Christmas Cookies

So, it's now officially the day after Christmas and I must admit I'm a bit relieved.  I managed to get behind this year with many things, including my Christmas cookie baking.   I recently showed up at a family Christmas gathering sans Christmas cookies.  My brother threatened to disown me.  Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit, but he was extremely disappointed that I had no cookies to share.  I knew I couldn't show up to the next Christmas gathering with no cookies.  So, two days before I needed them (I tend to procrastinate) I decided to begin my baking blitz.   I thought I'd bought everything I needed for the cookie baking blitz the week before, but I discovered that I was out of brown sugar.  I realized I would have to go to the store.  My trip to the store inspired this parody of sorts.  It was a disaster of a trip and I finally made it home exhausted.  I didn't bake a single cookie that night.  

I laughed that night at the ridiculousness of rushing around to get these cookies made. I was feeling stressed and, if I'm honest, a little bit crabby about not having these cookies made. I realized that all the rushing and stress was taking the joy out of something I look forward to every year.  I enjoy sharing cookies with family and friends at Christmastime, but the rush of it all (due to my procrastination) was getting to me.  I decided that I would relax a bit and start baking the next day.  Whatever I was able to get done would have to be enough.  At the end of it all, I managed to bake several batches and was able to share them with family and friends. And I was able to do so with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.   

There is a series of children's books by Laura Numeroff.  My favorite one is If You Give A Moose a Muffin.  If you have a preschooler in your life, you may be familiar with these books.  If you have a preschooler in your life and are not familiar with these books, you should be.  They will love them.  If you  do not have a preschooler in your life,  you should check them out anyway.  They are adorable.  I still love to read all the books in the series (don't judge me).  

This "parody story" is a series of actual events that took place on my trip to the store for brown sugar on Monday evening-for serious and for real!    My prayer for you all is that you will be able to look back at whatever crazy, stress-inducing, time crunch Christmas situation  you may have found yourself in this season and find a reason to smile or even laugh.  The making of sweet memories often involves a pinch of insanity.  Merry day after Christmas, my friends.  Take a minute and exhaaaaaaaale.   You made it.  

If You Give a Mom a Cookie Recipe 

If you give a mom a cookie recipe, she'll need to go to her cupboard to gather the ingredients. 

When she opens the cupboard door, she'll see she is completely out of brown sugar. 

She'll have to go to the store and get some.

Pressed for time, she won't have time to do her hair, change out of her yoga pants,  or put on any make up.   

She'll put her (too-short-for-a-hair-clip) hair up in a clip and half of it will hang out of the clip.   

She will drive to the store looking a mess. 

When she gets to the store,  she'll realize she doesn't know where anything is because she seldom shops there. 

She'll wander around looking for the brown sugar for what feels like an eternity. 

While she's wandering around the store, she will inevitably see several people she knows. 
She'll stop to say hello. 

Since she looks like she just rolled out of bed, she'll hurry the conversation in hopes they won't notice her slovenly appearance.  

She'll make her way to the checkout line.  

When she unloads her cart, she'll realize that although she only came for brown sugar, she has picked up over $50.00 worth of stuff she found as she wandered around the unfamiliar store looking for the brown sugar. 

She will leave the store and drive home exasperated and $50.00 poorer.  

When she gets home she'll pick up her cookie recipe and walk over to her groceries.  

And chances are... when she looks through the bags, she'll realize she forgot to buy the brown sugar.  

Thanks for reading.  

Mamas of school age children everywhere, you CAN do this.

For my pals in Ohio (and lots of other parts of the world), I'm a little late to the party.  Here in good ole Michigan, we stretch out summer as long as we can.  But today begins the first day of school (cue sinister-sounding music).   I, along with most other mamas I know, am anticipating a great new school year.  THIS year I will make  a wonderful breakfast every morning, nutritious lunches, and dinners equal to the Brady's.  My children will skip down the stairs each morning ready to begin a new day and eager to learn.  My house will shine and sparkle with cleanliness (due, in part, to these new chore charts I have created), and everyone will be smiling and laughing all day long.  My home shall run like a well oiled machine. Yep.   Grab me a dress, some heels, an apron and call me June Cleaver.   Maybe my other mama friends out there have similar expectations?  Anyone????

