Grandma's Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

My dad always jokes about my grandma - she is THE worst cook!  Burn things, undercooks things - you name it, she has done it!  However, she can bake, oh can she bake!  For my wedding shower she gave me the recipe to her soft peanut butter cookies.  I love them for a couple of reasons:

1. They are delicious!  (And I don't usually like peanut butter cookies)

2. The ingredients list is super small.

3. From start to finish - the process takes under a half an hour!

What you need:

- 1 cup of peanut butter (smooth or chunky - your choice!)

- 1 cup of sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

(this makes right around 2 dozen...I usually double the recipe)

Combine all the ingredients, drop on a baking sheet, press with a fork (make an "x"), bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes.

See?  SO simple!  And so delicious!

Dragons, Dora, and Dyeing

Before we get into the detailed stuff, I have to share the funny moment of the week.  I asked Mary to tell me a story because she was pretending to be the mommy for the day.  This is what she came up with:

"There was a princess in a castle who was going to be eaten by a dragon.  But the prince saved her first.  And then Dora found Boots.  The End."

It is now my go to nap-time story - I love it!  ;)

Anywho, I know it has taken me eternity but I have finally taken some time to blog about a craft/activity that kids seem to love!  

This has been tested by two separate families for a total of 4 children (ages 6, 4, and 3) and it has been kid-approved!

So what is this wonderful idea?  Dyeing Noodles!  

Yes, I know...sounds a little messy...BUT, totally worth it.  And, in reality, there really wasn't much of a mess!  

What you need:

- Food Coloring

- Ziploc Bags

- Noodles (duh! Almost forgot that one...)

- Cookie Sheet or Other Container/Space (for drying)

- Paper towels (optional)

The first tutorial I found on this had me soaking noodles in bowls.  While this may have worked, I really wanted to get the kids involved and didn't want to risk spilling a bowl full of food-coloring ANYwhere...  So I got to thinking and decided ziploc's would do the trick!  (Though I thought I had pinned the original tutorial, I can't seem to find it...but I obviously don't claim the genius behind this...just HAD to share!)

Step 1 - Place about a handful or a little more of noodles into a ziploc bag (one bag for each color you are doing).  This is obviously something the kids can help with, but for them you need 2 or 3 handfuls.  ;)

Step 2 - Add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to each bag.

Step 3 - Put 3 or 4 drops of food-coloring in each bag.  Feel free to mix and match - creativity is a plus!  (I let the kids do this step while I held the bags)

Step 4 - Seal the bags VERY tightly.

Step 5 - SHAKE AWAY!!  This is the kids favorite part.  Shake, shake, shake.  They even danced at the same time.  :)

Step 6 - I laid a few paper towels on top of an old cookie sheet to prevent staining and then dumped all the noodles out to dry.  I tried to spread as thin as I could...but I only used a small cookie sheet for 4 bags of noodles.  Leave sit for a few hours to dry.

Step 7 - CREATE!  Grab a glue stick and some paper and make all kinds of designs.  I prefer black paper to make the colors pop!  We made flowers and numbers and letters and the list goes on...and on...and on...

Both families I did this with asked to create for days afterward: "Can we make another noodle picture Bri?"  It was a blast and kept them busy for awhile!

Educational possibilities:

- Counting - we had to count the drops of food coloring, you can count the noodles as you create (how many green ones, how many in your hand, etc.)

- Measuring - for older kids adding the alcohol gives them a glimpse of measurements and being precise.

- Colors! - You could talk about the rainbow, mixing colors, color identification...whatever fits!

- Letters/Numbers - This worked well for the twins - we had been working on identifying the letter "A" so I created one and they loved it!  


When it comes to teaching kids, hands-on stuff is the way to go I think.  Get creative, use your brain...the possibilities with stuff like this are endless!

Avoiding Deception

I remember in high school that, unlike many, I was very concerned about my school work.  Because I cared so much, I never missed an assignment and I always handed things in on time (if not early).  I remember wanting to go to a friend's camp for the weekend pretty badly but I had a fairly large project due on Monday...my solution was to take my homework with me (I mean, who wouldn't?).  Needless to say, my friends talked me out of it, they convinced me to not care.  I think I managed to finish the project on Sunday afternoon...but it wasn't as "perfect" as I liked things to be and, in the end, I didn't receive the grade that I had hoped for.

Deuteronomy 11:16 - Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them."

Instead of saying "beware" some translations say "take heed" (KJV, ASV) or "be careful" (NIV, NLT) and rightfully so.  The Hebrew word here is shamar which is defined as "to keep, guard, observe, take heed" (Strong's H8104).  In our language this word is screaming: Be careful! Otherwise your heart will be deceived!  

"Deceived" is defined as "to be spacious, be open, be wide" (Strong's H6601).  Wait, what?  That doesn't even make sense.  But Gesenius's Lexicon goes onto explain it this way: "to be open, figuratively, to be open and [youthful] in mind...hence to let oneself be persuaded."  I think back to that weekend in high school - my youthful mind was very easily persuaded.  And it is so easy for us now to revert back to that youthful mind, to let down our guard and turn away from what we know is right.

