Cookies and Christ

I had spent my day with a delightful daughter-in-law and helping my daughter with her infant while she was at work. 
Later that evening, we were scheduled to gather with all my kids and grands for a couple of hours to host the “Creer Family Stance Socks Games.” 
(Message me if you need details of how to implement this night of fun in your holiday traditions.)

The in-between time was slotted for my 4-year-old granddaughter to come over and help me decorate for Christmas. 
She arrived and went straight upstairs to check on all of the situations she had left the day before in the playroom. 
The stuffed care bears were still tucked into bed.
The Little People house, barn, bus, and airplane had all of the town’s people busy doing their things.
And the small toy horse was standing in its corral just like she had left it all the day before. 

A short time later she was ready to help.  We decorated the Christmas tree with cinnamon sticks, dried oranges, wooden beaded garland, and crocheted snowflakes. 
We then got the box out of a nativity set my mom had gifted me nearly thirty years prior. 
It’s a traditional scene with a stable, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a few animals. 
What I love about it-
It also includes many other not-so-traditional people who came to visit the baby who laid in a manger as foretold by prophets of old. 
Each figurine comes with a story of who they are and why they wanted to visit the Christ child. 

My grand-daughter set up the scene as I one by one pulled each figurine from the box. 
Upon completion-
We were short one small piece-
Baby Jesus was missing. 

“We need Jesus!” My granddaughter profoundly said. 

I retrieved one from another set and she placed Him in the stable by Mary and Joseph. 
We then transitioned to setting up a few yard ornamental snowmen and penguins. 

She ran off to play upstairs for a few more minutes before our traditional evening activities were set to begin. 
As I was turning off the lights that evening-
I noticed a blank space in the manger. 

Jesus was missing…
Again…

It’s caused me reason to pause and ask myself how present Jesus is in my heart, my life, and my light. 
I’ve spent much time over the past few years letting go of decades of quiet anger, discontent, and discord that had silently hurt relationships with people I love.  The only one who was suffering was me. 
The only one who needed to change was me. 
The only one I could change was me. 
That change came about by better understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ and better learning how to give Christ my “hard stuff”. 
The truth is-
Jesus was missing from my life-
At least in the completeness that I want Him in it. 
Change came from praying to see myself and others as God sees them and gathering more strength from Christ to fight off the adversary who clearly did not want me to do any of this work. 
I’m truly a different person.  It’s amazing how quickly change came with sustained effort. 
It’s amazing how easy it is now to extend grace.

I could dwell with regrets over years spent not fully embracing my Savior-
Instead, relying on my own strength-
Instead, choosing resentment to rationalize behavior. 

But Christ met me where I was. 
In Him and through Him I find refuge from the “normal” in the world. 
Understanding what He can truly bear for me allows me to let it go-
Let it all go. 

A couple of days after my grand-daughter left I went searching for baby Jesus. 
Turns out-
He’s right where he should be. 
Her understanding is greater than mine. Her eyes to see are not hardened by a faithless view. 

Jesus was (and is) nestled amongst the (Little) people. 
All who choose to hear Him and come into Him-
Those He will help change their hearts. 
None are out of reach. 

Truly-
“We need Jesus!”

-JC

Snickers and Pretzel Caramel Popcorn

15 cups popped popcorn (I use pre-packaged Kettle corn)
4 cups pretzel pieces
1 cup+ Snickers candy bar cut into  pieces 

Caramel Coating:
1 cup butter
½ cup corn syrup
⅔  cup  granulated sugar
⅔  cup packed brown sugar 
¼  teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients listed above and bring to a boil. 
Immediately remove from heat and add:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Toss the Caramel Coating with popcorn and pretzels in a large bowl. Gently fold until evenly coated. Pour out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Dot with Snickers candy bar pieces. 
Let set. Share!

I recently left for the theater with my husband wanting to rest my mind from my current thoughts and searching. 
My son had recommended a movie he had the opportunity to attend the red carpet event for a few weeks prior. 
It’s called “The Carpenter”.