In reality, my mama friends, we know that in a week or two our great expectations will more than likely be flushed down the toilet.  You know... that toilet that has NOT been cleaned (in spite of the new chore chart).   So when those days come I say to you this:

For my homeschooling mamas:  You CAN do this.   On those days when you can't explain how to find a common denominator (so you can FINALLY add these two fractions you've been talking about for an hour) one. more. time...take a deep breath in, Mama.  When you look at the clock and realize school took up your whole day; everyone's gonna have to eat Lucky Charms for dinner (hey, they put vitamins and minerals in that stuff.  It's practically a health food), and you feel like you've failed your domestic duties...take a deep breath in, Mama.  For those days when... for the love of ALL THINGS! WHERE is a pencil and WHAT happened to the fifty notebooks I bought two weeks ago?!!... take a deep breath in, Mama.  When you worry that you aren't teaching enough, aren't doing enough, or that YOU are just not enough... take a big, long, deeeeeep breath, Mama.  Breathe deep and remember this is only a season-a quick season.  In the grand scheme of life, we have only a short time to be with these young humans.  Breathe in and remember those days cuddling on the couch with a favorite book together, making a cake volcano, or the first time you realized your child could read-they could REALLY READ-and you were able to be there, teaching them, every step of the way.  Breathe in and embrace the repetition of teaching your child the same concept over and over  until it finally sinks in, and you get the privilege of seeing that light bulb go off and shine brightly.  Breathe out and  remember that you're imperfections,  do not mean you're a bad mama, they just mean you're a human mama.  Give and receive grace.  You CAN do this.  You can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength.

For my school away from home mamas:  You CAN do this.  On those days when you're sending your children out the door for school with a bag of chips for breakfast, because you just simply ran out of time (HEY, it's hard to make a full course meal before the sun even bothers to wake up)... take a deep breath, Mama.  When you notice your child climbing onto the bus wearing a short sleeved shirt with NO coat in sight, and the high for the day is going to hit a balmy 40 degrees... take a deep breath, Mama.  When you're sitting in that horrible pick-your-kid-up-from-school- line, and you are on the verge of saying EVERY. bad. word. you've ever heard, because really? WHERE did these parents learn how to drive??!!!  take a deep breath, Mama.   When you are scrambling to get that last kid out the door and for the love of ALL THINGS! WHERE are two clean socks that match (although at this point dirty socks will work too)...  take a big, long, deeeeeep breath, Mama.  Breathe deep and remember this is only a season-a quick season.   Breathe in  every Christmas program, every school band concert,  every sport game, every awkward school picture day, and every science fair (YOU did a great job on that science fair board, after all;  be proud!).  Breathe out and remember that you're imperfections become a testimony, to your children, of  God's grace.  You CAN do this.  You can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength.

For my sending a kid off to college mamas:  You CAN do this.  On those days when you can't stop worrying and wondering if that man-child of yours is actually remembering that dirty socks and underwear are NOT appropriate room decor... take a deep breath, mama.  On those days when you see all those pics of your sweet little girl on Facebook at what looks like a party scene straight out of Animal House, and you wonder if all these tuitions payments you're making are just going toward a very EXPENSIVE party... take a deep breath, Mama.   On those days when after months of missing your sweet angel, she comes home with three garbage bags FULL of laundry, which she totally expect you to do (HOW are there SO many bags of clothes???), because college is hard and she must spend her two weeks home sleeping... take a deep breath, Mama.  On those days when you sit at home in the quiet and miss the chatter and chaos of having those young humans at home with you, and you feel like your heart is going to shatter... take a big, long, deeeeeep breath, Mama.  Breath in and remember this is only a season, and you will adjust.  Breath in every phone call, every new experience they share with you, and even every bag of laundry, because they still come home.  Breath out and remember that you're imperfections do not inhibit their success.   They must find their own way.  Trust God.  He loves them too (even more than you do).   You CAN do this.  You can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength.

As a new school year begins, we mamas need to remember that there is grace to cover our mishaps-which WILL happen, grace to cover our frustrations (and out of control yelling)-which also WILL happen.   There is grace to cover our inadequacies, our shortcomings, and our occasional inability to prepare a meal with any nutritional value, find a pencil, or locate a  matching pair of socks.  There is grace to cover us, Mamas.  We need only to humbly approach the throne of grace, and receive the forgiveness, love and grace of the Father who loves us so much.

Let us all extend that same grace to our children, who are all dealing with their own insecurities.  Let us be an example of imperfection covered in grace.  Let us be real.  Let us show love to those young humans on the ugliest of days.  They need grace as they navigate this new year too.   We mamas need to say to them:
 "take a long deeeeeep breath, Child.  You CAN do this.  You can do ALL things through Christ who gives you strength."

SO as we start a new school year, take a long deeeeeep breath, mamas.   Take a long deeeeeep breath children.   We CAN do this.  We can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength.

