Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. 

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Hebrews 5:13-6:8 NIV

Gluten Free Flour Mix

I've tried a variety of GF flour mixes, but this has been my favorite so far, largely due to the fact that it's whole grain.

I stumbled upon this recipe and I shouted (in my heart) for joy! Finally a whole grain GF flour mix, that actually works!

Here it is. Are you ready?

70% whole grain flour (ie: brown rice, sorghum, almond, teff, oat, quinoa, etc)
30% starch (tapioca, corn starch, potato starch, etc)

That's it.

If you have a kitchen scale you would use 120 g for every "cup" of flour. To make 10 cups of mix, 360 g of starch, 840 g of whole grain.

I've also noticed with this recipe, that I no longer use any kind of excess binder. You know, like guar gum, xanthan gum, ground flax with hot water. The starch in the mix seems to take care of most binding needs. Except in cake. I always add a beaten egg or two to a cake recipe. Helps tremendously.

So that's what I use now. My own little gluten free girl loves it. And she's not getting all those useless starches. (Or as much as she used to).

A Nativity Drama

Quick Thought about Christmas

I consider all things a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord. Philippians 3:8

May we all remember this verse as Christmas unfolds. May Christ and His people not get caught up on the materialistic aspect of celebrating of His birth. 

Love and Joy come to you

And to you glad Christmas too

And God bless you and send you

A happy new year

And God send you a happy new year!

Cranberry Pie

This is my Mother-in-law's recipe. It is a fabulously easy, fabulously delicious pie. One of our favorites. It's going to be Jesus' birthday "cake/pie" this year. Yum!

Beat two eggs well.
Add:
1 Cup sugar (I decreased it to 3/4 C)
1 Cup Flour (120g- wheat or GF)
3/4 C butter, melted
**If doing GF, add 2 tsp baking powder

Mix well.

Grease 10" pie pan. Put 2 C cranberries and 1/2 C (I decreased it to 1/4 C) sugar over berries. Pour batter over berries.

Bake 350 F for one hour or until golden. (GF will be a dark golden.)

A Chuckle (edited)

Joel found this sticker on the job site a few days ago.  Part of the "packing" "packaging" on some plywood.

Can you read it?

It's a warning that the plywood may generate wood dust, which is a chemical known to the state of CA to cause cancer.

I love Christmas...

Emily's Stocking

Under the tree :)

We did it! My heart is full of joy and peace right now! Thank you Jesus for showing us a way to remember Emily, and bless someone who needs to know You. If you are reading this and are a little confused read this post and then come back here.

After explaining to the kids and praying with them, we ended up choosing a little girl from India. Her birthday is just a day after and a year before Emily's. And, we didn't notice until later, but the little girl's name is very similar to 'angel'. How fitting.

And, sweet sweet Rachel, she was so excited. She was looking forward to being a big sister to another girl and taking care of her and playing with her...Rachel thought we were adopting this sweet child. Oh, how Joel and I yearned that this was true. We tried to explain and I think she understands now. Maybe someday we'll adopt, but God has not opened that door yet. Until then, we'll all have to be content sending letters and stickers and colorings to our angel in India.

Another Milestone

I've been wanting to buy Emily a Christmas gift this year. I haven't actually succeeded doing this before. I've wanted to, but never knew what to get. Then Christmas would come and go... I did manage to find a stocking for her. We had it in the ornament box, this little red, white and green stocking. We hung it up on her would-be first Christmas. And we've hung it up every year since then. One of those years, I found time to embroider her name with gold ribbon and sew a cloth butterfly onto her stocking. This year, instead of either on the tree or off somewhere by itself, it's hanging up between Rachel and Madelynn's stockings. Where it should be. Because she's a part of our family. She's just not here right now.

But what do I give my daughter who has everything?

I've been reading a book. It's a Gospel for Asia book, titled "No Longer a Slumdog".  I've been reminded and touched by this book. It's full of personal stories of children who have lived in the slums of India and Southern Asia. Full of reality, but also hope.