I ate more than my fair share of 1/2 of a large popcorn during the previews as they blared on the large screen. I made mental notes of the shows I’d like to see and relaxed into the heated seat. 
I reclined my large theater seat as the house lights grew dim preparatory for the movie. 
What happened next-
I was unprepared for. 

The movie has a great storyline that (as always) I quickly entered into as if I was personally experiencing the journey displayed on the big screen. I was invested trying to decide who I would draw an ally with. 
I was rooting for victory and hoping for a love story. 
The movie was complete with it all. 

But my mental escape came with a hefty self-check. 

One of the film’s (initially) unlikely heroes is a fighter who was taught in his craft to train, heal, and fight smart. 
He was also an apprentice to a carpenter. 
He was told to look deeper into the man who was teaching him carpentry. “The Carpenter” invited his apprentice to cultivate his gifts to positively affect those around him and to let his light shine. 
The apprentice began to see-
And he wondered why as a self-described nobody-  “The Carpenter” would help him. 
“The Carpenter” simply replied-
“Because you are somebody to me.”

For anyone who is on a path of discipleship, it becomes obvious that “The Carpenter” is Christ. 

It was a thought-provoking movie of visible and invisible triumphs. So the takeaways-
As I sat with a vested interest and a mental involvement as though I was an observer within the village- –
Are huge. 

It has caused me to wonder –
What if “The Carpenter” asked me-
“Are you cultivating your gifts to positively affect those around you and thus let your light shine?”

It’s a big question with multiple layers-
I think it begins with identifying what God has amplified and given me as gifts. This answer has evolved and changed over recent years. There are seemingly seen and unseen (by man) seasons of discipleship. 

For decades-
I was very “busy” serving people in my church’s congregation. 
Much of how I served in an effort to help others come into Christ could be seen by others. 
I’ve also grown keenly aware that many gifts, and God’s need for me to use them, go unseen by most. These gifts have become my favorite. 
I’ve always felt most comfortable in the trenches working hard behind a front man. But there were seasons in my life where I felt “too seen” in my discipleship. I prefer the back row of the chapel and ‘in the trenches’ in my discipleship. 

Some of the greatest joy in serving Christ has been cultivating a seemingly new gift, developing it, and partnering with God.  I have found that when I do as God asks, it automatically transmits the light God needs to shine. 

My struggles have been similar to some that the fighter in the movie experienced. 
Sometimes I let the adversary convince me I’m “a nobody” with gifts that aren’t needed. Sometimes I believe my season to help is past. 
Sometimes these are thoughts of convenience that can fuel my laziness. 

I left the movie a few weeks ago over-stuffed with popcorn and deep in contemplation of my current course of discipleship. 
Weeks later, post movie contemplation, I’m pleased to report –
I know I need to step up and do more. 

Again-
I’m reminded that this life is all about God’s work. He’s not asking me to figure it all out. He’s just asking me to trust that He has and to accept the small part that He needs me to play.

-JC

Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies

Make a batch of Gingersnaps:
½ cup oil
½ cup soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
2 Tablespoons sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Cream oil, butter, sugars, and molasses with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in eggs and vanilla extract; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Scoop out approximately 48 -1 1/4” balls of dough.  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 the bottom side of 20 cookies with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting.
Let set. Share!

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces softened cream cheese
½ cup soft butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
3 Tablespoons whipping cream

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. Mix in whipping cream. Mix on high for 3 minutes.

We all stood against the wall. 
I hated it. 
It became the worst part of my days and my weeks in grade school. 
As a fourth grader, we had a new cute kid in our class- but I grew to hate his dad very quickly. 

It was an unfair assertion perhaps- –
It wasn’t my new classmate’s dad’s fault that I was scrawny and uncoordinated as a kid without even an ounce of competitive confidence. 

Nevertheless, twice a week when we were forced to line up along the wall as the two best athletes in the class picked teams- I held back tears of anger and sadness knowing I would be picked last. 
I hated it. 
And I hated the PE teacher for dividing teams this way. 

I was never chosen- more or less I just knew which direction to walk based on which team had the previous pick. I was simply the result of someone else’s choice. 

