No Room in the Inn

 No beautiful chamber, No soft cradle bed,

No place but a manger, Nowhere for His head;

No praises of gladness, No tho't of their sin,

No glory but sadness, No room in the inn.

No room, no room for Jesus, Oh, give Him welcome free,

Lest you should hear at heaven's gate, "There is no room for thee."

No sweet consecration, No seeking His part,

No humiliation, No place in the heart;

No tho't of the Savior, No sorrow for sin,

No pray'r for His favor, No room in the inn.

No one to receive Him, No welcome while here,

No balm to relieve Him, No staff but a spear;

No seeking His treasure, No weeping for sin,

No doing His pleasure, No room in the inn.

-A.L. Skilton

Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Icing

While I can't attest to these cookies myself.  Both hubby and the Hebrew class seemed to enjoy them.  Don't get me wrong ... I wanted to try them, but I am a chocoholic who abstains from chocolate because I can't stop once I start (kind an "acceptable" addiction that I don't want to accept).  I did not use the frosting recipe suggested, but rather used some canned peppermint icing (forgive me).  You could add peppermint extract to the given recipe to achieve similar results.

Frosted Chocolate Delights

1/2 c shortening (I used butter)

1 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 3/4 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c chopped walnuts (I used choc. chips since I was using peppermint icing)

FROSTING:

9 TBSP butter, softened

4 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

6-8 TBSP milk

Cream shortening and brown sugar.  Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla.  Beat in chocolate.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Stir in nuts (or choc. chips)

Drop by TBSP 2 in apart on ungreased sheets.  Bake at 350* for 11-13 min. or until firm.

For frosting ... cream butter and sugar.  Beat in vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency.  Frost cooled cookies.

* * * * * * * * *

I also made some homemade peanut butter cups. 

I no longer eat these ... but I know that they are DELICIOUS!



Mazel Tov Ishi

Congratulations, My Husband

Done!

This is the last day of classes.

No finals to take.

Have some treats to take to Hebrew class to celebrate.

It is a small enough school that the official ceremony will have to wait until May.

The question is ... Will we still be here?

Education

Can I be thankful twice today?

I am thankful for education. 

 I love to teach and I love to learn. 

I think I could gladly be a perpetual student. 

I am thankful for a hubby who loves to learn ... and encourages me to keep learning.

I have enjoyed the time that hubby has been in school

because there is always something new to read,

... to study,

... to research. 

So now what? 

We ordered Rosetta Stone Modern Hebrew yesterday. 

We will continue to study Biblical Hebrew on our own,

but would like to be able to speak in hopes of ministering to God's people - the Jews!

Accountability

Today I am thankful for my Sunday School class of five pre-teen and teen girls.  While not what I would have deemed my "calling" or gift, the uniqueness of this age has been a gift.  It took awhile to realize that my influence could extend past the walls of the classroom with this age.  Not only did they need a challenge from the Word each week, but a challenge to be more Christ-like throughout the week.  Who doesn't need that challenge?  Unfortunately, I have found it hard to find adult accountability partners.  I am not sure if we become embarassed as we age ... Perhaps we are scared that someone will discover that we are not a "Super-Christian."  BUT ... these girls are not afraid to put my feet to the fire and accept it from me as well.  What a joy to be approached on a Wednesday night and asked, "How are your devotions going this week?  Have you done them every day?" 

A Negative Example

I have often thought that I learn best by negative examples.  Perhaps you have done it too.  You see an outcome, an action, or an activity that you do not like and you make a concerted effort to avoid it in your life.  Perhaps it was in your marriage, in your parenting style, in the way that you serve.  The negative example and result sometimes speaks far louder than the positive example.

In studying Genesis 16, I see in Sarah a negative example.  I can sympathize and empathize with Sarah.  She had a promise, but was not seeing the results.  She had already waited 10 years for her heart's desire and was losing hope.  In her desperation, she made a poor choice.  She chose to give her servant to her husband.  Now Abraham did not have to listen, but I can imagine that he may have been tired of seeing his wife's sorrow, he may have been losing faith as well, perhaps he just wanted to "just fix things."  In the end, her poor decision only compounded the problem.

