The Amazing Power of God

Daily Truth:  “And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God”  Luke 9:43

 

Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus covered in snow.
Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus covered in snow.

It is amazing how much we rely on electrical power and how much we don’t realize it until we don’t have power. My family had that lesson brought home to us this week. Sunday afternoon, around 12:30 the lights surged on and off twice and then the power was gone. We kept hoping it would be back soon, but as the day wore on we realized that we might be sleeping near the fireplace in the living room – all seven of us. So, we started preparing for what appeared to be the inevitable –  a night without power. My hubs tried to get the generator to work so that we could at least have heat in the house.  No luck. The kids gathered sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals – all the necessities for a warm night.  Pj’s were donned and candles were gathered. The kitchen became a command station of candles, lighters, batteries, flashlights, and games. About seven rounds of dominoes was played by candlelight and a rousing game of hide-and-seek in the dark was enjoyed by the kids. The funny thing was every time one of the kids went into a room inevitably we heard, “I can’t turn the lights on”. I don’t know how many times we heard during the first two hours, “Can we watch a movie or play the Wii?” Finally, they settled and realized we had to make do without all of the things that required power. We survived.  Thirty hours later the power did come on.

This is what 10 inches of snow looks like!
This is what 10 inches of snow looks like!

I will admit we did succumb to the cold and went to a friends house to thaw out and spend the night.  When your house gets down to 41 degrees and you have four layers of clothes on, two sets of gloves, hand warmers, and you can see your breath in the house – it’s time to find a warmer accommodations. But a lesson was learned.  It was amazing to the kids how much we depend on power. The irony is that about a week earlier my oldest made the comment that we could get by without electrical power and that we don’t depend on it that much. She has since changed her mind. A thought occurred to me. We have an unlimited source of power as Christians – our all powerful God.  Yet, how often do we tap into that source of power. In Luke 9:37-45, a father comes to Jesus with a demon possessed child and cries that even the disciples couldn’t cast out the demon. The irony, Jesus had just given the disciples the power to cast out demons (Luke 9:1). Jesus turns to them and calls them “faithless”.  In other words, the disciples had power given to them by Jesus and yet didn’t tap into it. Jesus then turns and cast out the demon, heals the boy, and restores him to his father. ” And they (all that saw the miracle) were all amazed at the mighty power of God” (Luke 9:41). These same people would later be responsible for Jesus death. Lest we fault the disciples, how many times do we – I – neglect to seek Jesus power.  If Jesus has the power over demons, doesn’t He have the power to take care of our needs.

Idea for the week:  What to do with all those Christmas cards?

We gather all the Christmas cards and pictures that we receive and put them in a basket.  Each night we take the card in the front of the basket, pray for that family, and stick their card in the back of the basket.  This continues all year.  It is fun to pray for these families throughout the year.

  Have a powerful week, Rebekah klink

Joy Over One – No – Two!

Daily Truth:  “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”  Luke 15:10

 