Today-
I’m passionate about choice and understanding one of the greatest gifts from God-
My agency. 

I get to choose. 
Countless decisions every day culminate with large or small steps that lead me toward or away from God. 
Circumstances often are what they are- but my choice as to how to think and react remains mine to claim. 
As is the responsibility. 
At the same time in my life that I was last picked in PE, I also had a paper route and family chores with fall garden harvest and canning.
Nothing in my life seemed fun or exciting. 
And it wasn’t. 
It was a season of work, a season of refinement, and as true as ever- a season of choice. 

I’ve done better since then at choosing to see joy and claiming it amidst the seasons of work and refinement. 

The difference?
My choice to claim joy follows my choice of Christ. 
My choice for Christ. 
When I choose to work to center my life around Him, joy follows. 

An inspiring teenager lives across the street from me now. 
She recently shared with our entire church congregation that her strength comes from Christ. 
(The strength to do remarkable things she couldn’t do on her own.)

I know that story. 
I’ve lived that story. 
I pray that I will always choose to live that story.  

The truth that guides me- from a disciple of Christ that I met when I was a teenager-

“If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell

It is thus my privilege and my responsibility to choose to honor my God through my discipleship. 

One recent Sunday morning, I spent the hours before church baking and experimenting (‘tis the season). I was late to get ready, late to leave, and late to arrive at church. Perhaps a series of unfortunate (poor) choices. 
However- nothing I had baked was finished and I had left no time in my haste to leave to grab a quick lunch. I sat in church feeling hungry. 
My bag that I normally bring- packed with protein bars and candy had been left on a kitchen barstool in my haste. 
And yet-
I sat in church with a plethora of choices. 
I could leave. I didn’t know very many people in my new congregation and certainly, no one would notice I had left. 
Or- I could give myself grace for being a disaster with my morning choice- but re-route my energy and steady my thoughts.
There would be an opportunity cost to feeding my literal hunger.
Each Sunday during church- I take a quiet moment and work to get real with myself and God. 
I work to let Him help me answer this-
What do I need to let go of?
What do I need to hold onto?
I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to recommit my discipleship and take time to ponder.

On this day- I let go of frustration for myself.
As a kid, with slouchy socks on undersized ankles, it would have served me well to let go of the anger I felt toward my PE teacher. 
He wasn’t the last person in my life that I have allowed to wreak havoc with my peace. 😉

The choice continues to be mine.
In my current phase of life, I’m less likely to walk a path of anger to a team that doesn’t want me -at least not literally…

Some days, it takes great effort for me to clear the negativity and remember my agency is 100% intact. 
It’s from God. 
I get to choose how I feel, how I think, and how I react-
Amidst sickness, struggle with the unknown, and countless circumstances that dance in the shadows or future…

In the end, I want it to be said that I choose Christ. 
in the end, I want my actions to indicate that I choose Him.

-JC

Turtle Cheesecake Brownies

Make a brownie mix as directed and bake in a 8” x 8” baking pan for 28+ minutes or until done. Let cool completely. Top with Cheesecake Filling. Refrigerate until serving. Then garnish with caramel and chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with candied pecans. Share!

Cheesecake Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or 8 oz. Cool Whip)
—
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
⅓ cup caramel sauce

Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in sour cream and caramel sauce. Fold in whipping cream. 

Chocolate Sauce
¼  cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons whole milk
Dash of salt

Melt chocolate chips and milk in the microwave for 1 minute and stir until smooth. Stir in salt. Set aside until ready to use.

Caramel Sauce
½ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup slightly warmed cream
½ teaspoon sea salt

Heat sugar in a saucepan on medium-low heat.  Stir every 30 seconds. Sugar will initially clump together and then melt and turn an amber color. After all the sugar pieces are melted, remove from heat. Stir in butter.  This mixture will splatter a bit until mixed in.  Stir in cream and salt.  Let cool until ready to use. 

Heartache has hit me pretty hard in the past few weeks.
There’s been a series of events that has caused me to ponder the question-
“What matters most…?”

One of them began just a couple of weeks ago. I was on a phone call with one of my sisters. 
We were worried about Mom-
Her fatigue, cough, and inability to breathe easily. 

