Christmas Tea with Do Not Depart: Series Wrap-Up

December 31, 2020 by Cheli Sigler Leave a Comment

Remembering Christmas Teas of the past, the contributors to Do Not Depart endeavored to recreate the ambience and recall memories that make Christmas— Christmas. In this “wrap-up” post you will find links to every post in the series.

Ultimately the goal of the Christmas Tea series was to celebrate Jesus Christ Emmanuel and our life in Him.

JESUS

The ONE who saves us from sin and death.

CHRIST

The Messiah who frees us from every entanglement.

EMMANUEL

God who is “with us” and in us.

Week 1

Kicking off our series, Ali shared how her baking of Scottish shortbread connects her family to her Scottish roots and identity in Shortbread, Family, and Identity in Christ. As comforting as it is to share family identity, Ali writes about the beauty of our shared identity in Christ. She writes, “We have the same joys (the joy of the Lord is our strength) the same love (we love because He first loved us), and we are connected into the ‘togetherness’ that is His body.”

Week 2

Only a baker at Christmastime, Jaime shares her tried-and-true yeast bread recipe. In her post, His Word Proves True, she explains how baking yeast bread is a practice of patience and promise. Pointing us to The Word Made Flesh, she writes, “Like bread in a proving drawer God’s Word is actively working, even in moments of stillness, to bring about his perfect purpose.”

Once a year Lisa pulls out the recipe for Miss Miriam’s Surprise bars. The bars require some extra work, but the delight of the first bite makes it worth it. In her post, Wait for It– Expect a Surprise from Jesus (+a Christmas Recipe), Lisa reminds us that “It’s the same with Jesus. Sometimes we have to wait a little longer than we expect to see what He’s up to. But His gifts are always worth the wait….His surprises are the best kind.”

Week 3

In The Gift of Presence, I reminisce about my friend Luella, her famous yeast roll recipe, and the gift of her presence in my life. My memories of her prompt me to think of Jesus and His presence as “God with us.” Connecting the two thoughts I wrote, “My friendship with Luella proves that when we connect and encourage one another in love we practice the presence of Christ.

If you listen closely, you will hear the music and laughter spilling out of Shootin’ Star Ranch as you read Grace that Jingles. Jennifer’s vivid account of Christmas spent at her grandparents’ home is alive with grace and joy only Jesus can bring. She writes, “…grace given and grace received free us up for joy, and for laughter.” Her Nana’s Spanish Coffee Cake is sure to delight as well.

Week 4

In her post, The Simple Sweetness of Christmas, Kelli reminds us that Christmas does not have to be complicated, hectic, or crazy. We often make it that way to measure up to an idea of Christmas perfection. She shares a simple fudge recipe to point out that the absolute best things can be simple and sweet. Kelli says, “The first Christmas was messy… but it was simple and sweet and perfect as well.”

In her post, Christmas in a Teacup, guest contributor Marilyn Armstrong shares how our gracious God multiplies our giving, expanding the value of our humble gifts. She writes, “Christmas in a teacup is God’s unending story of giving, persevering, sharing, joy, friendship, and so much more continues to be written.”

Week 5

Rounding out our Christmas Tea series, Cheri Novak, guest contributor, encourages us to build community, despite current circumstances. In The Gift of Community she challenges us, “I hope you will join me in identifying new members of your tribe and finding the ones with whom you can share and receive Christ’s love in the new year.”

Although impossible to replicate a Christmas Tea in a virtual setting, it is my hope that our collected recipes, memories, and reflections on God’s Word have blessed you throughout the Christmas season. A verse Marilyn shared, is a perfect closing for this series:

“Gather the goodwill of Christmas.

Tuck it safely inside your heart.

And give it away, one kind moment at a time, throughout the year.”

— Author Unknown

From all of us at DoNotDepart.com, Happy New Year!

The Gift of Community

December 29, 2020 by Guest Post 2 Comments

Our Christmas Tea series continues with one last post. Joining us today as a guest contributor, is Cheri Novak.

I’m not sure how many hours I logged as a child in Judy Jones’ kitchen. Whether it was eating her pickle and peanut butter sandwiches after school or preparing a stuffed pork loin with her daughter, a professional chef, I was the honorary sous chef and official taster. During the time I shared in her kitchen, I tried new things, learned the importance of a properly seared protein, and the sheer joy of a simple scoop of ice cream.

