Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!

Thursday's Thoughts on.... Friendship

This post should be about Jesus, but if you know me at all, you know that I might write about Christmas in August....and I might write about friendship 4 days before Christmas. Just the way it works around here. 

I have a friend. I mean, I have more than one friend, but this friendship is different from all the others. 

This girl...gracious mercy...the things she has been through with me...FOR me. 

Just this week she went with me to the doctor because I was convinced that I had breast cancer. (I don't BTW) When the doctor thought he had explained everything and we were through with our visit, she said "Excuse me... Dr...Bush.....You don't know me. I'm Christie and I just want to say that she has already diagnosed herself with cancer." 

See, she KNOWS me and she knew she was going to be left to deal with my "but what ifs" if he did not say the words "You do not have cancer."  

Here's the thing...

This friendship is a miracle. Not because it's a great friendship, but because it almost... well, it almost wasn't.

We were the absolute best of friends. Our husbands were friends. Our children were friends. We were inseparable. Over the course of a year or so, things happened that destroyed our friendship. I don't say that lightly. We did not care if we ever saw each other again. Think Hatfields and McCoys. It was bad. It was very very bad.

Time passed.

We started bumping into each other here and there.

One night after our families had run into each other, she called and asked if she could come over. 

We talked. 

Gradually (over the course of 6 years) God healed our hearts, and now...my goodness it's like we never weren't friends.

Only God could do this. The forgiveness, mercy, and grace offered to us by and through Jesus made it possible for us to forgive each other. 

It's one thing to save my soul from hell... that's kind of a big deal... but to give me my best friend back...just because I need her in my life, because I am better when she is in my life... I am overwhelmed.

It still amazes me that Jesus would live life here, with all our junk, to ultimately be beaten and die on the cross for our sin. To think that anyone, let alone the Creator of the universe, would DIE for me is something that I simply cannot comprehend.

He came to earth, lived a perfect life, died a horrific death, was buried, and rose from the grave so that you (and I) would not have to pay the penalty for our sin...because that debt is too great for us to work off in a thousand lifetimes. 

He offers the hope of heaven, 

     the promise that this world is not all there is, 

     

          and that your pain, whatever the cause, will NOT last forever.  

He did it ALL.  

HE made all the effort.

HE paid the full price. 

All we have to do is put Him first. 

Follow Him. 

Trust Him.

 Acknowledge that He is LORD.

In this world we WILL have trouble, but we have hope in HIM because HE has overcome the world. In the end, HE WILL make everything right. If you are His, your pain will end....and when we get to heaven, all our brokenness will be completely restored. I am so thankful for my friendship with Christie and for the visual that friendship gives me of the power of God's restoration and healing....and that's just a friendship. I can only imagine how it will feel to be completely restored to GOD, to be completely and totally exactly as God created me to be.

Ha! I guess this was a post about Jesus after all. 

Much love and BIG BIG BIG hugs!

Merry Christmas!

K

Wednesday's Weekly Recipes - Christmas 2017

Fantasy Fudge

I made reference to my Nan's fudge a week or so ago. I have not stopped to make it yet, but here's her recipe (exactly as she wrote it), should you want to try it yourself....

Makes 5 pounds

Ingredients:

• 3 cups pecans
• 1/2 lb butter
• 3 pkgs HERSHEY's chocolate chips
• 3 tsp vanillla
• 4.5 cups sugar
• 1 can Carnation evaporated milk
• 1 pint marshmallow cream

Cooking Instructions:

1. Mix sugar, butter, and Carnation milk
2. Cook over medium heat stirring CONSTANTLY (Because this mixture sticks easily)
3. Bring to a rolling boil that you cannot stir down
4. Start counting SIX minutes as SOON as it comes to a rolling boil (do not over cook it)
5. In a large bowl, place chocolate chips and marshmallow cream and vanilla
6. Pour the hot mixture over the ingredients in the large bowl and mix and beat by hand thoroughly
7. Add nuts
8. Pour on to a large tray or platter to cool

Merry Christmas!

K

Tuesday Tips and Tricks - Christmas Edition - Week 3

How to get teens and pre-teens EXCITED to help Decorate for Christmas

A friend told me recently how excited he was to go pick out his tree with his daughter and get it decorated. Later he told me that she wasn't all that into it. 

Of course as an adult, i know what she doesn't... she missed a HUGE opportunity to make memories with her dad. My goodness, none of us are going to be here forever. She's not going to be at home forever. 

I would not trade the memories of my silly Nan dancing in the living room singing "oh Christmas Tree" for ANYTHING... and this girl...well, she honestly just acted like most teenagers. My kids don't help me decorate either, but it doesn't bother me. I enjoy every bit of decorating the house for Christmas....heck! I practically vomit Christmas and they just let me do it cause it makes me happy. 

BUT if you are a parent who desires to make decorating a family affair and your sweet little angels are acting like the Grinch,  here's my suggestion... 

Speak their language 

(Cause kids don't appreciate "memories")

Explain to them that you will put the same effort and time into purchasing their gifts as they put into all the other stuff that makes Christmas full of amazing memories. They only want one strand of lights on the tree...fine...they get one gift. 

I bet your house will be lit up like the Grizwolds in no time!!!!


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
K