Lost in scriptures

Christmas is not just a day, an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.
- William Parks

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Hallelujah

performed by Bethel

The Christmas Hallelujah HD With Lyrics - YouTube

click on the title, then click on youtube link.

I've heard about this baby boy

Who's come to earth to bring us joy

And I just want to sing this song to you

Immanuel has come to earth

The virgin Mary given birth

Into a world that sings out Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem

Expecting child, they searched the inn

To find a place for You were coming soon

There was no room for them to stay

So in a manger filled with hay

God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night

To see this baby wrapped in light

A host of angels led them all to You

It was just as the angels said

You'll find Him in a manger bed

Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east

To Bethlehem, the wisemen three

Came many miles and journeyed long for You

And to the place at which You were

Their frankincense and gold and myrrh

They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me

This baby boy would grow to be

A man and one day die for me and you

My sins would drive the nails in You

That rugged cross was my cross, too

Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

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Recipe

FRENCH NOUGAT

3 c. powdered sugar

1 c. almonds, toasted, chopped

Coat a wooden spoon, the insides of a medium saucepan, and a cake or loaf pan with PAM. Set aside.

Place the sugar in a 3 - quart saucepan and place on medium heat. Slowly stir until it begins to melt (caramelize). This gets very hot and may take many minutes. When completely melted stir in the almonds and pour onto the prepared cookie sheet. Fold edges towards the center. When cool enough to handle, butter fingers, and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll under palm into ropes until almost cool. Cut into smaller pieces. Store in airtight container.

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I spent much of yesterday, lost in scriptures about Jesus. I’m going to share just a few of my favorite.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

John 14:6 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Proverbs 8:35  For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord 

Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

1 John 4:19 - We love him, because he first loved us.

There are many, many more wonderful scriptures. I hope you found joy in searching them. The scriptures are filled with wonderful stories. There are sad stories, stories which make our heads shake, and stories which fill our hearts with joy. Todays’ assignment has to do with stories, Do the 12 Days of Christmas with someone, only use stories or scripture with them. I have a collection I've put together called the 12 scriptures of Christmas. It has my favorite scriptures and a story to go with each. Send me a message, and I will share it with you. ~~ Marilee

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My stories today, are wonderful stories from friends and family about what Christmas means to them. If you want to share your story, please do so in the comments, or send it to me and I will place it on my blog.

Brent (a dear friend, a rough and tough cowboy with the tenderest heart you’ll ever know)

The Christmas after our daughter was born stands out in my memory as my best Christmas ever. My business closed and I found work in southern Arizona. We moved our trailer there, set it up and then immediately drove for 3 hours to Mesa to spend Christmas with my family. We had no money for gifts of any kind–none at all. Our gift to each other and to our family was to tell each member how we felt about them. The words we exchanged that night and the love we felt for each other will always be in my heart.

This story is from my sweet daughter-in-law, Emily. She wrote this for me in 2007.

As Christmas draws close, I have had the opportunity to reflect back on the 22 years I have enjoyed the spirit of this season. Admittedly, I don’t remember all 22; however, there is one Christmas I can never forget. I was nine years old, and all I knew of Christmas was Santa Clause, Christmas trees, and brightly wrapped presents.

A week before Christmas, my siblings and I invited some of our neighborhood friends over for a sleepover. I clearly remember huddling in our pajamas and sleeping bags in our dark front room. Our Christmas tree stood tall in the corner, casting its warm glow across six huddled figures. We sat close, and whispered our excitement over the impending holiday.

At one point the conversation shifted from our Christmas wish list, to the true spirit of the holiday. One of my dear friends expressed her gratitude for the birth of Christ and his redeeming sacrifice. I remember being surprised and confused by her comment. She watched as a questioning glance passed between my siblings and I. Although she was only 7 years old at the time, she caught the exchange and puzzled she asked, "You DO know the true meaning of Christmas don’t you? About Jesus Christ?" I must admit, I was quite ashamed to admit, that I didn’t understand what she meant. The name ‘Jesus Christ’ sounded vaguely familiar, and of course I had seen the beautiful nativity my grandparents displayed each year. Yet no one had ever taken the time to explain the meaning behind it. The nativity had become just another decoration, much like any other décor you might display during the Christmas season.

