaking snow and this wonderful gift of grace!

Don't be a monkey...Drop the Mango!

Patience is a virtue, posses it if you can; seldom in a woman and never in a man. I have heard this saying from my grandmother my entire life yet I still struggle with it. I didn't used to be as bad as I am with it and I think that it was the combination of things in my life this past year in a half with the tumors and hearing loss as well as Afghanistan that probably changed me. Either way, it is not a change for the good.

You see I have this fear that if I don’t know what is happening than something bad will happen, this fear of losing that security in knowing the plan. When things start to go a different way than what I had planned, I start to get anxious, worried, stressed and upset. Sometimes I am justifiably upset, sometimes I break down and cry because I feel nothing can go right or I am hurt by the change of plans, other times I am afraid that something has gone wrong because that has happened so many times to me and I usually assume the worst, and still other times I am just being selfish and throwing a fit because something didn't go my way.

There are many ways in which I handle it, but all of them cause additional and unneeded stress to my life and the ones around me. I usually become emotional and snap at the ones who are there for me and trying to love me. That is the last thing I want to do, yet it happens more often than I would like to ever admit.

But the worst thing about stressing over something that doesn't go the way I planned is my choice to deny God the opportunity to show me something. Maybe that something is to tell me that being patient will bring good things, maybe it is to get me to trust Him more so that He can bless me, maybe the plans changed to protect me from something bad happening or to make it possible for something great to happen, maybe all those things and more. Regardless, my actions take that opportunity away from God. Things change, whether it was from people’s choices and actions, weather, traffic, electronic problems, etc… but no matter what happens, God is always in control and I need to remember that. 

My life is not my own, but God’s and everything I do should reflect my love for Him and that He lives inside me. God desires me to let Him work in my life and guide me through things, whether to teach me a lesson or to provide me a blessing. Good or bad, God wants me to share it with Him and trust in Him. I need to praise Him in the storms no matter how big or small because He is there with me and will carry me through anything and without Him I would be nothing and have nothing. When I freak out over things, I am taking away what God has to offer me and I lose faith in Him when I should be leaning on Him. I am missing an opportunity to praise Him and see the blessing in the storm. I need to let go and let God.

I recently heard a sermon on this exact subject and it was like God was smacking me upside the head with it saying "this one is for you, listen up and obey". In that sermon, the pastor mentioned this tribe of hunters trying to bring down the overpopulated monkey problem. They would put a box with a mango in it against a tree. There was a hole in the box, but it was only big enough to fit the mango through, so when the monkey put his hand in the box he wouldn't be able to pull both his hand AND the mango back out. Day after day, they would catch these monkeys that would be sitting there trapped with their hand stuck in the box clutching onto that mango for dear life. All the monkeys had to do to be free was to drop the mango, yet they refused to let go, sealing their fate and signing their death sentence. 

Now if you didn't figure it out yet... we are the monkeys, or at least I am anyways. All I have to do to be free is let go of my plans, let go of my worry, my stress, my everything and give it to God. Do I? Usually not until I have to. It is an ongoing problem with me and one I desperately need to change and want to change. It is okay for me to make plans, but I need to let God direct my steps. Proverbs 16:1 states "We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer." So I will continue to make my plans, but I need to let God guide me and I also need to prepare myself for interruptions because they can and will happen. And when God changes my plans, whatever the reason or lack of reason, I need to trust that God will not leave me and He will get me through. 

I have two options... Hold on to the mango, or hold on to my faith in God. I didn't come from monkeys, I came from God; so therefore I should strive to be like Him and not the monkey. I need to forget about the mangoes of my life. Freedom is found in letting go! 

My prayer today...

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Please forgive me. I too often forget to let go and give you control of my life. I wonder why things aren't going the way I think they should or the way I want them to and I forget to stop and ask what you want, Lord. I want to follow you. I want what you desire for me. Please help me to realize that when you close one door, you open the one you want me to walk through. Help me also to realize that what I want may not be what is meant for me, or what is best for me, maybe it will lead me away from what your great plan is for me.  Lord, let me accept each day as a gift. Let me follow the path you choose for me. Help me to be thankful for what you give me and not to worry about the rest. I know you will take care of all my needs. Remind me of my role in life… to serve you. I am yours not the other way around. My life is your life, not my own. Please forgive me for denying you the opportunity to work in my life by holding on to the things that I need to give up. Help me be who and what you want me to be. Give me strength, faith, hope, and guidance. Help me to let go of the mango and let you work in my life the way you desire to. I am yours Lord, use me for your will. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen

 (To listen to the sermon, follow this link http://sunridgechurch.org/sermons and click the sermon titled "Surviving Emotionally, in the Surviving Christmas series on the top of the page dated Dec 9, 2012)

My new blank slate...

So I am starting a new blog today. I've had them in the past but this one is a brand new slate. There is no theme to this blog, no topic, no agenda, nothing, just whatever I feel at the moment. It is a blank page to be filled with my thoughts, ideas, hopes, desires, dreams, poems, etc... I am starting a new chapter in my life right now and I figure I should start from scratch here as well.

As I sit here and wonder where to begin on this new blog of mine, a thought comes to mind. My brand new slate is similar to the one Jesus gives us when we accept Him into our heart. Our past sins and life are washed away clean and forgiven and we are given a new body, a new life in which to live for Him. And this ultimate forgiveness is not just a one-time occurrence either, it happens daily. Our Lord is constantly forgiving us and wiping our slate clean. He throws all of my sins away and by His mercy and love He gives me another chance. 

I don't know about you, but I have been given more chances than I can ever begin to count, and I know that there will be countless more to come as well. I tend to take these chances for granted all the time and instead of being grateful for what the Lord has given me, I complain to Him that the things in my life are not going as I planned. 

God still listens though, He still forgives me, and most of all He still loves me. For that I am grateful and even though I might not say it as much as I ought to or think about it as often as I should, when I do, the love and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ overwhelms me and fills my heart. I am humbled in His presence and He embraces me in His always open, always present, and always loving arms.

So now just as I started this new blog, and on my way to starting a new chapter in my life, I have also started fresh once more in my ever-changing blank slate that Christ so gracefully allows me. Thank you Lord for your forgiveness and your mercy, thank you for never giving up on me, and thank you for your unconditional  love. 

I pray that with this new blank slate I start here, I will fill it will pages that will glorify His name and that it will always remind me of the blank slate He continually gives to me. I hope my random ramblings also help all of you remember the new page Christ can give you as well. Thank you and enjoy!

Jay