To be honest, I woke up this morning not exactly filled with joy that we were starting a new year.  The last two years have held enough sorrow and change in them to last a lifetime for our family. So, I guess the fact that 2014 is filled with a lot of uncertainties (like every year) just didn’t add to the excitement of a new year and new beginning. I also woke up this morning not knowing what in the world I was going to blog about. Since most people use January 1st to resolve to be healthier, I was going to post a healthy granola recipe that we make.  However, I just didn’t feel that was what I was supposed to post. Maybe another time. So, I went down to fix our New Year’s breakfast.  Unbeknownst to me, my oldest son was asking his dad how to get saved. Shortly before breakfast was ready, my 6 year old son, with joy all over his face, explodes out of his dad’s office yelling, “Mom, I just asked Jesus into my heart!” Well, that sent this mom into a flood of tears – tears of complete joy. That wasn’t all. Shortly before we sat down for breakfast, I couldn’t find my 5 year old son so he could help set the table.  He then exploded out of his dad’s office with the same, “Mom I just asked Jesus into my heart!” Once again, this mom was sent into a flood of tears – tears of utter and complete joy. You see, we have been praying really hard that the boys would not only understand their need for a Savior but that they would, on their own, come to one of us and ask us to show them how to be saved.  That is exactly what happened. What was even cooler was that right before Micah talked to his dad, my 7 year old daughter came to me and said that she just prayed that Micah and Sam would get saved this year. Can I tell you what that did for her to see God answer her prayer so quickly? Joy. Complete, fulfilling joy! Friend, if you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about or have never experienced the joy I am describing, will you give me a moment to share with you. 1.  You have to realize that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23). 2.  You must realize that willingly gave His life for your sins (I Timothy 1:15). 3.  You must realize that Christ did not stay dead, but that He rose again (I Corinthians 15:4). 4.  You must realize that there is NOTHING you can do or say that will earn your salvation.  You must believe in faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that it is a free gift (John 3:16). 5.  You must confess your sins and believe that Christ died for you – make it personal (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9). Satan loves to get us to believe that we aren’t worthy of God’s love or that God couldn’t possibly save us based off of our past.  But the wonderful thing about that cross, is that God sees us all the same – sinners in need of a Savior. If you haven’t received Christ as your Savior and experienced this unbelievable joy that only God can give, will you do that today. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, take the time today to thank Him for His gift of salvation and to ask Him to remind you of that joy. Some of my favorite lines come from an old hymn entitled, “Holy, Holy is What the Angels Sing“: Holy, holy, is what the angels sing, And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring; But when I sing redemption’s story, they will fold their wings, For angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings. I know my dad is up there belting out a loud “AMEN” right now. Until next week, Rebekah klink

Jesus: The Greatest of All Gifts

Daily Truth: “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him…they presented unto him gifts; ”  Matthew 2:11

Yesterday, was a flurry of gifts being given, meeting with family, and eating. Christmas Day is always a time of excitement – especially for the kids.  Although, I think my favorite part of Christmas is hearing the kids squeal with delight as they open their gifts. Yet, as we pack up the wrapping paper and some the Christmas decorations (ours stay up well into January – I just can’t bring myself to have the season end so abruptly) let us not forget the greatest gift every given.  The gift of Jesus Christ. Call me prejudice, but my oldest daughter wrote this poem and it sums up my thoughts quite precisely.

The Greatest Gift

The Greatest Gift didn’t come in a giant box,                                                                                      It came in a manger where animals eat.

The Greatest Gift didn’t come in nice read and green wrapping paper,                                          It came wrapped in filthy rags. 

The Greatest Gift didn’t come with a large bow,                                                                                  It came lying in animal-eaten hay.                                                                                                          

The Greatest Gift wasn’t placed in a palace for nobles to view,                                                        It was placed in a barn, as perfect as it was, viewed by common shepherds. 

But the Greatest Gift is a Holy one                                                                                                      Sent from our Father to us.

Until next week and may you have the best of time with family and friends,

Rebekah

klink

 

Too Busy To Be Still

Daily Truth: “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalms 46:10

 

I don’t know about you but this is such a busy time of year!  Now we are exactly one week from Christmas!!  Agghhh!

Ok – calm down!

Add to all the hustle and bustle of the season, one of my little men has a birthday exactly a week before Christmas!

Talk about busy.  We all are experiencing it.  Christmas programs, school programs, gift buying, food preparing, present wrapping, parties, and the list goes on and on.

Every year I say to my husband, “Next year I am NOT going to be so busy at Christmas time”.  And every year – it’s busy.

I think as mom’s it’s even harder to just sit back and enjoy the season.  We want to be the best mom ever and meet the needs of all our family members and make this the “Christmas of the year”.

This week I was reminded of Mary, Jesus’s mother.  In Luke 2 it says, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

Now “these things” refers to the shepherds and their news of the angels.

The word ponder means “to consider something deeply, thoroughly; meditate”.

Mary meditated on “these things”.  Yet, somehow I think she meditated not only on what happened in Luke 2 with the shepherds and the angels but also on all the events that had transpired bringing her to this point.