I also learned about community and the give and take that it requires. Community building is not always easy work, but the work is never wasted.

Community Defined

When you’re a pastor’s kid, like me, church becomes a natural, built-in community. I didn’t have to work very hard to find it. There was always someone in the church who was available for the preacher’s kids.

Judy was one of those people who was always available for my sister and me. When I ran errands with Judy, I noticed that whether we went to the wallpaper store, the window repair store or the post office, there was always someone who stopped us to talk. Most of these folks weren’t people I knew from church. Instead, the people we talked to were part of Judy’s extended community and with whom she had shared her love of God.

I learned that community was found inside and outside of the walls of the church and it took work to develop.

There is a special love between those who comprise our tribes. The ones who love us and care for us at our very best and in those sacred moments when we are at our very worst. Sometimes we are the giver and sometimes the receiver. When we are having parties, it seems fun and easy to be in community. When we are facing divorce or death or a crisis of faith, it is hard. But in every situation, it is always a gift.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. –John 15:12-13

Community Developed

I went to Taylor University after high school. On day one, I met my roommate, Robin. Little did I know then that she would marry one of my dearest hometown friends. Together, Robin and I would amass a tribe of girls (eight of us altogether). During college, we grew to know and love each other as family. Many bonding moments were shared at Ivanhoe’s in Upland, Indiana, over a “Cookie Smash” – a huge cookie topped with a giant scoop of ice cream and hot fudge. It was the sort of sundae you could eat whole in your 20s, but it would require 8 spoons now!

No two girls in our tribe of eight are alike, but we have held each other through the years in some of the most sacred hours that we could know. Last week, all eight of us were on a Zoom call. It has been 30 years since we first met at Taylor, but the root of our bond, formed in a community of faith, remains. We laughed and giggled and shared our joys and heartaches as if no time had passed.

Community Uncovered

After college, finding that deep sense of community has not always been easy. I have made several moves and I have lots of friends. However, relocations and the reality of life often make finding local community a challenge. A little over a year ago, my husband, Mark, and I experienced a deep, unexpected loss. Seemingly out of nowhere, in the void of that loss, a tribe began to form right in our village. While it seemed to happen on its own, the community that we found came from our yearning and our willingness to give and receive grace. This year, in addition to our lingering grief, we were dealt the body blow of an unanticipated health crisis. Our local friends have shown us Christ in unexpected ways and the value of His community has been underscored.

Despite (or maybe because of) the quarantining of 2020, our tribe continues to grow. On Christmas night, a few of us gathered for hot cocoa and cookies. When I surveyed the surrounding joy, I couldn’t help being deeply thankful for God’s gift of community.

As we look toward 2021 and our homebound reality lingers, we anticipate that a larger circle of community will form. I hope you will join me in identifying new members of your tribe and finding the ones with whom you can share and receive Christ’s love in the new year.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:9-13, NIV

“I hope you will join me in identifying new members of your tribe and finding the ones with whom you can share and receive Christ’s love in the new year.” #JesusChristEmmanuel

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Christmas in a Teacup

December 24, 2020 by Guest Post 3 Comments

Merry Christmas! Thank you for joining us for our current series, Christmas Tea. Joining us today, as a guest contributor, is Marilyn Armstrong.

GIFTS MADE

There I was with my two wide-eyed, cheery-faced, giggle-hearted, elf-like helpers, 18-months and 4-years old, making the annual 100 dozen Christmas cookies! Yes, traditional insanity! We, again, practiced egg-cracking, flour sifting, and butter smearing on cookie sheets or whatever was — reachable. We mastered how to spill sugar, detest spices, like vanilla, and lick beaters, fingers, spoons, and bowls!

GIVING CELEBRATED

My two elves and I embarked on our holiday tin deliveries to elderly and homebound friends. We, even, delivered a decent “percentage” of our goal-set Christmas cookie craziness. At each house, my elf-helpers bubbled over with escalating — joy and pride! Gifted with the “elves’” giving, every house mirrored joy for receiving and pride for being remembered. These ongoing “who’s next?” visits transformed the flour bowl sneezes, spilled sugar, food color stains, burnt offerings, and tantrum tears into an unanticipated treasured value, an enduring “sweetness.”

