Sharing the Easter story with Children...through cookies!

The Easter Story Cookies

To be made the evening before Easter.

You need:

1 cup whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon

tape

A Bible

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. This is important! Don't wait until you'rehalf done with the recipe!

2) Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

3) Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

4) Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

5) Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest 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.

6) Add 1 cup 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 Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaksare formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

7) Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

8) Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain thatJesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

NOW GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

9) On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9

*My MIL emailed this to me this morning. I haven't attempted the cookies, myself, but, the chemistry seems right :) What a precious idea for your older children who love to help out in the kitchen. I can't wait to try this with Ava someday!*

Growth

The "things" in our yard continue to grow. Still no idea what they are... but, it will be exciting to finally see for ourselves. I'm leaning toward daffodils now. Every day Ava and I walk to the fence line to check the situation.

There's other growth going on around here, as well. In the next day or two I'm hoping to post about the women's retreat I attended last weekend - "Proclamation!". I was so challenged with how much (or how little) I share Christ with people. I'll be giving you some points from our speakers sessions and I'm eager for your ideas and input on how you share Christ with a lost world.

And, besides the two above mentioned items...
Ava is changing and growing, my marriage is changing and growing, our ministry is changing and growing. Spring has sprung indeed! So much to write about... but so little time to just live it.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Wow, now that Monday is almost over....

The weather in my neck of the woods: SUNNY and warming up! I heard a rumor of maybe getting to 80 this week!

One of my simple pleasures: washing and folding laundry... I love making things clean!

On my bedside table: Little Women, still.

On my TV: My hubby asked if we could finish "Pride and Prejudice" tonight...so, yea!

On the menu for tonight: We had a youth leaders dinner/meeting - so, lasagna, salad, baked ravioli with marinara sauce, brushetta and...orea bon-bons! Yea, we are never short on food on these nights! (Thank you Jessamyn, Amalie & Terase!)

On my To Do List: Finish Laundry leftover from today, finish trim in kitchen, finish tax prep (uuughhh)

New Recipe I tried last week: White Chili

In the craft basket: Not one thing. Tho, I will be making the Easter baskets in the next few days :)

Looking forward to: The park tomorrow morning with friends and their kiddos!

Homemaking Tip for this week: Wood Soap cleans MORE then wood... and it smells so good! Today I scrubbed down my white trash can with it - and it was sparkling clean and made the house smell wonderful!

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): "mmmm" really caught my attention today! See why for yourself. I think I gained 5 pounds just reading! Amy - keep those recipes coming!

Favorite photo from last week:

Ava loves all things animal, and the neighbors dog is no exception!

Lesson learned the past few days: Parenting cannot be done without the Lord. 'nuff said.

On my Prayer List: Friends battling with marital issues, those who have lost precious babies... and little baby Rilyn Mason Vrooman born last week - recovering from surgery.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses: I'm reading through "Idols of the Heart" with my friend Jessie...so challenging about what we worship.

Just when you think you've got it alllll figured out

Hmph! Whiiiiiine. Scowl. Kick. Whiiiiiine more. Flail. Screeeeech. Shall I continue?

This has been my daughters behavior the last few days. And, to be totally honest... I hate it. I hate seeing sin pour out of my little one and dispise the fact that I feel like I am just one big giant disciplining machine. I want to be the "rocking mommy" that holds her and loves her. I want to be the "read me a book" mommy or the "tickle me" mommy, NOT the... "do you need ANOTHER spanking" mommy. {insert sad face}

The thing is... I knew it was coming. I knew the food throwing, screeching in church nursery, causing self to go limp in public while melting down was all coming. But, in the back of my heart I had a teeny tiny notion that maybe... it wouldn't. Some kids just don't have that stage. As a preschool teacher - I saw quite a few who didn't... at least, at school. ;)

So, enter the next stage of life. Toddler-hood. {applause, applause}

Every time I look at her this thought comes to mind.... "I can discipline now and have her be angry at me now but love me later for it, or, I can avoid discipline now, have her love me now and HATE me later". Sound biblical? It is. Now I just need that knowledge to make its way to my heart. Especially today.

(that is not my kiddo... for the record... our pics would never look so nice)

This could go either way...

In just a few hours I am heading out for a women's retreat - put on by our church. This years theme is...

Do you see what the topic is? "Proclamation!" - or, to say it another way, EVANGELISM. What is my deal with feeling a nervous lump form in the back of my throat? It's been building the last few hours as the clock ticks closer to arrival time. I've even felt sweaty palms and freezing cold feet off and on just thinking about it.

Want to hear a confession? While I'm passionate about my Jesus and my walk with Him... sometimes sharing Him with a lost world that will probably reject the message or possibly even redicule me has always been tough. There I said it. Truth be told - God already knows this about me, and I am pretty sure thats why my nerves are slightly on end and I feel my defenses going up. He knows my selfishness and pride that more often then not take the place of tackling an opportunity. Don't get me wrong - I'm open to sharing, I want to share and I know its part of my high calling... I'm just learning to get over myself and care more for what GOD thinks, not man. Gasp! I've always been accused of being, "too honest".

So, this weekend could go either way. I'm silently pleading with the Lord to really challenge me and TEACH me, to remove distractions (aka: my sick-at-home hubby taking care of our child alone) and show me how to really LOVE people. It's been too long since I've led someone to the Lord - to my shame, and... I want to dig my heels in for Christ and be bold for Him! I have a street full of neighbors who NEED this truth, family members who need it, teens in the youth group who need it...

I am so thankful for my relationship with the all-knowing KING of KINGS. I'm thankful that He knows and understands me and little by little tears down my walls and defenses - rendering me totally and wonderfully dependant on Him. And I'm thankful for these reminders...

Psalm 56:11
"In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?"

Romans 8:31-39

31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Save the Drama...

For your momma...!

Oh wait, she does. :)

I {heart} Target

Did you get your FREE pastry from Starbucks this morning? I love free...especially when it involves a certain crumble topped blueberry muffin. :) Now that I'm completely over my calorie count for the day...

I really enjoy Target. I almost always find amazing deals on things I need... and, almost always walk out with something I wasn't planning to buy...but did. I know that's not the best model for saving money - but, I will say, its usually always something we WILL need eventually. See, I can justify anything! Today was no exception. Wanna see?

I found an adorable pair of lined blue pants for Ava... for $1.75! That's less then some of the things at our local Salvation Army! They had two pair of 24 month pants left and I snatched one for this winter. Score! They really are cute - Here's an attempted pic.

A few rows later I came upon an overwhelming display of super discounted granola/trail mix bars. I didn't think anything of it until I saw that famous orange sticker. Upon closer inpsection (and a double take) I saw the price... .48! So, I grabbed several boxes. These "trial size" bars are perfect for hubby's lunch, afternoon snacks or breakfast on the run. And, at under .50/box - we can do that!
Besides these "extra's" I found along the way - I managed to find a birthday gift (a GOOD one) for under $5 for my niece - which, was the point of heading to Target. I can always find a deal! This challenge of finding deals has become a little addicting to me. :)

Otherwise in life - playgroup was today at church. Ava always enjoys hanging out with the guys. And by guys, I'm being literal. She's always outnumbered and today was no exception. Look at how cute these kids are...

They piled themselves into these cubbies without our prompting. :)
This is the future! :)