Intrigued by my young friend’s question I asked her to explain it. Over the next hour, the story of the Christ Child’s birth was lovingly and accurately portrayed. I remember sitting, enraptured, on the edge of my seat. With bated breath, I absorbed every precious word. I remember thinking, "Wow, how could he love me so much? He doesn’t know me, we have never met, yet he died that I might live?" When she was finished I cried. I can never put into words to beautiful spirit that filled our living room that evening. It was my first introduction to the gospel, it made a powerful impression upon my young mind and to this day it remains a sweet and precious memory.

That Christmas, I gained my first knowledge of the gospel, knowledge of the savior, knowledge of his redeeming love and the gift he gave to all mankind. Understanding the ‘true meaning of Christmas’ has not only changed the way I view the Christmas season, but also planted a mustard seed that would lead me down a life altering path. During this Christmas season, may the spirit of Christ’s love fill your hearts and homes!!!

Thank you, Donna, for giving permission to use your story, Mama’s Treasured Recipes. Donna’s information follows the story.

 

MAMA'S TREASURED RECIPES

by Donna Hunter Churchwell Glenn

I'm sure when mama put up her pear preserves in the summer of 2003, she didn't realize at that time she wouldn't live another year to make more.

Nor did she probably realize either just how really special those pear preserves were going to be today. Or maybe she did.

What makes them so special is because my mama made them. And having them around to eat makes me feel like my mama never left us because I'm still enjoying her cooking. Nothing tastes better in a homemade, hot, buttered biscuit than my mama's pear preserves.

But now that I'm on the last jar of her preserves, I'm not eating them up so fast. I'm slowing down to savor, to cherish the last bit of pear preserves. For when that last jar is gone, so probably will the feeling I get when I eat them.

Mama was not only famous for her pear preserves but she was famous for her Christmas fruitcake, too. I was never crazy about fruitcake because I really hated those little cherried fruit pieces that were in it. So when mama made her batch of Christmas fruitcakes, she'd always slice me a piece whether I wanted it or not and serve it to me with a cup of coffee when I visited with her and my dad. I'd always eat around the fruit and eat the nuts and the breading. But when mama died in December 2004, there were no more famous fruitcakes that Christmas or the next Christmas after that. I missed my mama's Christmas fruitcake.

One day, during Thanksgiving holidays in 2006, while visiting with my dad I happened to come across my mom's recipe tin in her pantry. She had volumes of recipe books, loose recipe clippings from magazines and recipes shared from friends. But finding the recipe tin was like finding a treasure chest. It held mama's most beloved and treasured recipes.

I brought the recipe tin to the table, sat down and started sifting through each recipe. There were many recipes handwritten by her and by my grandma who had died 12 years before.

In that treasure trove I found grandma's famous recipe for "Pot dodgers." I'm not sure if that recipe was one that my grandma created from scratch or not but when I mention the word "pot dodger" around others, I always get the same question: "A what?"

It happens to be a patty made of cornmeal and water and boiled in the juice of turnip greens. Maybe to others they're called something else but I grew up enjoying them simply known as "pot dodgers."

As I dug deeper, I found my mama's famous Christmas fruitcake recipe. Ker-ching! Bless my sweet little heart! I had hit the recipe jackpot!

I took the recipe tin back home with me and immediately wrote out a shopping list of items I would need to make the Christmas fruitcake. On the list was cherried fruit, of course. The first grocer I shopped at didn't have cherried fruit. So I shopped at other grocers until I found cherried fruit. I couldn't believe I was shopping for something that I hated for so long. But alas, I found it and put several containers of it in my cart.

As I checked out at the register, I realized the expenses she had in making those Christmas fruitcakes. She didn't make just one fruitcake -- she'd make about a dozen at one time to share with friends and family.

I also had to buy cheese cloth and bourbon. The cheese cloth was soaked with bourbon and then wrapped around each fruitcake to add its warm flavoring. Then each fruitcake was wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and placed in a cool, dry, dark place for a few weeks to ferment.

After the preparations, I realized how much time, money and love she had placed into each of those fruitcakes to share with her family and her friends.

A few weeks passed and it was time to sample the fruitcake. I was surprised at how much it tasted like her fruitcake but something still was missing -- my mama.

Maybe unbeknownst to her, she did more than make preserves that day. She paved tradition. She ensured memories. She preserved her warmth and her love for her family.

In every bite of pear preserves and every recipe in her recipe tin, her memory continues to warm our hearts and feed our bellies.

That was my mama -- always thinking ahead about her family.

-- Donna Hunter Glenn Donna.Glenn.ctr @ robins.af.mil