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
2 cups+ 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!

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!

He was days late and I wasn’t even mad about it. 
Months prior I stared at my calendar seeing two important events colliding on the paper pages. 
Both held tugs on my heartstrings but seemingly impossible to navigate their timeline. 

A wedding and a baby. Both were scheduled to happen at the same time. 
I made preparations for both. 

My mantra this year is to be “All in”. 
I really wanted to be at my nephew’s wedding. He was choosing to be married forever to his bride and I wanted to support him 100%. 
I also wanted to see my nieces and nephew that I was blessed to come to know better through my time in Washington state a year ago. 
I missed them and wanted to catch up. Additional family I rarely get to see would make the trip and the idea of being reunited made my heart happy. 

And yet-
My daughter was expecting her first baby within the exact timeframe. She was expected to still be in the hospital when I needed to leave for the wedding. 

The truth is- nobody in either scenario needed me…
These were just two ginormous blessings in my life and I wanted to be present and celebrate both of them. 
I even prayed that my daughter would go into labor and have the baby early so I could get her settled before I headed to the wedding. 

My prayers seemed to be lost in the very air in which they were uttered. 

I get it. It wasn’t that big of a deal …yet it seemed so to me.

Frustration was a choice. 
But-
Negativity would help no one and yet be felt by all. 

The night before I left for my two-day trip to the wedding –
I played pickleball with my daughter as she was 9 months and a day pregnant. 
The wedding weekend was absolutely delightful. We returned home and a few days later we met our newest grandson. He was a few days late and I wasn’t mad about it at all. 😉

Was God in these details?

I suppose it depends on what you believe. 
My prayer wasn’t answered in the way I had hoped..
And yet-
Was everything just as it should have been? What if I had chosen grumpiness and frustration because of it?
How many people could have felt burdened by that choice?

It’s available 100% of the time to choose to believe in God or to choose that there is no God. 
What will you choose?
And to what degree will you choose to believe He is in the details of your life?

We went to ice cream with my granddaughter a few months ago. 
I think the shop had over 40 flavors. I read many descriptions and remained undecided as my number was called to step up and place our order. My granddaughter didn’t even hesitate for a moment. 
“I want the pink one!” She said with surety and clarity. 

How often do I remain undecided?
Stuck in uncertainty?
It’s not a happy peaceful feeling-
And yes-
We are still talking about ice cream!!

Or are we…?
Agency is a powerful gift straight from God. 
It’s a gift to be able to choose how much to believe in Him. 
It’s also a choice of what to do and think of when our belief in Him leaves us feeling unheard. 

I’m Grateful for divine wisdom. 
I’m grateful for pink ice cream.
I’m grateful for choices. 
And I’m grateful for a new grandbaby I get to pray for and I’m especially grateful that he chose to show up a few days late.

Mostly I’m grateful for God. I’m grateful I get to talk all of this over with Him. 
I’m grateful for unanswered prayers when His wisdom is greater than mine. And yet grateful for the love I feel from a perfect Heavenly Father. I’m able to simply turn to Him to give my pleas a chance to create a dialogue even when they sometimes seem to linger without place in existence. 

For in the end- 
I still choose God. 
I still choose to believe in Him. 

-JC

Cookie Dough Cakesters

Make a batch of: Chocolate Cake Cookies
2 boxed chocolate cake mixes (approx. 15 oz. each)
1 6oz. package instant chocolate pudding mix
¾ cup oil
1 ½ 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. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. 

Cookie Dough Frosting
6 Tablespoons soft butter
¾ cup packed brown sugar (I prefer dark)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ Tablespoons milk or cream
¾ cup flour (bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then cool)
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup mini chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract and milk with an electric mixer on medium-high for 30 seconds or until well incorporated. Stir in flour and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Fold cookie dough into the Buttercream Frosting.  

Buttercream Frosting
1 cup soft butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2+ Tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt

Mix butter with powdered sugar and cream until smooth.  Stir in vanilla extract and salt.  Beat on high for 2 minutes.
Pipe Cookie Dough Frosting onto the bottom (flat side) of ½ of the cookies. Top with an additional cookie. Garnish with mini chocolate chips as desired.  
Let set. Share!