Gratefully, her homeopathic doctor encouraged her to get checked out. 
Within 12 hours, my sister was leaving her all-nighter at the hospital, and I was en route. 
My flight landed and I grabbed an Uber as my sister gave me the latest test results and updates. 
Soon, I arrived in mom’s hospital room. 
Mom was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Her hair was cutely brushed and her bright lipstick was perfectly applied. 
She looked like she was ready and wanting to bust outta there as soon as the doctor came in and filed her discharge papers. But- she would have to wait…

Two more sisters had gathered, and two more were en route. 
Two days later, her results were explained to us…
Mom is sick…

She’s always had a heart of gold. People who know her- love her. 
Was it possible that her heart had been so overworked loving and serving God’s children that it was trying to quit too early in life…?

When I was a young kid-
My mom was on the go non-stop all day, every day. 
I only ever saw her sit to study her scriptures. 
Her life was busy with six kids, a husband, neighbors, and a church congregation. 
She loved and served them all. 

Occasionally, we would all be asked to gather and Mom would enlist our help to find something that had been misplaced.
Most of the time it was a set of car keys, someone’s homework, or an elusive single shoe. 
But one day the stakes were a little higher. Our youngest sister, Kimmy, had lost her doll. Kimmy had everyone in our family wrapped around her finger.
For good reason-
She was spunky yet sweet.
Mom looked at me and said-
“Jackie, you are the ‘family finder’-
You can always find anything-
I need you to find Kimmy’s doll.”

Kimmy’s sobs infiltrated throughout the house as she wandered around looking for her doll. 
I looked in all of the places she normally played, with no luck. 
I didn’t want to let Mom down. And I surely wanted to be the hero Kimmy needed. So I took her by the hand and asked her everywhere she had played that day with her doll. 
All of the places and spaces where I had looked were on her list. Then she mentioned she had been outside playing but couldn’t remember where. 

A new space I had been hanging out with my neighbor friend was a large bush on the east side of the house. 
This was an uncommon place to play and I couldn’t imagine Kimmy trying to climb the prickly branches. Yet, I could imagine she thinking she could do anything her older sisters did. 
Sure enough, the doll had been laid down for a nap nestled within the branches of the evergreen bush. 

Decades later, as I sat at the foot of the bed in Mom’s hospital room, I could find nothing but heartache as the doctor delivered the tough news-
Congestive Heart Failure. 

Specialist appointments were scheduled and a few days later, before taking my flight, I talked with Mom. 
Both of us were in disbelief-
I listened as she recounted the decline of her energy over the past few years. Her diagnosis now seemed to group together a list of symptoms that all seemed to be placed into different categories of “not feeling well.”

This story is still being written. 

There are more questions than answers- medically and personally. 
And I wonder-
What is it that God needs me to find within these circumstances?
And thus- what does He need me to do?

Helplessness is part of heartache. We can’t always take our loved ones by the hand and find what’s missing. 
Sometimes we just sit with feelings of love, and loss. 
Sometimes the steps we need to take are hidden from immediate view. 
The heaviness is real-
Many of these feelings seem new to me. 
But they are not new to my Savior. 
He suffered for all the pains, afflictions, and heartaches that any of us would experience. 
Heartache-
Physical and emotional. 

So in my search for what matters most. 
I turn to Christ-
For relief and moments of peace. 
And I’m working to connect with God-
To help me find answers. 
Today, all I know is that I don’t know what’s next. 
But I know God knows- and I’m leaning heavily into trusting that He will guide my thoughts and my steps to find where He is leading me. 

-JC

(Gluten-Free) Monster Brookies

Mix together a GLUTEN-FREE brownie mix (approx. 15 oz.) as directed. Bake in a greased 8”x8” baking pan at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and immediately cover brownies with ⅓ cup melted peanut butter. Cover peanut butter layer with flattened (to about ½ inch thick) discs of GLUTEN-FREE Monster Cookie Dough. Dot the top with additional mini M&M’s as desired. Return to the oven and bake for 18 minutes. Let set. Share.