GIVING RePURPOSED

When the shared joy and pride of the elf-moment-giving subsided, one “house,” particularly memorable, was Eric and Marie Wenzlaff’s. Marie, like others, invited us to stay. Classically German, she was not to be denied. Their home was laced with awards and autographed photos of well-known people who dined at Wenzlaff’s Famous Restaurant. Mementos and curios from Chicago events and world travel adorned every view. Looking around her home, an uneasiness crept up in me and collided with a longing to just sit and visit. My wiser angels lost — or maybe not?

Awkwardly engaged in the warmth of the moment’s chat, Marie, sharp-eyed and adept, suddenly broke the tone and swiftly spoke in her German brogue, “Madelyn, Madelyn, Madelyn, vot joo gawt muwch more praeshus den vot I gawt, let’s tawlk!!!” Marie’s abrupt, yet warm, sincerity conflicted with the myriad of collectibles my astonished eyes saw, yet “tawlk” we did! She wanted to be with us, no matter what broke.

GIVING MULTIPLIED

When leaving, she wrapped and gave me a teacup and saucer, from her travels. Her brusque intervention, “Madelyn, Madelyn, Madelyn, vot joo gawt muwch more praeshus den vot I gawt, let’s tawlk,” was forever memorialized in that teacup and saucer, forever demanding a place of favor in every home we lived in. Over the years, the teacup’s delicate beauty, skillfully painted, prompted comments and inquiry. How I loved these opportunities to tell the teacup’s story of gift-on-gift revealing the multiplied goodness of God-empowered giving.

Where we began — pre-schoolers’ practicing Christmas cookie making, Christmas in a teacup is God’s unending story of giving, persevering, sharing, joy, friendship, and so much more continues to be written. As Jesus’ said,

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38, NIV).

“Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity” (Luke 6:38, MSG)

“Gather the goodwill of Christmas.

Tuck it safely inside your heart.

And give it away, one kind moment at a time, throughout the year.”

— Author Unknown

Christmas in a Teacup is the story of gift-on-gift revealing the multiplied goodness of God-empowered giving. #JesusChristEmmanuel

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This recipe has been adapted from “Hot Spiced Tea for the Holidays” found at www.allrecipes.com.

The Simple Sweetness of Christmas

December 22, 2020 by Kelli LaFram Leave a Comment

When I was a girl my grandmother made the most amazing fudge during the holidays. I could never get enough of it and I often ate more than my fair share. When I got older and had children of my own, I attempted to recreate her fudge. It didn’t go so well and, being the perfectionist that I was, I felt like a failure. I had failed. I never attempted Grandma’s fudge again.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21

It is easy to get caught up in the outward trappings of Christmas — the tinsel, the toys, the ornaments and trees, the things that are beautiful and pleasing to the eye. The desire to create a delicious Christmas feast and an awe-inspiring table setting can become the center of our focus.

I believe that many of us do this out of a desire to create wonderful Christmas memories for ourselves and our loved one, but for some there is another motive to our actions. It is our hope that we will be seen as perfectly polished and put-together. We want to be seen as capable, creative, and accomplished.

We don’t want to be seen as a human with limited skill — as a person unable to provide the flaw-free Christmas we dream of.

But we are human. We will disappoint ourselves and others. Life is not perfect and it won’t be until Jesus returns.

This drive to be seen as perfect can manifest itself beyond the holidays. It can easily show up in our everyday lives and in our walk with God. In a world where everyone posts their best moments to Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, it can be easy to look at others and think “I’ve got to be perfect too.”

But perfection is not our reality yet.

Christ sees our flaws, knows our shortcomings and understands our limits. He has a front row seat to our sin — our poor attitudes, our prideful desire to be seen better than we are, our tendencies to forget Him on Christmas — and He steps into the mess with us anyway.

On the day Jesus was born there was no tinsel or toys, not perfectly sweet fudge, no mother stressing about the Christmas feast. There was only a small family, the agony of childbirth, and a dirty feeding trough to use a crib.

The first Christmas was messy… but it was simple and sweet and perfect as well.

