Katrina's Musings (A Visit With A Friend)

My young friend, Katelyn, and her family were in town visiting last week (they moved to North Carolina about two years ago). It was a fun day. We made a visit to a chocolate shop in the twin cities area and then had lunch together. I think I was supposed to be with her for about an hour or two, which we managed to cram into about 4 hours (too many things to catch up on). I'm grateful for the relationship God has given us, and I look forward to seeing what He does in Katelyn's life as she moves from girl to teenager to young woman.

Cookie Baking Night 06/09/14

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

The long Minnesota winter has passed, the temperatures are rising, school is out for the summer break and we decided to celebrate with that summertime classic, the s'more. 

No time for a campfire? No worries. You can make these in the comfort of your own kitchen in no time flat. 

You'll need some chocolate bars, unwrapped and broken into graham cracker sized portions. 

Don't forget the graham crackers and the marshmallows. You can use the large marshmallows. The kids and I like to use the mini marshmallows (it gives them a little more to do in this project and I find the marshmallows toast more evenly that way).

After you've lined the graham crackers on a pan and covered them with marshmallows, pop them in the oven on the broiler setting for about a minute and a half (just until the marshmallows are toasted). 

Top each marshmallowed cracker with a chocolate bar and pop them back into the oven for 2 seconds to melt the chocolate just a tad (seriously, no more than 2 seconds). Then finish them off with a graham cracker on top and you have yourself the classic s'more. Quite yummy. 

Tonight we continued reading in our new book, Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade. We're still on Question #1 "What is Man's Primary Purpose?"

Answer: Man's Primary Purpose is to Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever.

I like this book. It creates a great platform for discussion. I look forward to exploring it deeper with the children. 

Tonight I recruited my little Cookie Baking helpers to help me with a few craft projects I'm helping to prepare for the upcoming VBS program at our church. 

Ethan cut lengths of ribbon for me. 

And the girls set themselves to the project of cutting lengths of cord into 7-1/2 foot increments. Alli held one end against the tape measure while Carissa stretched out the cord and then cut it. After cutting the cord, Alli would take the cord and hang it on the banister and then run back to the tape measure and enthusiastically say "Let's do one more!" (I must say she's been my most exuberant VBS project helper to date). 

I wish we had time for many more projects but alas, the evening had to come to an end and, as usual, a fun time was had by all. 

Cookie Baking Night 05/12/14

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening: Emily and Alli. We made chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate chip cookies (can't go wrong with a classic).

We continued working on an art project that we started several weeks ago (more on that later). 

Tonight we also started a new book, Training Hearts and Teaching Minds by Starr Meade (Subtitled: Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism). 

Question 1:  "What is Man's Primary Purpose?"

Answer 1: "Man's Primary Purpose is to Glorify God and to Enjoy Him Forever"

The first lesson explored the idea of what happens when you use things for purposes other than what they are intended to be used for (such as putting marshmallows in a toaster or using white shoe polish to whiten your teeth)--I think we'll explore this lesson a little more next Cookie Baking Night with a few object lessons to illustrate that point. Emily read Psalm 16:11 for us from the Bible (You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.) 

This book is set up to go through a question a week with something to talk about each night. We'll probably modify the format to fit the Cookie Baking Night schedule and take a few nights to work through each question. This book shows real promise. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts as we work through it. 

Another Cookie Baking Night has come and gone and, as usual, a fun time was had by all. 

An Evening With A Niece 05/2014

The whole purpose of Cookie Baking Nights is to mentor my nieces and nephews from childhood into adulthood (to have a voice in their lives via a relationship). Once they become teenagers and school and friend activities increase, the lure of Cookie Baking Nights decreases, but my purpose remains the same, so I have to get creative. 

I can see in my niece, Emily, that this little lamb is going to need the gospel message and a little extra care to maneuver through the teenage years (I said to Emily a couple weeks ago: "Do you think we're going to survive these teenage years?" Her casual reply: "Hard to say." My reply: "Who do you think will crack first, me or you?" Her reply: "Probably you."--let's pray she isn't right--seriously people, pray). 

We have discovered a common bond, an interest in cooking. We're taking her years of cookie baking experience and moving into the realm of meal making. She made a list of meals she would like to learn how to make and a few nights a month we've been providing Greg (aka our guinea pig) with our gourmet feasts. 

The night we made chicken lo mein 

and chocolate chip cookies (old habits die hard)

the night we made beef and broccoli

and cream cheese wontons 

(Are you sensing a culinary theme? My Dad-Larry started her on Chinese food at a very early age and she's loved it ever since). 

I thank God for the opportunity to have relationships with my family members, and I lean ever so heavily into His sovereignty, grace, and all-encompassing love for His children during such endeavors. 

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. 

Cookie Baking Night 04/14/14

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evneing: Ethan, Carissa, and Alli. Since spring has arrived to Minnesota and the snow has melted (for now anyway), we thought we would celebrate with our "Spring Bird Nests" cookie. Chow mein noodles, peanut butter, choc chips, butterscotch chips, and some candy eggs, and you have quite a cute and tasty treat on your hands (literally).

Tonight we worked on a little art project that we'll be using during the Cookie Baking Nights ahead. Phase 1: Decorate a paper heart. Check. (More to come on that later). 

Instead of reading from Sammy and His Shepherd tonight, we talked about Good Friday which falls at the end of this week. We read (lesson 40) "Jesus Died For Us" from Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Scholland. In this candy egg culture that we're living in Good Friday is certainly being ignored and why we celebrate Easter at all is getting pushed to the background (even among the church-going crowd). We talked about why the Friday when Jesus died could be called "good" (forgiveness of sins) and what happened the following Sunday (he rose from the dead). Ethan read John 19:11-18 for us from the Bible. 

As usual, a fun time was had by all!

Katrina's Musings (1,000th post)

                                                  1,000

                                      

This is my one-thousandth post to this blog. I praise God for sustaining it thus far. May it bring Him glory or may it cease to exist forever.