Blessings to all for a successful new school year.

Now I Can See

I love stories.   

I especially love stories that touch the heart and soul.  I love the stories about the realities of life-from tragedies to triumphs.  I love stories that end with truth and justice prevailing.   But life's stories don't always have happy endings.   And sometimes, while living out our own stories, we are faced with unhappy endings.   While we search for answers,  sometimes we just come up empty.  

I was thinking about one of my favorite Bible stories.  It's found in John chapter 9.   Here's a recap:

So Jesus is walking along with His disciples and here sits this blind man begging.  The disciples ask Jesus who had sinned the man or his parents.  What had caused him to be born blind.  Jesus says no one sinned, this man is going to be used to display the good works of God.  So Jesus spits on some dirt, rubs it on the man's eyes and sends him to wash it off in the pool of Siloam.  The man washes and goes home seeing.  

So great story, right?  Blind beggar with no hope for any kind of future is given a new lease on life.  Yay, good wins.  

Then come the townspeople, and they start talking...  "Hey is this the same dude who was a blind beggar?"  "Naw bro, that's not him, he just looks like him"  The man says "It's really me.  See this Jesus came and he made some mud with dirt and spit, rubbed the stuff on my eyes, and told me to go wash it off over at Siloam.  So I did that, and now I can see.  Isn't that awesome?"  

The townspeople didn't think it was so awesome.   It WAS the Sabbath day, after all.  They brought the man to the Pharisees who demanded answers.  Who was this Jesus, why was He healing on the Sabbath Day, surely He wasn't from God.  HOW did he do this?  I love the man's response.  He's says  "I don't know.   All I know is that I was blind, and now I can see."    

The man's parents didn't want to stand up to the Pharisees, so they gracefully bowed out of the situation and said, "Ask our son yourselves, he's a grown man." So the Pharisees continued to grill the man, asking him all kinds of questions about Jesus.  The man pointed out that no one else had ever opened the eyes of a blind man, so this Jesus must be from God.  With more and more questions, the man replied in the same way he had all long.  I don't know who He is or where He has gone.    Here's what I know-I was blind and now I can see."  Then the Pharisees, sent him out.  Excommunicated.  Shunned from the community.  

Now I love this next part.  Jesus hears they booted the man out and He goes to him.  

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

The man didn't attempt to understand complicated theology, he just said "Lord, I believe."  He didn't  argue theology with the Pharisees.  He simply said "All I know is that I was blind and now I can see."  Please don't misunderstand,  I'm not saying there's no point to theology.  Biblical knowledge, studying and understanding the scriptures are important.  But sometimes I think we complicate the Gospel.  The Gospel simply says "Come, all you who are weary and heavy and I'll give you rest"  The gospel says "Jesus will take your story, no matter how tragic or worthless it's been and make it into something new."  The gospel may even say "This tragedy is part of your story, but because of that, God is now glorified."  The gospel, the GOOD news, isn't to be re-adjusted so it fits into our religious theology.  At least not the kind gospel that Jesus presented to the blind man.   

With Jesus it really was quite simple.  Here's some dirt, some spit and some water to wash it off.  Jesus used simple methods to do miraculous things.  The man then told his "good news" to others by telling his story of how his whole life was completely changed. "I was blind and now I see." 

How often do we keep parts of our story hidden?   How might our own stories present the gospel, the good news, to others?  How do our triumphs, and yes, even our tragedies point to the beauty of Jesus?  Even in the unhappy endings we face in this life, we have a comforter and a community.  Even when we search for answers and come up empty, we are filled with the Spirit of the living God.   Do we share those things, or do we put on a smile and mask of religious superiority.  Are we real, or do we follow a protocol of religion?     Do we say "God can help YOU, but I'm good."  Do we fail to connect because we don't want to take that risk?  Or do we open ourselves up and say, "ya know what?  I was lost and this is how Jesus came to me.  I was alone and I called out to Jesus and He heard me.  I was a train wreck and Jesus put me back on track.  Sometimes I am a big bottle of crazy sauce with a side of nuts, but this is how Jesus is still transforming my life.  This is my story and it isn't over yet.  Because of grace, I can see the beauty of Christ in the world and in every situation that I face in this life.  I was blind, but now I see."   

 See, we can argue theology, we can make our points and drive them home with a page full of scripture to back us up.   We can engage in those arguments of theology and life's tough questions so long that the good news of the gospel becomes secondary to making our point.    What did Jesus do?  He connected with the man in a simple way.  What then did the man do?  He connected to others with His story.  And even though that particular connection got him shunned,  Jesus went to him.   The good news of gospel may not always be well received, but Jesus will always come to us. And the gospel will always change our lives.    