Let’s think on Mary for a moment.

First, she is told by an angel that she is going to have baby. Yet, she will remain a virgin.  Oh, and by the way, you are carrying the Messiah – the Savior of your people.

Secondly, her aged cousin Elizabeth is pregnant and her baby immediately sensed in utero that Mary’s baby was special.

Thirdly, Joseph is visited by an angel and told to take Mary as his wife and not to be afraid. Especially amazing considering that stoning is the custom for an unwed mother at that time.

Fourth, they travel to Bethlehem from Nazareth.  No small journey for a pregnant women near her due date on a donkey.  It was roughly 80 miles or about 1 week journey.

Fifth, she delivers her baby safely in a stable.  Not her first choice I am sure.

Sixth,  she is visited by shepherds that tell her a host of angels came to them and told them where to find Joseph, her, and her new baby.

Never mind that she had no idea that King Herod was determined to kill her new baby or that wise men would follow a star to find her babe.

Neither did she have any idea of all the events that would encompass her baby when He became a man.

Neither could she see the road to Calvary that He would have to travel.

Neither could she see the cross that her sweet child would hang on to die for the sins of mankind.

Neither could she see the tomb that would conquer death.

Yet, here she sat and pondered, meditated, thought on all that had transpired so far.

I am sure she was exhausted, overwhelmed, emotional.  Yet, she meditated on ALL the events.

Don’t we get exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotional this time of year.  Part of it is because we are so busy.  However, we need to look at the example Mary set and take time to ponder, meditate, think on the reason we have Christmas.

It’s not the presents.

It’s not the food, the parties, the programs.

It’s not even the family time.

It’s because God became man so that we could one day live eternally with Him.

That’s reason enough to ponder all these things in our hearts.

Until next week,

Rebekah

klink

The Christmas Tree Gospel

Daily Truth: ” And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12

 

  Almost every home has some sort of Christmas tree in it this time of year.  Did you ever stop to think how the Christmas tree can be a vivid representation of the Gospel? The Christmas Tree has a LONG history behind it, but I won’t go into that.  Instead I want to show you how you can use your Christmas tree to teach your children about the true meaning of Christmas. 1.  The Christmas Tree is “ever”green.  God is everlasting.  (Psalms 90:2) His mercy is everlasting (Psalms 103:17).  One day He will set up an everlasting kingdom. (Micah 5:2) 2.  The Christmas Tree points to God – The top of the tree comes to point, directing our eyes to the Heavens.  God is the creator of all (Psalms 19:1) and is in Heaven preparing a place for all those who know Him as Savior (John 14:2). 3.  The Star – The star at the top of the tree reminds us of the star that shown over Bethlehem directing the wise men to the Christ child. (Matthew 2:1-3) 4.  The Angel – Some put an angel on the top of the tree reminding them of the angels that told the good news of the Saviors birth to the shepherds.  (Luke 2:8-17) 5.  The Christmas Tree lights. God is the light of the world. (John 8:12)  God’s Word is a light to those who are in the darkness of their sin. (II Corinthians 4:4) When we know Christ as our personal Savior, His Word lights our pathway. (Psalms 119:105)  We are then to be a light to those around us directing them to Christ by our lives (Philippians 2:15) 6.  The Red Ribbon – The red ribbon reminds us of Christ blood shed for our sins.  (Hebrews 9:22) 7.  The Grapevine Garland – On our Christmas tree, I put a grapevine garland down the center of the tree to remind us that Christ’s ultimate purpose of being born was to die for our sins.  The grapevine symbolizes the crown of the thorns that were placed on Christ when he was crucified.  (Matthew 27:29) 8.  The Gifts – The gifts remind us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. (Matthew 2:11) They are also a reminder of the ultimate gift – God’s gift of salvation to all who will receive it.(John 3:16) 9.  The Ornaments – The ornaments remind us of the jewels in a kingly crown.  One day Christ will be crowned King of Kings (Revelation 17:14) for He alone is worthy. (Revelation 5:12).  One day every knee will bow, confessing that He is Lord of all. (Philippians 2:9-11) As we get closer to Christmas Day, let us take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Until next week, Rebekah klink