How about you and me? 

Do I whine and complain to get my way? 

Do I wait for God to give me the desires of my heart? 

Do I encourage our husbands, friends, family to do wrong so that I can "fix" things? 

***********

It is another drippy day here. 

There is a promise of a break tomorrow. 

All of the rain reminds me of this verse.  

Proverbs 27:15 

A continual dropping in a very rainy day

and a contentious woman are alike.

Clutter Breeds Clutter

It is one of those strange scientific laws that is easily seen in a home.  Cleanliness breeds cleanliness and clutter breeds clutter.  Unfortunately the clutter has been winning in the little trailer here.  Typically, I do a really good cleaning before the Christmas decorations come out.  Not so this year.  In all the fun of decorating, the clutter was growing.  The part that I don't like about decorating is finding a spot for all the displaced things in the house.  Some just go back in the totes that the decorations came out of ... but some things are needful around the house.  I have spent some of the past two days fixing the clutter problem ... oh does that feel good.  A place for everything and everything in its place!

I think our personal and spiritual lives are the same way.  Bad eating choices breed more bad eating choices.  Good fitness choices breed other good choices.  A poor use of the tongue breeds more ill speech.  Good Bible study habits breed better study habits.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me.

Just as it feels good to walk around and work in a tidy, clean house, so it is a blessing to make right decisions and to walk with the Lord.  May I not let the "clutter" of life overcome my daily walk with the Lord.

Quaint and Charming Cookbook

I am not cooking tonight, because a good friend of ours is introducing us to a BBQ restaurant that our town is known for.  This includes the "best sweet tea" in the area and red BBQ slaw.  I am really looking forward to it.



Yesterday, I was not planning to cook either.  We were going to be distributing tracts at the fair grounds and were going to enjoy a bag lunch.  However, hubby wasn't feeling well, so some friends filled in.  That left a Sunday dinner unprepared.  My pastor's wife had mentioned that she was having Potato Soup and on the way home from church, I thought, I could throw together some Potato Soup.  I quickly went to this quaint, little cookbook, Just a Matter of Thyme which my Sister-in-law gave me as a shower gift 9 years ago.  It is a sweet book because of the pictures (drawings) and the handwriting-like font.  While not a "Taste of Home", every-recipe-is-a-winner book ... it does have some classics like this quick and easy one that saved the day yesterday ...

Stuffed Spud Soup

2 lbs frozen hash browns, thawed

1/2 c butter

1/2 c chopped green onion (I used white onion)

1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper

3-4 c half 'n half or milk

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

bacon bits, parsley flakes, chopped chives, and/or sour cream for top

Saute onion in butter. 

Add soup, half 'n half, and thawed potatoes

(mine were frozen - still works but needs to warm a little longer). 

Stir in cheese and heat gently. 

Garnish and serve.

Serves 8-10

Season Kick-off

Tonight, we dug out the Christmas decorations ... Christmas village, 3 nativities, stockings, and a few wall hangings.  While we began our work with scented candles and Classical Christmas CDs for ambiance, some carolers from the college came to cheer our spirits even more ... I have been a caroler many times, but have never had any on my door step. :)  Thanks Guys!

Opportunities

Today, I am thankful for opportunities that God gives us.  They are different for each person.  Our present study of the Hebrew language has opened a new door of opportunity for us.  I am sure that you have seen the kiosks for Israeli-made beauty aids in the mall.  Our Hebrew teacher encouraged us to use our knowledge of the language as a way to minister to the Jewish people working there.  Hubby went last night - not only do I have some really nice lotions, but he was able to give away 3 Hebrew New Testaments and was invited back by 2 of the men.  Hubby was on cloud 9 last night!  What an opportunity!

Tomorrow starts Christmas at the Fair.  We will be handing out tracts again.  Pastor and his wife said that while they were unpacking the tracts, people were asking for them.  Christmas is such an open door.

Will you pray for Maayan, Osher, Ben, and the people of Cleveland County who will receive the gospel this week?