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Say Yes to More Mud Puddles: Reclaiming Joy in Childhood
Have we taken too much JOY out of childhood? Are we so concerned about doing everything perfectly that we’ve forgotten how to just have fun? More importantly, have we regulated all the fun out of childhood? She came inside from riding bikes and asked if she could jump in the puddle. Bonus points for her asking prior to becoming a muddy mess! (Heaven not Harvard shares links as a participant in affiliate programs including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.) Would I say Yes to more mud puddles? I…
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Jesus as Clark Kent
My inner geek is going to show for just a second here. I love superhero origin stories. My favorite part of the story is watching them learn who they truly are, struggle with their powers, choose the responsibility of sacrificial heroism. Can you imagine Jesus as Clark Kent? Jesus is the ultimate hero, but we really don’t know what his life was like before he was the teacher we know. I really wish we could see those early moments of Jesus’s life. Talk about the origin of the hero of all heroes! This advent, I’ve been really focusing on Christ’s coming to earth, becoming human, really imagining what that had…
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Caramel Chocolate-Chip Walnut Chocolate Brownies
This recipe is a twist on typical caramel brownies. Like caramel brownies? You’ll Love these! I’m sharing this recipe that was handed down by my mom. I have no idea where she found it or if it was supposed to be a secret I’ll take to my grave (shhhh), but these are delicious and a Christmas staple in our home. Ingredients 1 pkg German Chocolate Cake Mix 1 pkg caramel bits (found in baking aisle near other baking chips) 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (or margarine) 1 5 oz. can of evaporated milk 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts Melt the butter and add to dry…
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The Light of the World
I’m a work in progress. I was a bit of a pushy, bossy porcupine for a long time, intent on controlling my world and all the hurtful things in it. Every day, I work toward being different and walking the difficult road to change people’s expectations of me. Christmas is a huge chance to demonstrate a shift in my heart towards humility and gentleness. 1 John 1:7 ESV “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” My house is decked with lights and holiday greenery, wreaths and…
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Reindeer Cookies
Want to learn how to make the tastiest activity this Christmas season? Saturday was the 50th Anniversary of the first airing of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I wasn’t born when it first aired, but not too long after. It is part of some of my earliest Christmas memories. To celebrate, we watched the movie I’ve carefully kept on the DVR for over a year, then we made reindeer cookies. My daughter had her little friends over, they all sat on the same Tinkerbell chair (3 tushies one chair, LOL), then they helped shape the cookies and press in the pretzel antlers. We sang Rudolph at the top of our lungs…