Sweet Christmas Treats for Little Hands

Daily Truth:  “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalms 119:103

Sweets, sweets, and more sweets!  It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving has past, the Christmas trees are up (actually they have been since the beginning of November), and the outside lights are up.  The parties start up this weekend which meant some baking needed to be done last weekend. Baking is NOT my thing for three reasons: 1.  My cookies rarely come out like the pics. (Those are NOT my cookies pictured above!) 2.  The mess, mess, mess, mess ,mess! 3.  Sweets are almost more temptation than I can handle! However, I do it for the kids.  I am going to give you three recipes that we like and the kids REALLY enjoy making. Our favorite sweet treat recipe are homemade mints.  These get made by the dozens and are handed out to our neighbors, teachers, and brought to parties every year.

photo 1 (8)

Homemade Mints

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese

10 cups of powdered sugar

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

coffee, mint, or whatever flavor you want.

Mix the cream cheese in a mixer.  Slowly add the sugar one cup at a time. By 8 cups the mixture should be able to form balls easily without crumbling.  If this is the case – don’t add anymore sugar.  Add the flavoring of your choice.  Mix.

Lay wax paper on a table.  Take the mixture and form into 1 inch balls.  (This is where the kids come in.  They think it’s like playing with play dough.) Place the balls on the wax paper.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate.  Pour the melted chocolate over the balls.  Let the chocolate harden.  Place in small cupcake holders, place in a freezer container, and freeze until ready to use.

photo 2 (8)

Side note:  We used white chocolate with coffee flavoring for one set of mints.  Andes mints are another option.  You can also sprinkle crushed candy cane on the balls AFTER you pour the chocolate.

This next recipe is a little more involved but well worth it!

photo 3 (6)

Truffles

1 cake mix (your choice of flavor)

1 can of frosting

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

1 bag of milk chocolate chips.

Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.  Let it cool COMPLETELY.  Break the cake into pieces and throw in a mixer.  Add the can of frosting.  Mix until the cake and frosting are well incorporated.

Lay wax paper on a flat surface.  Take the mix and roll into 1 inch balls and place on wax paper. (Hint:  Have a bowl of water near by to dip your hands in.  Wet hands work better in making these balls.)

Once the balls are made, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Pour the melted chocolate over the balls.  Let the chocolate harden.  Place balls in mini cupcake holders, place in a freezer container, and freeze until ready to use.

Side Note:  We have used peanut butter chips with chocolate cake, red velvet cake with white chocolate chips, etc.  The flavors and varieties are as endless as the choices of batter and frostings!

Like so many families, we are starting to go gluten free due to one of my kiddos.  So, I found this gluten free sugar cookie mix.

photo (29)

GF Cookie Dough

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 c butter cut into small pieces

3 oz of cream cheese

2 3/4 c of white rice flour

2 eggs

2 tsp of vanilla

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1.  In a food processor add sugars, butter, cream cheese, and 1 c of flour.  Process until mixture is crumbly.

2.  Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.

3.  Put in a bowl, cover, and chill for an hour.

Roll out and make cookies to your hearts content. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Frosting:  I made the butter cream frosting on the back of a Hershey’s cocoa container, melted it enough so that I could drizzle it on the cookies, and sprinkled crushed candy cane on the chocolate.

Side note: I added peppermint flavoring in the cookies.

Let us not forget, as we go into this Christmas season, to crave the sweet words of the Bible as much as we crave the sweet treats we make with our kiddos.

Until next week,

klink

Rebekah

 

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord

Daily Truth: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever”.  Psalms 136:1

 

 

Here are some verses to help us remember why we should give thanks not only on Thanksgiving Day but everyday.  