Last night, the Lord led me through a thought process:

What should I get Emily for Christmas? I've been thinking of getting her a windchime or a suncatcher with a butterfly somewhere attached. It would have to be perfect, not too fancy, just simple. It would need to have pink, yellow, purple and maybe some white included. But I haven't found it yet. Because Emily doesn't want a windchime for Christmas. She wants me to do something eternal. To give her a gift that has eternity in it's heart.

I think back to the book I've been reading. These children have nothing. No clothes, no warmth, no hope and no love. And that is when God gave me the idea:  Sponsor one of these lost children, in memory of Emily Grace.

So, hopefully tonight, soon at least, Joel and I and the kids will sit down together and "give" our gift to Emily. And bring eternity to a lost child.

My desire to "buy" something for Emily has "mysteriously" vanished. I am so excited to unwrap our idea of giving our money and love to a child who so desperately needs it.

I know this is what Emily would want. This is what would make her happy.

Because ultimately, giving our resources to another, instead of ourselves, is what Jesus wants and makes Him happy.

Sorrow and Christmas

This post is coming from the context of the violence, the suffering, the grief, the horror, the evil that happens in this world.

And more specifically, thinking of the families in Newtown, Connecticut.

Where is Peace on Earth?

This morning at church we sang this song, and it greatly comforted my soul and I also grieve the loss of my daughter who is in glory with those 20 children.

"I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day"

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), 1867)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Only in Jesus can we have hope. This world is full of death and hate and awfulness because of sin. And all of us are full of sin. Except for Jesus. And Jesus took all that sin and made a way for any of us to come to God and be forgiven and spend eternity with Him. And because of Jesus we can have hope. Because of Him, we can trust that this horrible world will come to an end, and God, the King of Life and Love will reign supreme.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to 

YOU ALL!

"Christ in you, the hope of glory"

Love, Joel, Renee, Joshua, Rachel, Madelynn, Hudson

and remembering Emily Grace,

Our daughter forever

Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 6)

A Purposeful VBS

Finally! Someone else who thinks that VBS curriculum is too entertainment-based!

Here's an excerpt from an article about Concordia Publishing and their new VBS curriculum:

Acknowledging that VBS themes may use cartoonish figures or themes to "hook" children and get them interested in participating in a church VBS program, a company statement observed that "the steady transformation of VBS programs into full-on entertainment machines has created a rather distressing situation.

"Instead of being used to share the Word of the Lord, VBS is being used to babysit and cure boredom—and many children are leaving VBS more confused than ever as to who and what is real and who and what are just characters and stories."

Laying the blame at the feet of publishers, parents and churches alike, Concordia, publisher for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), has spent three years refocusing its VBS brand and creating programming that remains faithful to the gospel message and the Scriptures as a whole. The publisher calls this renewed focus "VBS with Purpose."

Quick Buns

I love this recipe. I usually don't have time to make full on, three hour yeast buns so I use this recipe a lot.

1 Tb yeast (I've cut it down to 2 tsp and haven't noticed a difference, both GF and non)
1 1/3 Cup warm water
a squirt of honey

Let bloom for 10 minutes.

Add 2 Cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 Cup oil (again, I've decreased this to about 2 Tb, no difference in GF and non)

Combine. Add about 2 more cups of flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Let rest about 5 minutes. Form into buns, breadsticks, even a pizza pie or cinnamon buns! Place on greased pan/stone.

Bake at 425 F.

Buns and cinnamon buns take about 13-15 min.
Sticks are about 10-12 min.
Pizza is about 15 min.

Yes, this recipe is interchangeable with Gluten Free. Weigh out your GF flour mix (1 Cup = 120 grams). And use less water. Don't knead of course, just stir. Place in paper lined muffin tins, let rise 15 min and bake accordingly.

...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

(Matthew 6)

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:21