Matthew Henry bluntly puts it this way: "All that forsake God to set their affection upon, or pay their devotion to, any creature, will find themselves wretchedly deceived by their own destruction...A little care would have prevented their being imposed upon by the great deceiver."  Did you catch that?  All it would take to avoid deception of the heart or a persuasive youthful mind is a little care!  If we simply care than our hearts will not so easily be deceived.

Today I challenge you to care.  Care for your heart, give it what it needs to thrive.  Set aside at least a half an hour today to read your Bible and pray.  All it takes is a little care to avoid the great deceiver!

...Then the Lord will Provide

Do you remember learning about cause and effect in school?  Or maybe you have simply witnessed it in life.  For instance, if I drink my juice (the cause) then my glass will be empty (the effect).  Did you notice the "if" and the "then" there?  (I hope so, I made them bold for a reason. hehe.)  The Bible is FULL of "if...then" clauses.  God is telling us that if we do something then He will do something!  Cause and effect!  

Deuteronomy 11:13-15 - 13 It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, 14 then He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.  15 He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."

We have already discussed what it means to love the Lord with all of your heart as well as what it means to serve the Lord with all of your heart (check out those blogs here and here).  But this verse says it clearly: we are to do both.  

So if we do that, if we love the Lord AND serve Him with ALL of our hearts then what?

Then the Lord will provide.

The verse says that He will give rain in its "season" which in the Hebrew is actually defined as "time" (Strong's H6256).  He will send rain in its time.  The verse then goes onto discuss the early rain and the late rain.  While this may seem insignificant this reference was vital to their way of life!  

The early rain fell from late October to early December (Strong's H3138).  November is about the time they would sow their seeds so if there was not an early rain then there would not be vegetation come harvest (Clarke).  

The late rain fell in the months of March and April before harvest time (Strong's H4456).  This rain would grow ripen the crop, rendering them "plump and perfect" so if there was not a late rain then there would be no harvest due to lack of ripening (Clarke, Welsey).

This shows us that "the very rain of heaven falls by particular direction, and the showers are often regulated by an especial providence" (Clarke).   

The thing is, God knows the right season, the right time that we need rain and He knows the right time that we need sun...MUCH better than we do.  We think we know what we need and when we need it and so we become frustrated when we feel like the Lord isn't providing.  But you see - He will!  Every time!  IF we love and serve Him with ALL of our hearts THEN He will provide in HIS time!  

"The favor of God shall put gladness into the heart, more than the increase of corn, and wine, and oil will" ever be able to (Henry).  And He has promised us that favor! 

Rest in His favor today.

Cutting Off our Stiff Necks

**Note - Again, Blogger is being superbly frustrating and highlighting random things and I can't change it.  The highlighted parts are no more important than the rest...

Deuteronomy 10:16 - So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.

What does it mean to circumcise your heart?

The Hebrew word used here is muwl which means "to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off" (Strong's 4135).  The lexicon, more precisely explains it as , "to remove unpure things from your mind...to purge, because the foreskin was regarded as unclean and profane."  Basically what this verse means for us is that it isn't about "cutting away a part of the flesh," but rather, "purification of the soul" (Clarke). So what does purification of the soul or circumcision of the heart look like?  Matthew Henry describes it as this: "Cast away from you all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God...Away with all filthiness and...naughtiness, which obstruct the free course of the word of God to your hearts."  

Sometimes the imagery that the Bible uses makes me giggle.  What exactly does it mean to "stiffen your neck?"

Referring back to the Hebrew, the word for "stiffen" is qashah (pronounced "kashaw").  It means "to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh" and the lexicon, when combining it with 'oreph, or neck, explains it "to make hard, harden...the neck, i.e. to be obstinate, stubborn" (Strong's H7185, Strong's H6203).  So if anyone ever tells you you're being "stiff-necked" they mean - "you are being stubborn!"  :)

So why combine these two things?  What do circumcision of the heart and stubbornness have to do with each other?

As Henry states, "the circumcision of the heart makes it ready to yield to God and draw His yoke."  Circumcision of the heart is key to our relationship with Christ.  We need to "cut off" the filthy and unpure because it is the filthy, unclean things that are making us stubborn and obstinate!  Without them we are much less "stiff-necked" and much more likely to yield to what God has in store for us!

Take a moment to examine your relationship with Christ.  Is there an area where you are being stubborn or where you need to "cut-off" the filthiness?  Confess that area with a mentor or trusted acquaintance.  Have them help to hold you accountable to changing that!

God Asks us to Fulfill Knightly Duties

**Note, Blogger is being weird again and highlighted most of this blog.  I can't get it to go away so I just changed the text color so you could see it.  Just wanted to clarify that the highlighted information is no more important than the rest!

I remember in high school that there was an accident with a drunk driver.  While we really didn't know the victims personally, it still was an awful reality.  That kind of thing happens...even in small towns.  I remember my mom looking at me and saying, "Please don't ever drink and drive or even get in a car with someone who has been drinking, okay?"  While I knew that not drinking at all was something my parents required of me...here she was asking me not to do that very thing.  Why?  Because she was so concerned for my well being, she loved me so much that she didn't think telling me was adequate - she asked me not to.  Somehow, that makes it more personal.  It wasn't just a demand from someone in authority, it was a plea from someone who loved me beyond words.

