Cookies and Christ
Stories of Faith And Recipes
Truth or Dare…
I began to pack… I laid out my green floral sleeping bag, not sure if I was too old to have a sleeping bag like that. I put a bag on my bed not knowing what to pack in it. I started with the basics and moved it to the floor that night before I crawled into bed, unsure what else to add. I was invited to a birthday party. This was commonplace. I was raised in a small town. Everybody went to everybody’s birthday parties. This one was different. It was a birthday party with an extended stay for the girls to sleep over. I begged my mom to let me go, not sure I even wanted her to say yes…
My convincing conversation tactics were effective and the next Friday night, I was nearly silent in the car for the ten-minute drive to my friend’s house. I was nervous. My tummy churned with anticipation of the unknowns. When we pulled up< the same group of girls I knew and loved from school every day had gathered. I quickly joined them and forgot about my concerns. We had a great time and all was well until it was time to climb into my green floral sleeping bag.
The evening game was announced. “Truth or Dare”.
It’s a childish game that I passionately hated. The vulnerability to play was so intense and truth be told- I didn’t really fully trust everyone at the slumber party with either telling them the truth or acting out a dare that I may have found to be compromising.
This was my first time playing for real- in a large group. I nervously watched others take their turn. Time passed and I became more uncomfortable with the looming inevitable that I would need to take my turn. My real or imagined stomach ache I had on the drive over returned. I weighed the decision of whether it was worse to stay and keep playing or whine about my tummy ache and have my mom come get me…
Social norms are a tough thing to navigate. Right, wrong, or indifferent, I became so paralyzed by my discomfort. I waited for what felt like hours for my mom to drive the ten minutes to put me outta my misery.
That hard night, as they all do, came to an end. But my distaste for this popular game did not. I did however learn how to navigate the game. It finally got easier as I learned to lie my way through the “truth.” Which became the option I always picked…
It was a game- but I learned a survival skill. I learned that a subtle lie can protect you from feeling vulnerable.
It’s a skill I had to unlearn as I worked to gain a deep relationship with my Heavenly Father through prayer. I had to learn to tell God the truth. As I worked to break down my walls and barriers, I realized there was a consistent feeling of peace and safety from Him as I talked with Him.
Have you invited God through prayer to help you journey?
Did you put a quarter in your shoe and pray every time you felt it throughout your day?
Or did you set up other cues to remind you to turn to Him first to ask for aid In the climb and companionship in celebrating all the progress?
When I feel my path steepen and my vision crowded-
When I feel my energy drain and my ability to feel and give grace diminish-
I know it’s time to reconnect with my perfect loving Heavenly Father.
Here are the things I’m working towards in this effort:
Taking ample time each day to talk with God – just me and Him.
Planning for it.
Scheduling it.
Prioritizing it.
Silencing distractions.
Hearing Him.
As I work to re-prioritize feeling His love by talking with Him- by telling God the truth, I’m not alone. I can journey with better purpose, clarity, and confidence. I literally feel the gap between me and heaven bridged. I can see evidence of God’s love in my life and more easily identify the steps He wants me to take.
-JC
Strawberry Coconut Cookies
Soft Coconut Sugar Cookies
¾ cup soft butter
⅓ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup sour cream
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut
Cream butter, oil, sour cream, and sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs and coconut extract; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in flaked coconut. Add 2-3 Tablespoons more flour for high elevation. Scoop out approximately 24+ 2” balls of dough. Gently roll. For a richer flavor and smoother texture, form cookie dough balls, flatten slightly and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10+ min.
Let cool completely.
Frost with Strawberry Cream Frosting. Immediately top with sweetened shredded coconut.
Let set. Share!
Strawberry Cream Frosting
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup soft butter
1 oz. crushed (to powder form) freeze dried strawberries
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Drop or two of red food coloring
Dash of salt
2 Tablespoons whipping cream
Mix cream cheese, butter and strawberry powder. Add extract, then mix. Stir in powdered sugar. Add whipping cream and mix until fluffy. (3 minutes) Spoon into freezer strength Ziploc until ready to use.
Cookies and Christ 
Oh gosh! This is the first of the season that I’ve read Cookies and Christ and I’m already dying!! Your stories are incredibly pertinent… relatable and so well expressed thatI feel like I was at the slumber party with you.
We’ve been talking about prayer in YW. For help in lessons, I’ve searched “prayer” all through lds org, asked friends for their thoughts, etc., and this lesson/story is the best one!! I can’t tell you how helpful Cookies and Christ is to me. The stories are funny, engaging, moving and applicable in daily lives.
Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike