Since the month of December began, I've been reading about the incarnation of Christ - his deity and his humanity wrapped up in the tiny body of a babe. Of course, this studying has lead me to read about Mary and her calling to be the mother of the God Most High. {via} Let's be honest. It's strange, right? She is a virgin, then an angel visits her and says she will bear a child. Huh? Even Mary was thinking the same thing. Mary accepted the news of this unexpected pregnancy with grace and honor. Her obedience was pretty amazing. But even she was wondering how this whole conception thing was going to "work." She humbly asks Gabriel in Luke 1:34: "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Yes, how will this be? How did God plant the seed in her that would cause her to bear this holy Son? Do you think she felt it? When did it happen? Right after this angelic greeting or a few days or weeks later? Did she have morning sickness? Did she go to Elizabeth's house after the first morning spent by the toilet {or whatever they used in those days} or did she make her travel plans right after Gabriel left? The Bible doesn't answer these questions specifically. All we know is what the angel told Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God" {Luke 1:35}. And Mary's response... "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" {Luke 1:38}. {via} We don't know all the details. We only know that Lord in his perfect plan and mighty power caused a young teenage virgin girl to bear a Son that would save the world. We know that she took on this great responsibility with humility and gladness. But this mysterious virgin birth is meant to symbolize something else... the mystery of our salvation. The mystery of the transformation that happens to those who are in Christ. Just like Mary, we can't "do" anything to earn God's salvation or to make his transforming grace come about in our lives. We are virgins in the sense that we are helpless and if Christ is to be in us, God's Spirit must make it happen. God's grace in the lives of believers is like the baby Jesus miraculously implanted in Mary's womb. God decides the time. God saves us by His own power. Like Mary, we are God servants touched by the mystery and majesty of His grace. We are saved by the supernatural work of God and not by our own toiling and striving. While I praise God for the miraculous conception and birth of his Son this Christmas season, I praise him also for the conception of a new life in me through this same Son, my savior Jesus Christ. {via} Linking up with Casey and Jami! ... Read more
You MUST make this! {Pumpkin Dump Cake}
So I made my first "dump" cake. A few months ago a lovely friend from church taught me about dump cake, where you basically pour cake mix, butter and fruit into a pan and bake it without even mixing it together. I thought it was the hippest thing in the world. Kim was one of the first people to teach me about Pioneer Woman about a year ago, so I was sure dump cake was the next big thing... Little did I know that dump cakes have been around for decades. Apparently, they were the trendy church potluck dessert in the 80s. My parents clearly took me to the wrong church growing up. We were a dump-cake free denomination... But behold friends... I have crossed over. I am a dump-cake convert and today I have a treat for you. Pumpkin dump cake. It is to die for. I literally ate three pieces today. Oops. This is recipe #1 of my easy-holiday-recipes-so-you-don't-have-to-spend-all-your-time-in-the-kitchen series. Ready, set, go {and you're already almost done}... PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE What you need: 1 can of pumpkin {15 oz.} 1 can of evaporated milk 3/4 c. of brown sugar {packed} 3 eggs 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 box white or yellow cake mix 1/2 cup {1 cube} butter Topping: 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 sleeve crushed graham crackers Other topping options: toffee, almonds, etc. {you choose!} *Preheat oven to 350 degrees* Step 1: Mix together one can pumpkin, one can evaporated milk, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, a dash or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until smooth. Step 2: Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Step 3: Pour box of cake mix evenly on top of pumpkin mixture. Don't mix it in. {This is the dump part}. Step 4: Add any extra toppings that you want. I used crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips. I've also heard walnuts or toffee are good. I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate chips though! Step 5: Melt one cube of butter and pour evenly over the top of the cake. Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. Secret: This is one of those desserts that is even better the next day. I loved it at room temperature. Most of the time, I prefer all baked goods straight out of the oven. But this one only gets better after 24 hours. Three pieces, y'all. It's that good. Do you think "pumpkin dump cake" is an appropriate title? I've also heard it called Pumpkin Cobbler, which is probably more classy, but I like to live life on the edge. I considered naming this post "Dump or Die" but I wanted people to actually read it... P.S. The three pieces turned to four pieces between the drafting and publication of this post. Oops, again. *Featured on Tatertots and Jello* ... Read more
Happy St. Lucia Day!
When I was little I was obsessed with American Girl Dolls. Kirsten, the Swedish immigrant to Minnesota, was my personal fave. When I got her for my birthday (in 1st grade?) I could not be happier... Classic. My favorite Christmas that I remember is when my mom and dad made most of our big gifts. My sister and I woke up Christmas morning to find two matching yellow dollhouses handcrafted by my dad. He even cut up popsicle sticks to make shingles for the roof. These were truly a work of art and a labor of love. And the perk? He made each room and doorway tall enough for our Barbies to fit inside. Holler! But then he also built a bed for my Kirsten doll that looked just like the one that cost a bajillion dollars in the catalog. I still have it somewhere at my parent's house. And my mom sewed Kirsten a quilt for her new bed and some new dresses. It was my favorite Christmas ever, so don't be afraid to shower a little handmade love on your kids this year! But Kirsten was not only a toy in our house. Her story wove its way into our own family Christmas traditions. In 2nd grade, each student in my class had to give a presentation on a winter holiday from another culture. I chose to teach my class about St. Lucia, which is the Swedish holiday Kirsten celebrates with her family. It looks like this... To sum it up, the oldest daughter in the family rises before dawn, dresses in garb similar to what you see above, and makes food for her family (traditionally some kind of sticky bun or cake similar to gingerbread}. She then lights her candle wreath and invites her family members to breakfast to symbolize St. Lucia,who fed the poor on the streets. If you want to read more about it, this is a great post written by a Swedish blogger. After I shared this tradition with my classmates, I also wanted to share it with my family, so I stared inviting them to breakfast with cinnamon rolls {from a can, of course} each December 13th. My mom made my sister and I take turns each year, so we wouldn't fight over who got to be St. Lucia. Yes, we thought it was cool enough to fight over. Safety disclaimer: we wore a tissue paper wreath and we NEVER actually lit the candles. Of course, over the years, my sister and I grew a bit disenchanted with St. Lucia. The idea of wearing a white nightgown and wreath on our heads lost its glamour, but we still carried on the tradition by eating cinnamon rolls with our family every December 13th. I remember my mom lamenting during my first year of college that I wouldn't be home to be St. Lucia {at this point, I hadn't dressed up as St. Lucia for at least 8 or 9 years, I promise; I think she was just being nostalgic} so I told her if she was really desperate, she should convince my little brother to put on his karate uniform and his red belt for cinnamon roll time. Although we joke about who has to be St. Lucia now, it really is a fond family memory and a holiday I hope own kids will want to celebrate someday. P.S. I'm writing this the night before St. Lucia Day. I might just wake up extra early tomorrow and leave cinnamon rolls for Micah on the counter before work... the oldest daughter in me just can't resist. What are your fondest holiday traditions?xoxo,Jen Linking up with An Oregon Cottage! ... Read more
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