Maybe we don't have all the theological answers, but one thing we do have is our story.   Our story of how the love of Jesus has changed our lives, comforted us in the darkness of life's hard times, gave us hope in hopeless situations, and how God is STILL continuing to give us grace and mercy when we least deserve it.   Our story can present the gospel in a way that connects us all as people who need Jesus.   Connection that says:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11

One thing that no one in the story of this blind man could deny:   The man was born blind, and now he could see.  

The Bible doesn't tell us anymore about the man and what happened for the rest of his life.  I would like to think that when asked about his story, he would continue to answer questions in the same way.  "This Jesus changed my life.  I'm not really sure how or why He did it;  All I know is that I was blind and now I can see."

Share your stories, share yourselves, make connections.  The gospel is all about connection anyway, the connection through the finished work of Jesus back to the heart of the Father.   If we could put away our arguments just for a minute and connect, maybe the Gospel could be heard in it's purest and most simple form. 

 "I was blind, but now I can see"

Castles of Boxes and Blankets

Hello Blog world.  It's been awhile.  A long while.  I have been neck deep in life- running, doing, stressing, and running some more- much like most of you I'm sure.  But I have returned and am determined to write more often (because writing is cheaper than therapy).   ;)  

My last little guy (who recently turned 9) has been collecting boxes.  Hubby receives packages daily for work making the collection grow a rapid pace.  I love my children to be creative.  Nothing makes me more excited than to watch them step away from TV, gaming, and other electronics and use their imaginations to create.  It also makes me a little nutty (yes, more than usual). My last little guy has been building castles, thrones, and fortresses.   Ooooooh the mess.  Those who know me know that I'm not a neat freak-not even close. I do, however, like to be able to walk through my living room. 

We have come to an agreement of sorts.  He can collect all the boxes he likes, as long as they do not remain in the middle of the living room.  At the end of the day, all the boxes and blankets must be back in his room.   He can build whatever he wants to in his own room.   Deal?  Deal.  

He constructed a castle with a fortress using his bunk bed, several boxes, a pole or two (no idea where he found those) and several sheets and blankets. He had a secret passageway to enter and exit.  It was cool, but it took up the majority of his room.  I thought I'd let him keep it a day or two and ask him to take it down.  Then I thought about how short of a time he will be a boy.  I thought of how quickly the years pass by without me seeming to notice.  I left it alone.  He had it up for weeks.

He took it down today to help me clean and reorganize his room, but he is armed with even more boxes and blankets.  I helped him collect them this time.  See, he wanted to build a larger fortress, so he wanted some things cleaned and taken out of his room.  I can't wait to see what the next one will look like.  

As I thought about this messy process of constructing a place of refuge, I thought about a refuge that can not be built with boxes and blankets. One that instead comes from God through the death and resurrection of His own son. One that was also a messy process.   One that is built right inside of my own heart.

Proverbs 14:26
Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.

Yes, I do stand in awe and reverential fear of my Lord, and He is indeed a refuge for my family and me.

Boxes and blankets make a pretty good fortress. But they will one day fail as the boxes become weak and the blankets fall leaving openings in the walls.  But the fortress of the Lord will never fail. Whatever may come against our walls, our hearts are covered completely by His hand.  

Build away little buddy, and I pray you will come to understand more about the one who builds that fortress right inside your heart.

April is National Poetry Month.   I thought it apropos to write a little  poem for my last little guy.


Building Castles

Build your castle here
Make it strong
Impenetrable
Store all that you hold dear
Inside its walls
Yes, build your castle here

Secure your fortress well
Shield your entries
Exits
Keep out creatures from hell
Scratching and clawing
Yes, secure your fortress well

A mess before completion
Taking up space
Cluttering
The room completely
Is it done
Yes, a mess before completion

A finished work well made
Secure and safe
Secret
A strong, secure blockade
From your enemies
Yes, a finished work well made

Do you feel safe inside
No more afraid
Brave
A haven where you hide
From the shadows
Tell me, do you feel safe inside

You'll be a man one day
No more boxes
Blankets
No more time to play
With pretend fortresses
Yes, you'll be a man one day

Allow God to replace
All your boxes
Blankets
Let Him take up space and
Keep you safe
Yes, Allow God to replace

Build your castle here
Inside your heart
Spirit
Store all that you hold dear
Inside its walls
Yes, build your castle here

Thanks for reading