The first Christmas was the chapter in the redemption story that would eventually lead to the atonement for our sins. That atonement was made on the cross several years later.

Years after my first and only attempt at Grandma’s fudge, I opened a can of condensed milk by mistake. I didn’t want it to go to wasts, so I googled “condensed milk recipes” and came across a 3-ingredient fudge recipe that is made in the microwave.

In the microwave! Can you believe it!?!

The fudge was oh so yummy — not nearly as good as Grandma’s, but my family enjoyed it anyway and they asked to make it again the next day. And guess what? I did because of the simplicity of it.

What’s the point of my fudge story? Life doesn’t need to be our version of perfect to be sweet. Simple things like simple 3-ingredient fudge recipes can be tasty and pleasing.

And here is something else that is simple and sweet and does not require our perfection: the Gospel. It’s the truth that we are sinners who can not save ourselves. We are in need of a saviour who loves us and is willing to pay the penalty of our sin on our behalf. There is only one who can (and did!) do that for us — His name is Jesus.

Lord, please help us to keep our eyes focused on your Son and the reason for His birth. Helps us to always remember that He was born on Christmas day so that He could die for our sins and rise again to make us perfect and holy in your sight. Thank you for loving us. In your name. Amen.

3-Ingredient Fudge

INGREDIENTS

1 can Sweetened Condensed milk (14 ounces)
2 cups (1 12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Butter a square pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal of set fudge. Set aside.
In a microwave safe 2 quart bowl, heat chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir to combine. If needed, heat an additional 30 seconds. Stir until chips are completely melted and chocolate is smooth.
Stir in vanilla extract. Pour fudge into prepared pan. Let fudge cool completely before cutting into 1 inch squares. (you can place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to speed up the process.)
Store in an airtight container. Fudge does not need to be kept refrigerated.

For the complete set of directions and tips visit https://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/3-minute-fudge/.

Photos from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More.

Grace that Jingles

December 17, 2020 by Jennifer Hong Leave a Comment

As we continue our Christmas Tea, complete with holiday memories and favorite recipes, I invite you back to the Shootin’ Star Ranch in the 1980’s. A good ways outside of Houston, Texas, my Nana and Grandaddy’s little ranch house was one of the loudest, happiest places I’ve known. Holidays there meant big hugs, good food, and lots of laughter.

The final mile of our drive to the Shootin’ Star Ranch was down a red dirt road, often in the dark, with the moon “following us” out my window and anticipation fluttering in my chest. As we pulled up to the Ranch and opened the station wagon doors, we were met with the cold night air. The back patio door squeaked open, and loud voices and laughter spilled with the warm yellow light out of the house and into the lawn.

Days at the Ranch were not just peppered with laughter – some evenings were designed just for laughing. As kids, we cousins only caught a fraction of the jokes as our parents, aunts, and uncles let loose playing charades late into the night. Other nights were devoted to “Life’s Most Embarrassing Moments” – an annual opportunity for informal, stand-up comedy, each of us bringing our most cringe-worthy experiences of the year for the amusement of all. We howled and guffawed until cheeks ached and faces were streaked with tears. Eventually, we kids were sent to sleep as the adults’ laughter went on and on.

Sleep was hard to come by with the adults cutting up late into the night just outside our door — sometimes chuckles, often a chorus of belly laughs, it was always punctuated by my Nana’s cascading cackles. Nana laughed with joy and abandon. Eventually we slept, awaking the next morning to the aroma of Nana’s Spanish coffee cake, a delicious holiday morning staple.

My Nana and her children didn’t laugh so easily because life was so easy. She navigated a solid share of struggles and pain. Raising my father and his siblings was no easy task, to put it mildly, and they each had their own share of heartache as adults, too. But Nana lived with great grace and took much joy in her children and grandchildren. When our lives took unexpected turns, Nana’s warm welcome was unswerving.

Grace that Jingles

I think that grace, with all of its second chances and words of encouragement given out along the way, left my Nana free to laugh. Over the years, Nana exemplified Colossians 3:13-14 as she brought up our family:

“…bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:13-14)

When I let go of my strain towards perfectionism and instead see myself as a mistake-maker who is so grateful for God’s good grace, I find myself lighter. When I see my children similarly, recognizing that of course they stumble and need grace, too, I am slower to scold and quicker to enjoy their playfulness. It seems grace given and grace received free us up for joy, and for laughter.