GLUTEN-FREE Monster Cookie Dough
3 Tablespoons soft butter
½ cup peanut butter
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup gluten-free flour
1 cup quick oats
⅓ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾+ cup any combination of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, vanilla chips, peanut butter chips and mini M&M’s.

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars with an electric mixer on medium high for 1 minute or until fluffy. Hand stir in egg, vanilla; don’t over-mix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in a combination of chips and mini M&Ms.

Watching the world revolve through the eyes of a four-year-old granddaughter is nothing short of remarkable. 

Optimism, strength, and joy are who she is.
Was she born with this disposition?
Perhaps…
But certainly, she’s being raised by parents who create a place and space for her to grow in the ways God will need her. 

She was recently at my home playing with my sister’s grandson. 
They were headed outside for an adventure I wasn’t gifted with the imaginative eyes to see.
She took two steps out the door and returned telling her playmate-
“Wait! I need my cape!”
Moments later she was back outside with a heroic cape and matching eye mask. 

My niece was with me as we chatted in the kitchen a while later. 
My sons and she also donned capes as toddlers. 
There seemed to be an unseen force of bravery, protection, and assertion that filled my home as nearly thirty years prior-  capes were worn as a costume signaling a series of heroic undertakings. 
The antics included jumping off of furniture- with sounds of whirring and slashing bad guys. 

They had it all figured out as toddlers. 
My granddaughter does too. 

There’s indeed an enemy. 
He’s a bit more ready for a battle than the invisible ones in my backyard. 

Three decades ago-
My home was filled with warriors ready for battle. 
The years have proved to be filled with exactly that. 
Heartache and hardship have dotted the course. The fight has been one of faith- complete with daily choices to lean into it or away from it. 

Choosing not just to do…
But to know…
And then to let that knowledge guide the resulting steps that accumulate and become paths…

The same will be my granddaughter’s story. 

I am seeing now more than ever the power of agency and choice in battling the adversary. 
He’s crafty. 
But absolutely not more powerful than the Savior. 
We already know how that battle ends. God wins. Christ wins. 

We are simply left with the choice of who we battle with –
Who we battle for. 

My superhero cape is worn only in imagination. And it simply begins with a daily study of the word of God. Most days- I measure that in a few quick minutes. But it focuses my day- my mind- my resolve to fight off the adversary and recognize the heroic power through discipleship for Jesus Christ. 
I also recognize that checking in with God through prayer can also be a simple reset for my day. 

Days become months that become years. Heartache and hardship are part of my story too. 
As is peace. 
Peace in Christ. 

-JC

Biscoff Cake Bars

Biscoff Crust:
3 cups crushed Biscoff Cookies (approximately 12 oz.)
10 Tablespoons melted butter
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients. Reserve and set aside ⅔ cup Biscoff Crust. Press remaining of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9” x 13” baking pan. 

Make a Biscoff Crumble with the ⅔ cup of Biscoff Crust by spreading it out loosely onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.  Let cool until ready to use.

Oatmeal Cake
Cook 1 cup of quick oats with ¾ cup of water in microwave for 90 seconds.
Let cool to lukewarm. Set aside.
Mix together:
1 (approx. 15 oz.) spice cake mix
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Add in:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup melted butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir in oatmeal. Mix 2 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spread batter over the Biscoff Crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.  Drizzle with ½ cup melted Biscoff cookie butter. Let cool completely. Frost with Biscoff Buttercream Frosting. Garnish with Biscoff Crumble and cookie butter drizzle.

Biscoff Buttercream Frosting
¾ cup soft butter
¾ cup Biscoff Cookie Butter
2 ½ + cups powdered  sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt

I was raised in a rodeo town: Sidney, Iowa: Home of the championship rodeo. I’m pretty sure it says such on a sign as you enter the town. 
Each year we would watch the rodeo complete with queen contestants, barrel racing, calf roping and bull riding. 
As a kid, I never had the opportunity to learn to ride horses, despite living in a rodeo town where horse trailers had their own parking lot.
Yet- every August, during rodeo week, I’d watch in amazement as those who did ride as they made their years of efforts and discipline look easy. 

