Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
What Not To Bake
photo courtesy of canada.com television
With that mouth-watering image firmly in mind, let's start baking, shall we?
It was extremely difficult to separate the 'candy' from the foil. I may or may not have whined and moaned at this point.
Does this look mouth-watering to you? It wasn't. Trust me.
- You would most likely have more success than I did with this recipe.
- I am not Pioneer Woman. I must accept this and go back to my boring old blog.
- I may be a redneck.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Find a comfy chair...
Here are the links I'd recommend for some encouraging reading...
I love this about our God.
It's pretty hard to keep sin from leaking.
Friday, December 18, 2009
One thing.
I think it's always good to slow down and remember what's really important.
- It's not important how many gifts are under the tree for each person in the family or that they are 'even.'
- It's not important that there's one burned out blue lightbulb on the roof (even though it tends to drive me crazy).
- It's not important how the cookies look. It's not. (see previous post)
- It's not even important whether we go to the 4:00 or 6:00 candlelight service.
Remember Martha? She and I are kindred spirits. She was working so hard to make things nice for everybody but getting a little bugged that her sister didn't seem to care enough about all of the things that were important to her.
I love Jesus' words to her in Luke 10. They are also spoken to me. “My sweet Becky, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over all these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about."
That 'one thing' is Christ Jesus.
What is important is to ask 'Who am I trying to please?'
Is it someone else's real or imagined expectations?
Is it my own self?
Or is it Him?
This year I've been pained to discover that I am a Pharisee (I plan to write more of my thoughts on that in the new year) and that I often feel pretty self-satisfied. That conclusion is reached without an honest look inside. Why do I like to try to fix everything/everyone else except my own heart? Because I don't want to face what I'll find there. I might have to admit to some really ugly motives or do the work of a major attitude adjustment.
So... the one thing is really something that I can give to Him: Me. My attention. My rights to this or that. My willingness to love when it's hard. My expectations. My time. For Him.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Apparently I have issues
Happy Wednesday! Are you enduring or embracing these wonderful days leading up to Christmas? Are you making time to be quiet? To enjoy your loved ones?
I made Christmas cookies with my daughter the other day - I was scooping and she was plopping the balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. When I asked her to flatten them, she took the tips of her fingers and squished them down, leaving dents the size of lunar craters in the tops of the cookies that were supposed to look like perfectly round disks (the operative word being 'perfect'). Aaachh! I screeched mildly and her eyes widened with a look that said, 'Mother, chill! It's cookie dough.' (She may have even laughed at me for being so freaked out.)
Lindsey says she doesn't remember but I've always been terrible about cooking with my kids. The mess! The fingers in the mouth! The not-doing-it-my-way. Ugh - it's embarrassing even putting that fact in writing for all three of you to read. I'd much rather you think of me as one of those mothers who loves having their kids sit on the counter while they bake, chuckling warmly at the way they lick the beaters and smear frosting in cute, unrecognizable patterns on sugar cookies. What is wrong with me??
So Lindsey and I had a talk about ways we're alike and different. About strengths and weaknesses. About my tendancy to be a wee bit controlling. About how I want to change. So I let her finish squishing the cookie dough however she wanted. She is 18, after all. As it turned out, it didn't matter one bit because when they baked, the cookies spread and flattened to 1/16" thick chocolate shortbread wafers. Ah well. Que sera sera, I always say.
So I'm trying to take a deep breath and lighten up. I thought I'd share a few of the Christmas pics I've found in Blogland this month...
The dreaded family Christmas photo session... Fly Through Our Window
A flowerpot Nativity set that just seems to get it right when it comes to illustrating "God With Us" - especially the 'us' people there with baby Jesus... Big Mama
A racetrack Christmas tree... Not So Random Stuff
Chocolate Nutella Turnovers. Well, YUM!... Bake at 350
And finally, you need to stare at this one for a minute to catch all that's going on. The four year old knew she only had a very limited amount of time to get all of her requests in so she wasn't wasting a second. The two year old, poor thing, never got a word in. Just look at his sweet face.
And then there's Santa.
It's not Christmas unless...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Born That We May Have Life
No reputation, no stately bearing
No palace bed for royalty
But a star in the heavens, a sign full of wonder
Announcing the coming of the King of kings
Rejoice, O world,
Your Saviour has come
Through the love of a virgin’s womb
Son of God, Son of man,
Born that we may have life
You were born that we may have life
A throne in a manger, the cross in a cradle
The hidden revealing this glorious plan
Of a Child who would suffer, a Child who would conquer
The sin of every woman, the sin of every man
Rejoice, O world,
For the King of kings
And the Lord of lords
Rejoice, O world,
A Saviour is born
Who brings us life and brings peace
Born that we may have life
You were born that we may have life
You were born that we may have life
words and music by Chris Tomlin, Matt Maher & Ed Cash
Glory In The Highest
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Hunting the Live Christmas Tree
Friday, December 11, 2009
Christmas Links
I've never cared for the classical paintings depicting the Nativity - probably because I have no taste for fine art - but I like to think it's because they don't even come close to depicting what it really must have been like.
