Quieting My Heart: The Most Treasured Gifts

"In the moment

of realizing your limitations,

your shortcomings,

your inescapable sins,

all that you aren't -

in that moment

of surrendered lack,

you're given the gift

you'd receive no other way:

the gracious hand

of an unlimited God."

(Ann Voskamp)

A sacred place

of surrender -

over and over again,

on these busy days

of Christmas,

and everyday ...

today, this day -

realizing my need,

and receiving

the gift of Him ...

unlimited grace,

unending love.

The most

treasured gifts

of all.

⠀

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Scones

Last week I spent some time in the kitchen baking some breakfast items for when our family will be home for Christmas! It's important for me to plan ahead, and put as much as I can in the freezer for the days ahead. 

I tried out this new recipe of Chocolate Chip Cranberry Scones, and also made a recipe that I found a few years ago ... Pumpkin Spice Scones. I love scones, and they are easy to make, and also freeze well. 

Scones are also great to serve for just one or two ... and having them in the freezer works well as you can just pull them out one at a time, and heat up in the microwave. 

Click on the "Source" link under the photo (below), to print recipe ...

Chocolate Chip-Cranberry Scones

Source: tasteofhome.com

Course: Breakfast

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

Yield: 12 servings

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₄ cup cold butter
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¹⁄₂ cup dried cranberries
• ¹⁄₂ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Directions Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk the first six ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk yogurt and egg yolk; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Stir in cranberries and chocolate chips.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 10 times. Pat dough into an 8-in. circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
3. Freeze option: Freeze cooled scones in resealable plastic freezer bags. To use, thaw at room temperature or, if desired, microwave each scone on high for 20-30 seconds or until heated through.
4. Yield: 1 dozen.

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Quieting My Heart: The Most Important Thing

Maybe
in the midst of these
full and wonderful days
of Christmas,
our most productive thing
is to pause, 
and to be still.
⠀

For in pausing -⠀
letting our souls catch up⠀
and be refreshed -⠀
we find what ⠀
we all long for.⠀

⠀

And in our pausing,⠀

our eyes are opened⠀

to the beauty⠀

and the peace that⠀

He came to give us.⠀

⠀

“For it is in⠀

filling up with Your love⠀

in times of stillness⠀

that my capacity⠀

to give love away⠀

increases.”⠀

(Shelly Miller)⠀

⠀

Filled up, to give away -⠀

the gift of His Presence,⠀

enabling us to be ⠀

a gift to others.⠀

(free photo from pixabay)

Cranberry Gelatin Salad

This recipe has been in my collection for quite a few years, but I have never posted it here. Often my days are so full around the holidays, that I don't have the time to post some of my favorites.

I've used this jello salad for both Thanksgiving, and also Christmas. This year I made it for Thanksgiving, and I was reminded how easy and good it is. Sharing it here for my own records, and also in case, you are looking for a recipe like this to use for Christmas!

Click on the "Source" link under the photo (below) to print recipe.


Cranberry Gelatin Salad

Source: tasteofhome.com

Course: Salads

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 10 min

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 6 oz. pkg. cherry gelatin
• 1-¹⁄₂ cups boiling water
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple undrained
• 1 16 oz. can whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1-¹⁄₂ cups seedless red grapes halved
• ¹⁄₄ cup pecans chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in water. Stir in pineapple and cranberry sauce.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in grapes and pecans, and pour into a 2-qt. serving bowl.
4. Refrigerate until firm.
5. Yield: 8-10 servings.

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Welcoming December: Christmas Peace

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... I love this season! There are so very many, many things I love about this season. And as a wife, mom, grama, and friend, my heart is full and overflowing throughout this season.

But, as is also true for most everyone else, this season can also become stressful at times for me. This stress hit me quite unexpectedly the first day of November this year, as I realized all the many things that I needed to do to prepare for Christmas. This undercurrent of stress stuck with me for a few days ... and then God, in His mercy, lifted my heart! 

Can I share my heart, and offer some thoughts, some perspective? 

Just maybe this will be encouraging to you, as well?

In the midst of the busy days, and the full calendars, and so many things to do during this Christmas season ... we can have P-E-A-C-E. And also HOPE, LOVE, and JOY! All traditional themes of Advent! 

The one of these that has calmed my heart as I prepare for this beautiful and wonderful season ... is P-E-A-C-E.

True PEACE ... is the presence of Jesus. 

Is there really any other real, lasting peace? This peace can fill our hearts and our minds, even in busy times - and also as we live in this world of unrest.

But how do we experience this Peace daily?

This is the perspective I needed, and the reminder that God flooded my heart with the beginning of November. It's really quite simple. So simple that we can miss it. And it's really quite familiar to us who follow Jesus ... but maybe we need to be reminded. Often. Daily. Each moment. Today.

Read it slowly, thoughtfully, even as a prayer ...

Don't worry about anything;

instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need,

and thank Him for all He has done.

Then you will experience God's peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6-7)

Let me share the following words from my journal, dated near the beginning of November as I recorded what God, in His love, impressed on my heart ...

"My dear daughter, I know you have so many things on your mind, so many things to do and care for as the holidays come. Not only with holiday prep, but with Cru, helping Gary, and connections you desire to have with family and friends. But I want you to bring everything to Me, each day. Let each day be about 'you and Me'. Not about your tasks. But about walking so close to Me, and letting Me care for your needs."

Pray about everything = talk with Him about everything!

As we talk with Him about everything, even the very smallest and seemingly insignificant things (what to do next on a busy day, which gift to purchase, how we can encourage someone, etc.) ... we invite Him into our days and our moments. And His Presence brings peace, for He is P-E-A-C-E.

And now, at the beginning of December ...

I'm thanking Him for His many gifts! Most of all, for His Presence - peace, hope, love, and joy ... the best of gifts! And also for the unexpected blessings of having my Christmas gift shopping nearly completed now, for our big Cru end-of-year mailing all ready to mail today, for many sweet connections with family and friends these past weeks, and for strength in the multitude of daily tasks and responsibilities. 

And I pray the same for you ... that as we talk with Him about everything, we will experience His Presence, and His Peace throughout this Christmas season!

Now may the Lord of Peace Himself

give you His peace

at all times and in every situation.

The Lord be with you all.

(II Thessalonians 3:16)

(A little note ... in the midst of all the daily activity of this month, much of my focus will also be on food prep for our Family Christmas - with our dearly-loved family home for Christmas - 24 of us here in all!. As I have the time, I will be posting recipes here during the month, adding to my online collection of "Family Recipes". All the holiday baking/cooking is a fun thing for me to do, and posting the recipes here gives me a lot of joy, and enables me to share the recipes with family and friends.)

(Photo: free photo from Pixabay)