Throughout the ages, stories and movies often capture a hero mounted upon a strong horse united in cause to save a kingdom. 
I was reminded of one movie in particular a few weeks ago. 
I was chatting with my new neighbor and her daughters. This is our 8th house in 12 years.
The best part about moving often is meeting new people. I love hearing about their stories and journeys through faith. 

This young teenager has an impressive story. 
We likened her experiences and summed them up into a storyline and hit song from Frozen-
“Into the Unknown”
It was easy for me to show up strong in applauding her story. I told her that “I’ve come to know that ‘into the unknown’ is where all of the opportunities and blessings I don’t even know about exist and therefore the unknown is an amazing place to go…”

And today I think-

“As long as someone else is supposed to go there…”
The unknown is causing me a bit of grief these days. 
My faith in the unknown and all of the blessings is feeling a bit cloudy. 
Not like -I’m going to give up and preach against God type of cloudy…

Just –
-I was hoping for sun but it’s cloudy-
type of cloudy…

There have been seasons where I could jump on a running horse in stride with my unwavering faith-filled courage and charge into the unknown. 

Yes-
I’d be cold and hungry within an hour likely wondering where all of that bravery and neglect for reality came from-
But- I could grab my trident, jump on the horse, and charge! 

Today-
My ability to do so feels more like one of my first times on a horse. 
My husband was raised with horses. But he never rode nor had much interest in them. He would classify the reason as preference- not fear.
After we finished college and moved to Washington near my in-laws, I was eager to learn how to ride.
I envisioned the end result would mimic the natural ability of the rodeo queens that I remembered from childhood.

My father-in-law gave me a few lessons of sorts in his training coral.
I was absolutely NOT a natural rider. But I mechanically worked to loosely grasp the reins, move with the horse versus against it, and use my legs to not only “hold on”, but also guide the horse. 

I was deemed ready to exit the coral and enter the pasture.
Within seconds I was on the ground watching the horse slowly WALK away.
I have no idea what actually happened in the pasture. I asked my husband who was poised to take a picture from his perch on the hay stack if I got bucked off. He failed in his attempt to stop laughing and simply shook his head “No.”

I couldn’t grab my trident and jump on a horse with a heroic pace and charge the unknown…
My horse simply wandered away and I couldn’t even hold onto that…
That’s the energy I’m feeling about going into the unknown lately.

Change is in the air. (When isn’t it?)
I’d love to just be given the timeline and task list.
That’s not how God works. 

So here I am living on repeat. 
I want to follow God’s will…
But I’m lacking the mental energy to hold on.
I don’t feel it to be a crossroads of faith.
Even writing it out- it’s easy to sort through and see clearer skies. 

Perhaps today’s prayer is simply to ask for energy to go and do when I’m called by God to pivot and walk in faith. 
Gratefully, no heroics are needed from me. I can simply rely on the power, confidence, and clarity available to me as I chart a sometimes cloudy, sometimes ‘falling’- path through discipleship. 

-JC

Reese’s Peanut Butter Popcorn

16 oz. Chocolate melting discs
½ cup peanut butter
—
18 cups popped popcorn (I use pre-packaged kettle corn)
16+ mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, cut into pieces. 

Melt chocolate melting discs with peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Toss the chocolate mixture with popcorn in a large bowl. Gently fold until evenly coated. Pour out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Let set. Share!

I was looking for Dad. 
We had some time “in-between”.

I found him from a level below, staring out into a seemingly vacant ocean. 
Certainly, his thoughts were anything but. 
The last time he was on a ship this size (or larger), he was an officer in the Navy. 
Decades have since passed- nearly his entire adult life. 
And on this particular week- he returned to the ocean and I was blessed to accompany him. 
My youngest sister gifted him and Mom with a cruise and I simply tagged along. 
My parents’ highlights of the week were all about time with a couple of their girls. 