Deuteronomy 10:12 - Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..."

While God does require these things of us, and we know that, the Hebrew word for "require" here is sha'al which means "to ask, enquire, borrow, beg" (Strong's H7592).  God, because He loved them so much, was at a point with the Israelites that He was asking them to do the things that were vital for their well being!  I get the image of my mom, sitting on my bed near tears at the thought of ever losing her daughter, asking me to avoid alcohol and dangerous situations.  God is sitting on our bed, tears in His eyes at the thought of our potential pain, asking us to fear Him, to walk in His ways and love Him, to serve Him with all of our hearts.... It's a beautiful image isn't it?

When I initially read over this verse, I assumed it said "love the Lord your God with all your heart" just like the previous verse I had studied (that blog is a good one and can be found here).  However, as I started comparing translations, it hit me like a brick wall.  This verse it different!  It doesn't say to "love the Lord your God" it says to "serve the Lord your God!"  While I believe these two things go hand in hand, I had to pause for a second.  Obviously, this was an intentional difference so what are the implications for us?  First, I think that love brings in the emotional side of things, while serving is more physical.  What are your thoughts here?  Do you agree?  Anyhow, the scholars has a lot to say about what it means to serve with all your heart:


Matthew Henry believes that serving the Lord with all of our hearts means to "devote ourselves to His honour, put ourselves under His government, and lay out ourselves to advance all the interests of His kingdom among men."  I get the image of a knight here- knights, or soldiers, are famous for their honor and loyalty to the government they served. Stories and movies constantly depict knights (or knightly characters) laying down their lives for the interests of the Kingdom!  We are the Lord's army, are we not?  Henry goes onto say that "we must be hearty and zealous in His service, engage and employ our inner man in His work, and what we do for Him we must do cheerfully and with a good will."  If we are serving with all of our heart, then we are going to give our all!  And not just that...we're going to do it all with a smile on our face and joy in our spirits!  

Adam Clarke puts it a little bit simpler, "In a word, putting forth your whole strength and energy of body and soul in the sacred work."

And let us not forget that everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord (check out the fun reminder of this matter via song by Steven Curtis Chapman below) which means we are serving Him every minute of the day.  If that's the case, we should be putting our all into everything!  

I challenge you to day to examine your life. Take a post-it and write down one area of your life in which you are not serving God with all of your heart, giving Him your all.  Maybe it's your devotional time, maybe it's the work day, or maybe it's cleaning the house (guilty).  Stick that post-it where you will see it (mine will say "CLEANING" in big bold letters) as a reminder to give that area of your life your all...at least for a day.  At the end of that day, make note of the difference - I have a feeling we will be giving our all more often!

On a sidenote, I didn't really discuss the rest of this verse because I wanted to focus on matter of the heart.  However, if you would like some more information on what it means to fear the Lord, check out these two blogs here and here.  And if you take a look around, a few of my other blogs deal with that very matter as well!  

Have a wonderful week FULL of serving the Lord!  :)

Forgiveness and Solutions Through the Eyes of a Child

The twins I work with are constantly amazing me...

And they ALWAYS make me laugh!  

Two things stuck out to me this week.

First, I wish I could have the forgiveness that comes so easily for children.

Mary and Charlie don't always see eye to eye - Mary can be bossy and Charlie is pretty stubborn - these two materials mixed together can catch fire pretty quickly.  We went to the pool and for some reason or the other, an argument erupted.  Charlie instantly was in tears at whatever happened and Mary was standing there with her arms crossed.  Not five minutes later, I hear Charlie,

"Mary, let's go to the fawm"  (The farm was the playground on this day...)

He reached for her hand and off they went, hand-in-hand to the playground!

They truly know what forgive and forget means.  For them, it's as easy as 1-2-3.  For me, it's nearly impossible.  It takes forever to forgive and forget?  Well  that's not only impossible, its unfathomable!  How could I possibly forget what hurt me?  

But for those beautiful, hilarious, innocent 3-year-olds, it is in their nature.  Forgiving and forgetting is natural for them.  Just one more reason why God wants us to be like children?  I think so!

On a lighter note - I love the solutions that kids come up with.  I was watching the kids yesterday and they had been promised a family movie night upon Dad's return.  Mary asks,

"We're having family move night, are you staying for the movie?"

"I can't sweetheart, I have to go home and make dinner for Justin."

"Oh"  (pause)  I can tell she is thinking hard...and then it happens, the head tilts a little sideways and she looks up at me with those huge gorgeous brown eyes:

"I promise you can go home tomorrow..."

My heart melted.

And in the background I can hear Charlie going "tiny rock" in a high-pitched voice and "BIG ROCK" in the deepest voice he can manage...just like I taught them.

This is their two personalities to a tee - Mary is always thinking, coming up with a solution to her problems (and this one is most definitely my favorite!) while Charlie is off in his own world, completely content.

Love them!