My Dad’s family was not particularly musical, though a few of my cousins are now extraordinary musicians. Rather than carols and bells, our holiday soundtrack was more of a laugh track, but it jingled nonetheless. As my own family enters this last week of Advent, I’m looking to lean into grace, throw off the pettiness that can so easily entangle me, and enjoy my own energetic, wildcard family with laughter and grace. We’ll also wake on Christmas to the smell of Nana’s Spanish Coffee Cake. Merry Christmas!

Spanish Coffee Cake

Ingredients
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
⅓ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vegetable oil. Remove ½ cup of the mixture and set aside.
Add in the baking soda and baking powder.
Beat together the buttermilk and egg. Add half of this to the flour mixture and beat for two minutes. Then add the rest and beat for an additional two minutes.
Pour into a greased, floured 9”x13” pan. Sprinkle on top the ½ cup of crumbs set aside in the second step and sprinkle on the almonds.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

The Gift of Presence

December 15, 2020 by Cheli Sigler 2 Comments

The aromas and flavors of Christmas evoke memories of Christmases past and the people who made them special. This year I remember my friend Luella; her presence in my life was a gift. What do I remember most? Luella consistently pointed people to Christ’s presence— the BEST gift of all.

Presence Remembered

Now, a member of the “great cloud of witnesses,” Luella Webb was a fixture in my life from elementary school through my early motherhood. In the community she was an artist, home economist, teacher, and an active member of the Body of Christ. To me she was a spiritual mentor and a friend. Luella is exactly who I think of when I read 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

My home is graced with many evidences of Luella’s presence in my life. The most prized, is a recipe that I make every year during the holidays— Luella Webb’s Ice Box Rolls. Mixing, kneading, and pounding the dough, memories of Luella wash over me. I can hear her voice and imagine her presence in the kitchen as I work. My memory of Luella is testimony to God’s work in her life and in mine.

Years of milk and butter stains embedding the recipe is proof this is a treasured memento of Luella Webb’s presence in my life.

Perfect Presence

As sweet as the gift of friendship, sweeter still is Christ’s presence. This gift was promised in Isaiah 7:14, and delivered at Jesus’ birth:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). Matthew 1:22-23

Thus, the perfectly sinless Jesus entered our world, fully human and fully divine. His was not an aloof presence, no, Jesus served people, engaged the culture, and made a way for us to enjoy His presence forever.

As Believers in Jesus we experience His presence in our lives for eternity from the moment of our salvation. In fact, God gave us the the Holy Spirit so we can know the indwelling of Christ in our hearts.

… according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… Ephesians 3:16-17

Through the help of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s presence in our hearts grows and grows. As our faith matures, may we know more and more the reality of Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Share Christ’s Presence

My friendship with Luella proves that when we connect and encourage one another in love we practice the presence of Christ. Help others experience the BEST gift of all. Who will you share Christ’s presence with today?

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Merry Christmas!

When we connect and encourage one another in love we practice the presence of Christ. #JesusChristEmmanuel

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Wait for It—Expect a Surprise from Jesus (+ a Christmas Recipe)

December 10, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 12 Comments

I pull out the bent recipe card. It gets removed from my recipe box only once a year.

I have my sister-in-law’s name written in the corner of the card: Bonnie. She must have introduced the recipe to us, but I remember it most because my mom would bake this delightful dessert every Christmas.

And I would look forward to its goodness.

It’s called Miss Miriam’s Surprise.

But none of us know why. I suppose Miss Miriam originated it, wherever and whoever she is.

Sometimes when I make it I rename it: Caramel Chocolate Bars. It seems more descriptive. You know what you’re going to get with a name like that.

But Miss Miriam’s Surprise? Who knows what that might taste like?

Expect a Surprise

In any given year, we can’t predict what surprises will come. In 2020, least of all.

A year ago, who knew we’d be wearing masks and canceling large gatherings for Christmas, or worse, praying for the sick and mourning our losses? These aren’t the types of surprises we like.