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.”   I Chronicles 16:34-35

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”  I Chronicles 16:8

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.” Psalms 26:7

“Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”  Psalms 30:4

“To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”  Psalms 30:12

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” Psalms 69:30

“Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.”  Pslams 75:1

“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”  Psalms 79:13

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High”  Psalms 92:1

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”  Psalms 100:4

“Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”  Psalms 106:1

“And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing”  Psalms 107:22

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalms 116:17

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  I Corinthians 15:57

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”  II Corinthians 2:14

“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.”  II Corinthians 9:11

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”  II Corinthians 9:15

“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,”  Colossians 1:3

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”  Colossians 3:17

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  I Thessalonians 5:18

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”  Hebrews 13:15

“Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”  Revelations 11:17

May I encourage you to read Psalms 136 and just really soak in the power of our God to whom we give all thanks.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving,

Rebekah

klink

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Blessings

Daily Truth:   “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”

2 Corinthians 9:11

the_first_thanksgiving[1]

That first Thanksgiving was filled with great joy.  The Pilgrims had suffered adverse conditions on both water and land.  The Native Americans had helped the Pilgrims in numerable ways.  A celebration was in order.  A celebration which lasted three days shows their great thankfulness and the great abundance of food that was produced.

Two books that not only share facts but highlight God’s working in both the Pilgrims and Native Americans lives are:

Thanksgiving:  A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey

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Squanto:  And the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes

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Listed are just a few of the miracles from these two books so you can see the hand of God in this celebration we call Thanksgiving.

  • Due to repairs needed on the ship, Speedwell, the passenger list was cut in half. “William Bradford commented, ‘And thus like Gideon’s army, this small number is divided, as if the Lord by this work of his providence thought these few were too many for the great work we had to do.”‘
  • One of the storms on the the sea raged for days.  “Without warning one of the huge crossbeams supporting the main deck suddenly cracked due to the constant stress of the high winds.  Now the sailors were as worried as the passengers.  But as always the Pilgrims took their concerns and fears to God, asking Him to deliver them and provide a way of escape.  Their spiritual leader, William Brewster, remembered the large iron jack screw the Pilgrims had brought for lifting heavy beams when they would begin their building construction…The sailors used this to crank up the beam to its original position.  The Pilgrims gave God the praise.”
  • ” One man, a servant of John Carver named John Howland, became frantic after being cooped up so long during the storm. Though the worst of the storm was over, the main deck was still no place for passengers…He disobeyed the captain’s orders and went up on deck…..Suddenly the ship heeled and John fell overboard…A rope was trailing over the side of the ship, and by God’s amazing grace it was there when John reached out.”
  • Many years before the Pilgrims landed in the New World a group of white men landed there.  A young boy named Squanto, a part of the tribe called the Patuxets, lived along the coast of what today is called Massachusetts.  Squanto was taken, along with many of his friends, by these men back to Spain to be sold into slavery.  Squanto watched as his friends were sold and never to be seen again.  “But God had another plan for Squanto.  On the dock that morning stood a group men who were different from the others.  These were called monks, and they served God.  When it was Squanto’s time to be sold, one of the monks held up a small bag of heavy coins” and purchased him.  They were kind and taught him about God.
  • “They knew he missed his family so the tried to help him find a way to go back home to America.  Finally, they came upon a good plan.  But first, Squanto would have to travel all the way to England.  That is where trading ships were that sometimes sailed to America….so Squanto traveled to England…the monks had sent him to the home of a London merchant named John Slanie.”
  • It was ten years from Squanto’s capture before he finally was able to go home.  By this time he had learned the English language.

Though it took several years for Squanto to get back to America he had learned about God and the English language.  When the Pilgrims arrived in America the Native Americans greeted them.  Since Squanto knew English he helped them in many ways.

God’s providence is seen throughout history.  Not only in history that we read from a book but in the history of each person.

