Resurrection Cookies

Easter will be here in just a few days and I'm looking forward to making resurrection cookies with Eli... a tradition that I plan to start this year with my family and continue until my son (and children to come) are grown. Since I haven't actually made them yet, I don't have any photos to share, but I thought I'd post the recipe incase any of you would like to try it this weekend with your little ones.

What you'll need:

3 egg whites

1 cup whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

A pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Zipper baggie

Wooden spoon

Tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Make sure you preheat! This recipe will not work if you wait until halfway through the recipe to turn the oven on.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let your children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into little pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest off into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form (anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes). Explain that the color white represents purity in God's eyes for those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that the mounds represent the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matthew 27:65-66

Go to Bed. Explain that just like they may be sad to have to leave the cookies in the oven overnight, Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22

On resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! (or at least they should be). On the morning that Jesus was resurrected, His followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 28:1-9

He has Risen! Praise the Lord!

The Heart Of A Little Man

I love being a stay at home mom. I mean, I really love it. I love watching Elijah as he consistently learns new things. I love seeing his face light up when he knows he's done something that makes me happy. I love watching him explore and discover. This love brought me to today's blog. It's a little different than my usual post, but I wanted to share my heart with you.

Genesis 1:7 tells us that God has created us in His image. Since none of us can actually be God in His entirety, He has created each of us to play our separate roles. By looking at His creation as a whole, we get a glimpse of His depth. I love seeing the differences in men and women. I know many think I'm old fashioned, but I firmly believe that God created men for specific purposes and He created women for specific purposes and gave us certain characteristics that aid us for those purposes. For example, men always feel the need to provide for their families and to protect. Women feel the need to nurture and nest. This also plays into the whole men being logical and women being emotional deal. When we live out the calling that God has placed on our lives, it results in true beauty. In the book Created To Be His Help Meet, Debi Pearl so perfectly states that:

"If you are a wife, you were created to fill a need, and in that capacity you are a "good thing," a helper suited to the needs of a man. This is how God created you and it is your purpose for existing. You are, by nature, equipped in every way to be your man's helper. You are inferior to none as long as you function within your created nature, for no man can do your job, and no man is complete without his wife. You were created to make him complete, not to seek personal fulfillment parallel to him. A woman trying to function like a man is as ridiculous as a man trying to be like a woman. A unisex society is a senseless society - a society dangerously out of order."

I find so much joy in being a help meet to my husband and have been so blessed to be able to stay at home doing what I can to assist him in being the man God created him to be and raising our son to have the same beliefs. John Elderedge states that "In the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue," in his book Wild at Heart. In the days that I spend with my precious boy, I can already see these core desires taking root in his little heart and it makes me smile.

Being the loving mommy that I am, I of course want to give my son the desires of his heart, so today I made Elijah his own fort... an adventure to live:

He loved it!

Afterwards, we shared an ice cream sandwich...

It has been a good day.

Let The Good Times Roll

Today's fun activities for Eli:

Besides going to Starkey Park for our play date which was so much fun that it was followed by a 3 1/2 hour nap (yes, yes... I love Tuesdays ;) I gave the little man some things to explore and discover. He loves going through the kitchen cabinets... particularly the ones that contain tupperware or pots and pans... so I put toys in each individual pot and pan for him to find. It kept him entertained for quite a while and I was able to get some cleaning done =)

Things I'm looking forward to:

Eli's little buddy Lennon is having his first birthday party this Saturday! Watching the little ones interact always brings a smile to face and Lennon's mommy is one of the sweetest women I know.

Also, I'm looking forward to seeing my in-laws on Thursday. I know, those words generally aren't all found in the same sentence but God truly blessed me by allowing me to marry into one of the greatest families ever. I love them like my own flesh and blood.

Words that keep going through my head:

"What can these poor hands lay at the feet of a king?" from the song You Are Good by Nicole Nordeman

Some things I did today to be a help meet to my man:

Cliff called me after work when he was close to home to tell me that he had a horrible day, was suffering from an intense headache, had lots of work to do when he got home, and was starving. I usually do not start making dinner until he gets home because a.) I never know how late he's going to be and b.) he hates reheated food/leftovers. So I quickly tidied up his desk, placed two Advil (is that plural or is it Advils??) next to a glass of water in the middle of his clean work space, and quickly whipped up some grub which was ready shortly after he walked through the door.

Later on, while he was working diligently to provide for our family, he sweetly asked if I would just throw a cup of water in the microwave so he could make himself some instant coffee. He was trying to be nice and not ask for something that would take much time away from whatever I was in the middle of doing. Instead, I made him a cup of his favorite tea. It made him smile, which made my heart happy. Sometimes it's the little things.

Scripture verse:

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." ~Proverbs 17:22

Things I am thankful for:

1. God is so good and always provides. While we shouldn't be able to make our bills, somehow we always get by.

2. I seriously have the most amazing family and I love them so much!

3. My mac. I know it sounds ridiculous and possibly shallow to say, but I seriously love it and hope I never have to go back to using a pc. Ever. (Plus I know that this comment will score major points with my hubby, lol)

4. The glorious weather we've been having. I don't want it to ever leave.

5. Serving a God that cares about the smallest details of my life.

6. The comfort of p.j.'s and fuzzy socks.

Moments that made me smile:

1. Maybe I'm the only one that does this, but sometimes I just have these times when I think to myself: "Oh my goodness, I am SUCH a mom!" Like it's some huge revelation. I had one of those today as I was making Cliff's salad for lunch tomorrow. When I make salads for Cliff or myself, I usually leave the skin on the cucumbers to add some crunch (and vitamins) and I cut them into bigger chunks. When I cut them for Eli I always take the skin off and cut them into tiny little pieces. After being lost in my own thoughts, I came to the realization that I had cut up the cucumber as if I was making food for my son. Because being a mom has become so natural to me. It amazes me that I am where I am today... when just over a year ago I was struggling to make the transition from being a selfish individual to being a selfless mother.

2. A friend of mine mentioned that if you go to Starbucks today, you get a free pastry with the purchase of a coffee. I had been craving a good cup o' joe and hate to pass up freebies, so I headed down to the local Starbucks where I was informed that the freebie deal ended at 11 am. It was 5 pm. Fortunately for me, the kind barista gave it to me anyway. Good times =)

Break This Big Old Heart

With dull grey skies and the calming sound of rain falling, today was definitely a day I did not want to get out of bed. Especially since all of us are battling colds. But nevertheless, I was out of bed early to get myself and my boys ready for church. After all these years of knowing my husband, I had the opportunity to listen to him formally teach for the first time during this morning's service. I couldn't help but be the proud, admiring wife. There's something very attractive about a man that knows the word of God :)

We enjoyed a relaxing and incredibly lazy afternoon, complete with food I love but should not be eating. I even got a nice, long nap with Eli and Cliff, followed by some cuddles from my smiley little bug...

He makes my heart feel so big!

I've had the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong stuck in my head for over a week now:

"Heal my heart and make it clean.. open up my eyes to the things unseen... show me how to love like You have loved me... break my heart for what breaks Yours... everything I am for Your kingdom's cause... as I walk from earth into eternity."

Every time I hear that part of the song, it speaks powerfully to me. Lately I keep feeling like God is preparing me for something... what it is I'm not sure yet, but I'm excited to see what He has in store!