We took a jeep, snorkel, golf cart, and lighthouse tours. We saw multiple countries in just a few days. 
We ate and ate and ate and played card games on repeat. 
We lounged and chatted for endless hours. 
And yet on this particular afternoon, the depth of Dad’s thoughts certainly caused an opportunity for reflection on a life he likely could not have imagined the last time his view was an endless ocean off of the stern of a ship. 

Since his time in the Navy-
He has charted a course of discipleship. 
From my vantage point-
I would describe it as an -unwavering, actively serving, and loving as Christ would- journey. Countless times, he has found the one who needed help when no one else was noticing. He loves fiercely and invites all through quiet examples to do the same. 

I am grateful Dad and Mom both laid a course of discipleship for me to watch.

In the early afternoon of a day at sea, I wondered what Dad was lost in deep thought with. 
As a kid-
We would often watch his slides from his time in Vietnam. 
As I’ve gotten older- I’ve heard more stories- more of the hard ones- of love, leadership, and loss. 
He never complained about his service to his country nor how he was treated upon returning home. 
It was a level of struggle that I will truly never understand. 

And yet-
He turned to God. He found God. My mom introduced him to a path of religion different from just a Sunday service. He chose to embrace it. 

I’m a lucky one-
I know it. 
God put a man in my life as a father to help me understand Him and His Son.

The example of discipleship has always been and continues to be mine to choose to see- and choose to emulate.

-JC

Snickerdoodle Cakesters

Make a batch of Snickerdoodle Cake Cookies:

2 vanilla cake mixes (approx 15 oz. each)
⅔ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups sour cream
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients together on medium high for 2 minutes. Scoop out 48  -1¼” balls of dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle generously with Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. 
Frost the bottom of ½ of the cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with remaining cookies.
Let set. Share!

Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
Dash of salt

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces softened cream cheese
½  cup soft butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons whipping cream
3 cups powdered sugar
Dash of salt

Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Stir in cinnamon. Add vanilla extract, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix until fluffy. 

Another family Dinner for 25 was in the books. The main dish was worse than average-
The side dishes were some of my best work. 
Desserts were a work in progress. 
It’s a lot of work to host- but travels had taken me away the previous two weekends- and I longed to connect with my family. 

I had a nice extended conversation with my sister’s family as they lingered in the front yard after dinner. We caught up about the hard and joys in her life and I walked them to the car as they left. 

My brother-in-law works at the same company as my son. He spoke of a busy upcoming week complete with a long to-do list and the energy required to pound it out. 
“Hopefully my kid isn’t giving you any trouble…” I replied knowing he is fiercely loyal, a top performer, and yet won’t hesitate to push back on upper management if he doesn’t agree with their insight for his team’s success…

My brother-in-law laughed and quipped-
“He’s just like you…” 

I was momentarily shook. 
“This can’t be good. And that wasn’t a compliment.”
Were my flooded thoughts. 

My quick wit responded. The group laughed, and I was left to ponder on the conversation. 

The reference was in regards to my son’s intensity and no-holds-bar attitude and approach toward anything he sees as a goal in the right direction or a challenge in wrong-doing in business. 
However, the phrase has given me much to think about-

If someone were to say “He’s just like you” and my thought was 
“Oh good. ❤️Then he will be happy forever…”

What would I hope for?

Lately, it centers around letting go, daily repenting for not showing up like I wish I would, and forgiveness. 
What a gift – a blessing and an opportunity we have to simply forgive. 

I know it begins with quickly and completely forgiving myself-
For how I’ve not shown up at times and ways I wish I had been stronger. 

But I work to do it- to exercise grace. Thus the way is clear and the force is strong to forgive others. 

Who benefits?
Mostly me. 
It never excuses anyone from wrong-doing… 
That’s God’s work. Not mine. 

But it frees me. 
As I work to let go of the frustration, anger, and hurt, I can note what’s hard…
And yet see clearly why forgiveness is worth the effort.

It’s the number one thing to keep the adversary out of the playground of our relationships. 
Feeling bitter and resentful in our relationships is paralyzing. 

If we stop and think-
Who would I benefit from forgiving?
That’s the key-
It’s for me. 

It makes me think again about how much God loves me. He gave me a commandment that simply helps me have a happier life. 