As you celebrate and count your blessings remember those who came before you and those who will come after you.  Each person has struggles, hardships, joys and blessings. When God is sought in every situation God always shows Himself faithful.  Our timing is not God’s timing so waiting is part of the process.  We need to pray and allow God to work and show Himself faithful to us and our families.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo Johnson

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Hanukkah on Thanksgiving

Daily Truth:  “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.”  John 10:22

 

Hanukkah on Thanksgiving?  I know,  a little bit of a different title.  I will explain but you will have to indulge me in some “factoid” information.

A rare occurrence is happening this Thanksgiving.   The second day of Hanukkah is on Thanksgiving for the first time in 125 years and it will be another roughly 77,800 years before this happens again.

(Another side note:  a comet is also supposed to be passing by earth on Thanksgiving morning and it is one of my dear friend’s birthday.  Exciting day!!!)

I love history and learning about different holidays.  So, when I found out that little tidbit of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving there was no way I was going to let this great opportunity pass without some sort of acknowledgement.

I am not Jewish and the most I knew about Hanukkah was from watching “Fiddler on the Roof“.  So, I did a little research and this what I discovered in a nutshell.

History of Hanukkah

About 160 years before the birth of Christ, King Antiochus IV destroyed the temple and was set on destroying the Jewish race.  A small band of Jewish soldiers fought the king’s army and against all odds defeated it.  The Jews reclaimed the temple.

The temple was in shambles.  So, the people restored the temple.  When they went to light the menorah, there was only enough pure oil to burn for one day.  However, according to Jewish tradition, the oil miraculously burned for 8 days.  This was long enough for more oil to be prepared.

Hanukkah is a celebration of the rededication of the temple and God’s protection of His people. Hanukkah is sometimes called “The Festival of Lights” or “The Feast of Dedication” (see John 10:22 above).

My hubs and I wanted to use this unique holiday combination to remind our children how God takes care of His children.  So, we are going to give them a little taste of Hanukkah starting on Thanksgiving Day and carry it over to the next day.

Here is what you are going to need.

1.  A Menorah (or you could use 9 candlesticks lined up in a row).

2.  A Dreidel

3.  Hannukah gelt

4.  Potatoes and oil

5.  Candles

The Menorah – There are 9 branches to the menorah.  The tallest branch is the servant photo 1 (7)candle.  This candle will light all the others.  The number of candles lit coincides with the day of Hanukkah.  Day 1 you light one candle, day 2 two candles, etc.  The candles are lit alternating right and left side and are lit 30 minutes after nightfall. A blessing is then said.

 

 

 

photo 3 (5)Dreidel – The Dreidel is a 4 sided top that is used in a children’s game.  This is done to remember the children who were forced to study the Torah “underground” during the time of Antiochus IV rule.  The children would study the Torah in the forest and when soldiers would come upon them, they would hide the Torah and pull out their dreidel’s and start playing.

 

 

The best way to see how to play the Dreidel is to google it on the website.  You will need the photo 2 (7)Hanukkah gelt which is the chocolate gold coins for this game.

 

 

 

 

 

Latkes – Latkes are basically potato pancakes fried in oil and served with applesauce.  Once again, there are a gazillion recipes on how to make Latkes for Hannukah.  Just google “Latkes” and you will have your fair share of choice recipes.

Sufganiyot (Doughnuts) – Now who does not like a good doughnut?  These are made for a dessert one night cooked in oil.

All the foods are cooked oil to remember how God provided the 8 days of oil for the menorah.

How are we going to incorporate Hanukkah?

So glad you asked.

Thanksgiving Day – We will light the first candle of Hanukkah, read The Story of Hanukkah to the children, and explain how God provides and protects His children.  Then we are going to go around the table and ask each member to tell a way that God has shown His provision and protection to us this past year.

Friday – Doughnuts for breakfast.  I am going to attempt to make them with the kiddos help.  Dinner will consist of fish and latkes.  During the day, I will show the kids how to play Dreidel and we will play a few rounds.

We will continue lighting the candles each night until all are lit.  This will then carry into our family tradition of lighting the advent candles.

There is so much more to Hanukkah.  What I have shared with you is just the scratching of the surface.