But despite our frustrations and pains with those surprises, we can also be watchful for another surprise: the good surprise of how Jesus will show up in our midst.

Even when the days are darkest, we can trust that the Light will glimmer for us somewhere. Maybe He doesn’t show up in the spot we look first. But we can remain hopeful that good is always on the way because God is always with us.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:21-23

Wait for Your Surprise

When I make Miss Miriam’s Surprise again this December, I have to set aside the clock. I know it’s going to take longer to prepare than I plan for. I typically get tired of unwrapping all the caramels. And I get a tad frustrated that the dough is hard to spread.

But I can expect that a good surprise is coming when I pull it out of the oven. When I put that first bite in my mouth, I know the expectation was worth it. It tastes like Christmas to me. It’s a treat that doesn’t fail.

It’s the same with Jesus. Sometimes we have to wait a little longer than we expect to see what He’s up to. But His gifts are always worth the wait.

Just wait for them. Wait for Jesus. His surprises are the best kind.

“The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”
Lamentations 3:25-26

Miss Miriam’s Surprise

a.k.a. Caramel Chocolate Bars

Ingredients

One 11-ounce bag of Kraft caramel candy squares
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 box German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (optional)

Instructions

Mix cake mix with 1/3 cup evaporated milk and 3/4 cup butter. Stir in nuts (optional). Refrigerate half of dough.
Press unrefrigerated half of dough in 13×9 greased pan. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes. Remove from oven.
Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips on cooked dough.
Remove plastic wrap from caramels. Melt caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Pour on top of cooked dough.
Drop refrigerated cake mixture by spoonfuls over the caramel and cooked dough.
Bake 15-18 minutes. Cool 30 minutes before cutting.

Wait for it. Expect a good surprise from Jesus! (+ A Christmas recipe) #JesusChristEmmanuel

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Do you have a favorite Christmas recipe? What’s been a pleasant surprise you’ve received this year? Please share with us in the comments.

His Word Proves True

December 8, 2020 by Jaime Hilton Leave a Comment

Christmas is the only time of year I fancy myself a baker. Almost any other time of year I can acknowledge my own limitations and go with the store-bought goodies. But something about the holiday season calls me to the kitchen to try my hand at homemade treats.

Baking is an interesting challenge, equal parts art, and science. Bread, in particular, fascinates me. When done well, there are few accomplishments as satisfying and delicious as a well-baked bread. However, it can be a huge disappointment if even one small element goes wrong. The most accomplished bakers are brought to their knees by the difficulty of baking a perfect loaf. I’ve watched a lot of the Great British Baking Show, so I know what I’m talking about!

I used to think it all came down to the yeast. A tiny bit of yeast used properly and the dough will double in size. Yeast has to be kneaded; coaxed through and broken down so it will work through the dough.

Yeast makes for an interesting little metaphor. It is used throughout Scripture as a picture of how quickly and thoroughly influence – good or bad – can spread. Jesus taught his disciples that the kingdom of heaven was like leaven (yeast) hidden (or mixed) into three measures of flour (Matthew 13:33) but he also warned them about the “leaven of the Pharisees”:

“How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:11-12

“This Bread Will Change Your Life”, She Said

A few years ago I found a recipe for Stir and Pour Bread. It was so simple, the blogger’s three-year-old could make it. I watched him do it on the video. Amazing! I gave it a try and managed to make, not one – not two – but three loaves of bread! Each one was perfect and delicious. Sweet success!

But what about the kneading and the yeast? What about the spiritual analogy??

I don’t know exactly why the Stir and Pour bread works so well. But I know bread, once it’s mixed with the yeast, needs time. That’s the trick. Leaving it alone in the proving drawer for the right amount of time. Unlike other recipes that can be tweaked along the way, once the bread is in the drawer, it’s done. There is nothing you can do to fix it. It either rises correctly or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t rise… well, I suppose there’s always next year!

Give It Time

This has been a long year of waiting. In chapter 18, verse 30, the Psalmist writes “This God — his way is perfect. The word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Like bread in a proving drawer (or sitting on the shelf of your counter, like in my house) God’s Word is actively working, even in moments of stillness, to bring about his perfect purpose.

