Cookie Baking Night 04/29/14

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening: Ethan, Carissa, and Alli. 

Spring has finally arrived in Minnesota, and the snow has melted. We decided to celebrate with flower-shaped sugar cookies. 

I made the cookies ahead of time as making dough, rolling and cutting out cookies, baking and cooling them, and then frosting and decorating them would have been more than we could have comfortably accomplished in our 3-hour evening together. 

However, the children made the frosting and colored it. 

Yellow

Purple 

Blue

Then they decorated

And decorated 

and decorated

Pretty Fancy!

Tonight we finished our book Sammy and His Shepherd by Susan Hunt. We read chapter 11 "And I Shall Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever". It was a beautiful ending. I cried. The author did such a nice job of summing up the role of the Good Shepherd (Jesus) and the role of other sheep in the flock (His Church). 

This is what Precious (a sheep) said she learned about the Good Shepherd. "He's merciful. He bought me when I was sick and dirty, and he has cared for me so that now I'm strong and healthy. He's good. He always does what is good and right for me. He has forgiven me when I've disobeyed him, comforted  me when I've been fearful, and rescued me when I've wandered away. I have finally realized that I'm a precious jewel to him, and that I will dwell in his flock forever."

This is what Precious said about her friend, Sammy (another sheep from the flock). "You have shown me that the more we know our shepherd, the more we become like him. He is good and merciful, and when we live with him we become good and merciful, too. Being with him changes us from silly sheep to faithful followers."

This book was based on Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. 

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul. 

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

I highly recommend adding this book to your bookshelf and revisiting it with your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, neighbor children, etc on a regular basis. 

That sums up the Cookie Baking Night report for this time. As usual, a fun time was had by all.