Here is an interesting version of Mary's birth story. In all its blood and pain.
Feeling stressed out or behind in your holiday preparations? Here are Six Ways to Simplify and Refocus during this season.
What a cute way to display Christmas cards! And there are a few more too.
I loved these ideas for creating your own ornaments - to keep or give away. Beautiful!
Time to reread a holiday favorite with a pretty good message!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Your Name
As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart
And glorify Your Name
Your name
Is a strong and mighty tower
Your name
Is a shelter like no other
Your name
Let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your name
Jesus in Your Name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord give us strength to live for You
And glorify Your Name
© 2006 Integrity's Hosanna! Music Vertical Worship Songs
Words and Music by Paul Baloche
Monday, November 30, 2009
Lotsa Links
Bake at 350: Christmas cookies that look impossibly gorgeous. I WISH I had the time and whatever else it takes to create something so beautiful! I like this kiwi green.
Handmade Christmas Tags - These are made by a mother of five so I have no excuses. Love these! (Note the same green - is there a pattern here?)
Lights on Display - Click on any of the video years to see a pretty awesome show.
The Once Toxic Coffee Table - Would you have purchased this table at Goodwill?
You will not believe the 'after' picture.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thankful for...
The LORD is my strength and my shield.
My heart trusts in Him and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7
Today I'm thankful to God for:
- all of my girls home for the weekend - our nest is full again!
- being able to have everybody in the family over for Thanksgiving dinner
- my husband
- the start of the Christmas season (now I don't have to hide the fact that I'm listening to Christmas music)
- an awesome church that makes giving a priority and a pastor who God uses to speak to me
- precious friendships that span many years
- my job - I can't believe I get to be a part of something big God is doing in Ethiopia
- the auto-start timer on my coffee maker
- the book of Isaiah
- eyes that see, ears that hear, limbs that move!
- the real, living, accomplishing Word of God
How about you? What are you thankful for?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Gettin' Ready
You see where this is going. Nowhere. Fast.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
As the Rudes Get Ruder, the Scolds Get Scoldier
In this morning's Oregonian, there was a NY Times article titled "Battle lines blur over irksome behavior in public" written by Douglas Quenqua. Here's how it started:
Amy Alkon, a syndicated advice columnist and self-described “manners psycho,” recently encountered “Barry,” a loud cell phone talker at a Starbucks in Santa Monica, Calif.
“He just blatantly took over the whole place with his conversation, streaming his dull life into everybody’s brain,” Ms. Alkon recalled in a telephone interview. Among the personal details Barry shared that day — errands to run, plans for the evening — was his phone number, which Ms. Alkon jotted down. “I called him that night and said, ‘Just calling to let you know, Barry, that if you’d like your private life to remain private, you might want to be a little more considerate next time,’ “ she said.
So there.
The gist of the article is that while people are fed up with rude cell phone users, isn't it just as rude to exact revenge or deliver a public scolding? Some examples:
- A McDonalds patron, irritated with another customer's loud cell phone chat, placed a small recording device on the table next to the offender. When asked what he was doing, he responded "Well, since you obviously want me to hear your conversation, I’d better keep a copy of it."
- A woman riding on a commuter train recently had to listen to a stranger complain loudly by cell phone about his group therapy. The next time she saw him, about a week later, she asked how the therapy was going.
- Ms. Alkon has a blog where she often posts the personal information shared by loud cell phone talkers.
I'll admit I've been shocked by how clueless people seem to be when they're talking on a cell phone. In public. I've had a conversation or two in my head with those folks and believe me, I got my point across.
But in reality, I lean more towards the solution offered by a company that makes cards you can hand to strangers with sayings like, "Can you please take your conversation elsewhere?" These cards come in a cute little drawstring bag and they cover a few different scenarios such as: inappropriate ringtones, talking too loudly and volume set on 'stun.' Their website says they "offer a gentle way to let the guy in the elevator who’s having an affair or the woman in the next cube who’s checking in with her therapist know that everyone is getting an earful. It's a wake-up call with humor and tact."
Some would call that a more passive-aggressive way to shame someone into being considerate of others. But I keep thinking about some of the thoughtless things I've done - in public - and of how thankful I am that no one turned a spotlight on me.
So I'm going to try to be less scoldier - even in my head.