Thanksgiving is a time to thank God for His goodness to us.  His protection of the Jewish race brought us a Savior and His continue protection of the Jewish race will one day usher in our King.

Until next week,

Rebekah

klink

Having A Heart Fixed on God

Daily Truth:  “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” Psalms 57:7

 

Do you ever get your mind so fixed on something that you think about it through out the day? I think we can all say that we have done that at some point in time in our lives.  Especially women/ moms!

It can be a good thing your mind is fixed on.  “Yeah, my son was polite to the lady.”

It can be a bad thing your mind is fixed on.  “I can’t believe she did such and such!”

Sometimes that good thing can turn into a bad thing.  “Yeah, my daughter did an outstanding job on her part in the program.”  Then that turns into pride.  Never mind you drive everybody nuts that you have to tell!

The word “fixed” in this case means “determined, established, set”.

My youngest son OFTEN gets this way!  We are constantly working on him with it.

The other day we were getting family pics done at a local park.  It wasn’t cold – chilly, yes – but not cold.  Well, he got it fixed  in his little brain that he was freezing.  About half way through the photo session, he started throwing a temper tantrum.

Now, before we had the photo session, all the children were told that they would not participate in the fun activity that night that they had been looking forward to all year if we had any tempers or bad attitudes.

Nope!  Didn’t work on our youngest.  He was so fixed on being “freezing” that he didn’t care that he would miss the activity that night.  Well, that is until he got home and all the other kids went with dad and he had to stay home and do jobs.  Suddenly, he wished he had obeyed.

BTW – our photographer did a fantastic job!  She was so patient with the kids and was able to get quite a few pics despite the melt down.  Probably because she was fixed on getting a good pic!

The Israelites are a perfect example of being fixed on something.  In fact so fixed on their circumstances and their situation that it consumed them.

There was the time they were fixed on the Egyptians closing in on them and the Red Sea ahead of them.  They forgot all about the plagues that God had delivered them from.  (Exodus 14)

Then there was the food situation.  They were so fixed on the fact that they were eating the same thing over and over again that they wanted to go back to Egypt and enjoy the foods they had there.  Ummmm…did they not remember they were slaves?  (Exodus 16)

Then there was the food situation – again.  Well, God had it with them this time and sent fiery snakes among the people.  But as God always does, He gave a way to escape the snakes.  All they had to do was look at the serpent on the pole and they would be saved from the fiery snakes.

I often wonder how many Israelites were so fixed on the snakes around them that they didn’t fix their gaze on the serpent that could save them.  (Numbers 21)

Ok.  Before we get a little prideful and speak against the Israelites, aren’t we ALOT like them.

How often do we have our gaze fixed on our circumstances or our situation and forget to fix our eyes and heart on the One who has put us into those circumstances or situations.

Once we think, “Hey, I got this ‘heart fixed on God thing’ down pretty good”,  that’s when we get ourselves into trouble and our eyes get fixed on things around us.

We can teach our children to keep their eyes fixed on God.  When someone doesn’t share, instead of saying, “Well, he was being naughty, ”  how about saying, “Mommy is more concerned how you act and what God says about sharing”.

Or when your child worries about a certain situation, remind them that God is in control and we are not to worry.  Thus, we are teaching them to keep their eyes and heart fixed on God.

Be careful!  Your words may come back to haunt you!

I have a dear friend who had been crying  over a particular situation.  Her 7 year old son saw her crying in the kitchen again and the following dialogue occurred.

Son: “Mom, are you crying because of (particular situation)?

Mom:  “Yes, buddy.  Mommy’s sorry for crying.”

Son: “Mom, haven’t you told me that worry is sin and that it adds nothing to your life? Mom, God had this.  So, no more worrying okay?!”

My friend had been teaching her son how to keep his eyes fixed on God.  Then when she needed that reminder, God used her son.

As we go into this holiday season, where it is so easy to get our eyes fixed on things around us, let us remember to keep our eyes fixed on the One that is the reason for this season.

Until next week,

Rebekah

klink