Take the challenge?
Answer the question?
Who would you benefit from forgiving?

-JC

Biscoff Cookie Butter Krispy Treats

4 Tablespoons butter
12 oz marshmallows
¼ teaspoon salt
7 oz. marshmallow creme
5 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups cups small chunks of Biscoff cookies (18 cookies)

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt butter with marshmallows for 2 minutes.
Stir until smooth. Stir in salt.  Stir in marshmallow creme. Add Rice Krispies and Biscoff pieces.  Stir thoroughly until combined. Gently press ½ of the krispy treats into a 7” x 11” greased baking pan. Drizzle ½ cup melted cookie butter onto the krispy layer.  Carefully add remaining krispy treats and gently press. Drizzle top with ¼ cup melted cookie butter.   Let set. Share!

I had the recent honor of tending a couple of grandkids at their home. They are 4 and almost 1. 
I was with the 4-year-old and we were headed down into the basement. She paused near the top and with a deep breath told herself. 
“I’ll be brave…”
I had no idea what we were gathering courage for. The basement was far from what you think of- if there’s a basement needing mantras of bravery. It’s new, beautiful, and safe. 
Very safe. 
I was a bit confused as she clasped my hand and we took the first few stairs together. 

Moments passed and I simply asked. 
“What do you need to be brave for?”

She walked down a few more steps and pointed to the light on the landing. 
I looked up. 
She said, “Blink…Blink…Blink”
As it flickered. 

Apparently, it was creeping her out. I was so impressed that she told herself to be brave and simply and instantaneously worked through the hard. 

She will be ready someday for even harder challenges and trials in life. 
She will learn to gather bravery from within AND faith in Christ to multiply energy to go and do. 
Truly she is strong and brave and learning about Christ. 

A few hours later it was time for bed. 
I had helped her with her bath, teeth brushing, and jammies and then called Grandpa upstairs to tag-team and read scriptures with her. 

It was a sweet, tender moment as she snuggled in as he began to read. I grabbed my phone to take a picture of the memory when she leaned back, folded her arms in front of her, and called Grampa out!
“Those aren’t the words Grampa!” She sternly told him. 
Truth be told- 
Grampa rarely reads the words in any storybook. He makes them up and summarizes a much shorter version than the author has written. 
On this particular day, he was out-matched by a four-year-old who knew what her scripture story actually said. 

And what a blessing. 
Because days in her life will be hard and there will be times that hurt. 
Gratefully she’s building that foundation to fight the Goliaths that will seek to take her down. 

I couldn’t understand the hard she faced as we descended the staircase. 

Look around. 

Everyone we see has troubles and Goliaths we can’t fully understand. We never know nor can we usually see the invisible hard that others have gathered strength and bravery to show up for. 

It was easy for me to be patient and inquisitive toward my granddaughter as she worked through her acquisition of courage. Grace came easy. 

It was good practice for times when I’m slow to offer it to myself or others. But the world needs more of it.
That I know. 
For now- I see God putting people and experiences in my life to teach me more about it. He’s giving me opportunities to practice it and a fire to be better at it. 

I’m thinking the need for it will only increase as we near our Savior’s Second Coming. I believe we will need to offer it up at an ever-increasing pace. 
Perhaps the “hard” is a creepy blinking light, trial of faith, medical crisis, or other hardship. 
Maybe we need grace towards a serious personal crisis where our strength is depleted, or for a life companion enduring their own plight-

Whatever the hard-
Whatever the need to be brave-
We can take the Savior’s hand as he extends it and find rest. 

“Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
 
-JC

Birthday Cake Popcorn

16 oz. vanilla melting discs
2 teaspoons coconut oil
½ cup dry funfetti cake mix
⅛ teaspoon salt
___
12 cups popped popcorn (I use pre-packaged kettle corn)
2 cups cut up pieces of frosted animal crackers
___
Sprinkles

Melt vanilla melting discs. Stir in cake mix and salt. Toss the cake batter mixture with popcorn and cracker pieces in a large bowl. Gently fold until evenly coated. Pour out onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with sprinkles.
Let set. Share!