I recently read that we make 10,000 decisions every day. 
It’s caused me pause to consider that statistic-
And awe of its magnitude. 
What am I choosing 10,000 times throughout my day?
Assuming there’s truth to it- such explains the degree of fatigue, exhaustion, and even peace and joy that any given day can be defined by. 
I recently took my granddaughter back-to-school shopping. 
We were hoping to find a dress she loved. We didn’t. We came home with a sweatshirt and a few hours of one-on-one time that will forever hold a place as a cherished memory. 
I’m in awe of her. I know some of what her future holds. But most of that story is hers to write in the 10,000 choices she makes each day. 
Her mom is an amazing human. I learn a lot from her. 
Our recent outing began with lunch. My granddaughter wanted to go for ramen, cheeseburgers, and macaroni and cheese. 
Yes.
All three. 
I told her to choose the one she wanted most that day. 
I giggled from the front seat as she talked through her decision, changing her mind multiple times. 
In the end- 
“Gramma- I just want something super cheesy…” won out and we had Chik-fil-a macaroni and cheese. 
We ordered and I told her to choose a seat. Even that was filled with a chat about whether a super tall seat, a bench, or a chair would be best. 
She chose a table close to the play area. 
She immediately took her shoes off and ran for a lap up the platform and down the slide. 
Moments later her kid-meal bag arrived and she ran back to the table, took a slurp of a bubbly Sprite, a bite of Mac and cheese, and was off for another lap through the play area. 
I watched the decisions she made- she would often hold the door open for another kid coming or going. 
She would sometimes help a younger child onto the first platform, as she quickly passed them ascending towards the top. 
Sometimes she would come off of the slide and round the corner to the back of the play area to busy herself with another activity. 
It would only ever be a few minutes before she returned to our table and took another bite before she was off and running again. 
This series of decisions continued for over an hour. I never intervened or guided her to stay put and eat while her food was hot. She didn’t care- so why should I…
She was flexing thousands of decisions over that hour. I was watching in awe as she pleasantly navigated them. 
I later found out-
This is normal. This is how her mom lets her “do” Chick-fil-A.
It’s brilliant. 
And necessary. 
Perhaps not the details-
But certainly the idea. 
Decision-making is important. 
Agency is our gift from God. 
We all need to learn how to use it and thus be accountable for those decisions. 
My granddaughter seems to be innately wise with her agency. Truth is-
She’s two generations stronger than me as we near the Savior’s return so she is going to need that strength. 
I was not so wise- 
Maybe I still wander a bit from the path of least resistance. 
I usually make a task harder than it needs to be.
Proof of that is held in my mom’s recent birthday celebration. I had no old-school matches and My lighter was empty. So my efforts to light her extra-tall gold candle already placed in the middle of a fudgy chocolate cake were futile. 
I went to my gas range, rolled up a notecard, grabbed a bowl outta the cupboard, and lit my rolled paper on fire with the flame from my range. I used the bowl to block air movement as I traveled across the room to light my mom’s candle. 
The flame blew out right as I tried to transfer it to the candle. 
Bummer. 
My daughter-in-law simply suggested-
“Why don’t you just light the candle at the range….”
Ok. 
Yeah. 
Duh. 
😂😂😂
But truthfully- this tells you my story. My life story. My brain usually solves a problem- just not always in the most direct or simplest of ways. 
This means- I’ve spent decades wearing myself out doing things and learning things the hard way. 
All of those 10,000 decisions every day have perhaps made me weary at times. 
And yet-
I’m very mindful of their importance. 
Perhaps intuitively so. Something about using my gift of agency is a truth familiar to my spirit. On even the smallest sub-conscious level – I recognize it as a blessing and responsibility from God. 
So how can I navigate life working through my 10,000 daily choices and avoid becoming overwhelmed?…
I have to choose what voice to listen to. 
Sometimes-
The voice is the adversary making a compelling argument. 
Sometimes-
It’s God whispering in a way that I’m challenged to drown out distractions to hear. 
And sometimes-
It’s people I’m blessed that God has placed in my path to help me. 
Sometimes the voice is hard to decipher. Sometimes I don’t listen and I fall. Sometimes I fall- but I’ve learned to get back up. 
And sometimes it’s simple. 
And I give credit to the brilliant mind who suggested I light the candle at the range and delight in getting to celebrate another birthday with Mom!!
-JC

Cookie Salad

1 small (3oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup buttermilk
8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 ½ pound strawberries hulled and cut into pieces or slices
3 bananas (chilled). Slice right before serving.
5 bags of mini fudge stripe cookies

Mix together pudding mix and buttermilk until well blended. Fold in Cool whip.
Prepare strawberries and refrigerate fruit and pudding mixture until ready to assemble.
To assemble- fold fruit and cookies into pudding mixture. Reserve some cookies to garnish the top.
Serve and share immediately.