Like bread in a proving drawer, God’s Word is always actively working, even in moments of stillness, to bring about his perfect purpose. #ChristmasTeaClick To Tweet

Christmas is a time when we remember God as the Keeper of Promises. From the very beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed, bringing sin into the world, God had a plan for redemption and restoration. As He cursed them, He spoke of the rescue plan that was already in motion. “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

But it was thousands of years before this prophecy came true! The people of Israel had to be born, formed into a nation, given a homeland, go through the trials of having a king, and the whole cycle of provision, disobedience, discipline, obedience, and rescue, over and over again. At every step, God reminded them that a permanent solution was coming. His promise would not fail.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon[fn] his shoulder,

and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Then for hundreds of years, the people of Israel waited for the Messiah in silence. No more prophecies came until at last, a barren, elderly couple and a young, unmarried woman, heard good news from an angel. Jesus was born and God’s Word proved true. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” Romans 16:20

Simple Stir and Pour Bread

Here is the recipe I use to bake bread (it’s from The Heavenly Homemaker) Whether you’re an awesome baker or a mess in the kitchen like me, I hope your baked goods remind you that God keeps His promises!

Ingredients

4 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
2 teaspoons active rise yeast
2 Tablespoons sucanat or sugar or honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg (optional)
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
2 cups warm water

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together.
Cover and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
Pour contents into a well-buttered cake pan or 1 well-buttered 9″ loaf pan.
Bake in a 425° oven for 20-25 minutes (cake pan) or in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes (loaf pan) or until evenly browned.

Notes – If you have egg or dairy allergies, skip the egg and cream and you’ll still turn out a great bread.

Shortbread, Family, and Identity in Christ

December 3, 2020 by Ali Shaw 2 Comments

Throughout the month of December, we are hosting a virtual Christmas Tea, and in this post I share about Shortbread, Family, and Identity in Christ.

My Christmastime memories often are tied to sweet creations with my mother. Growing up, I loved baking with mom!

One of my favorite things to do was to bake cookies. Measuring ingredients, creaming butter, mixing dough– I loved it all!

It was a happy and joyful time filled with love and laughter, and delicious smells emanating from the oven.

As most kids do, I thoroughly enjoyed every cookie that we made, but I definitely had my favorite, and it’s still one of my favorites today. I love the simple, golden, buttery taste of shortbread.

Family Identity

My ancestry is a bit of a “Heinz 57” mix, and one part of that mix is Scottish. As mom and I baked shortbread she would often tell me that it was no wonder I liked it so much, since the shortbread and I were both Scottish!

As a child, I found her little joke intriguing. Could I really like something just because my ancestors liked it, and because I was somehow connected to them? And though I didn’t have words for it then as a small child, it made me feel like I belonged. I felt connected with a long family line that went way before me, full of people I would never get to know.

Yet we had something in common… a love for this little golden treat!

And when I grew up, I passed down the recipe to my children and used the same simple opportunity of Christmastime baking to teach my girls (without them even realizing they were being taught) that love, joy, and togetherness is a privilege that can flow from one’s identity.

Identity in Christ

Simple traditions, like baking Shortbread cookies, can express and remind us of our identity in Christ.

Just as a little Christmas-cookie baking could teach me about my familial identity, spending time with the Lord teaches me about my identity in Christ. Though I will never get to meet most of my siblings in the family of God, I know that we are united together.

We have the same joys (the joy of the Lord is our strength) the same love (we love because He first loved us), and we are connected into the “togetherness” that is His body.

And this is why Jesus came, isn’t it? He came to offer eternal life and complete reconciliation with God to those who believe; He came to welcome any who would receive Him into His family. We belong with Christ; we are His children.

Resting in this truth (resting in Him) gives us peace that passes understanding. Cheli said in the intro post to this series, “It is my prayer that you will know the hope, peace, joy, and love of God throughout the Christmas season.”

It feels pretty delicious to belong and to know who you are. It brings us hope, peace, joy, and love!

Sottish Shortbread Recipe

If you would like to make Scottish Shortbread that tastes like what I grew up eating, here is my recipe:

1 Stick of butter, plus 3 Tablespoons (room temperature)
½ cup of powdered sugar
1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons of flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream the butter and gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until it’s fluffy.
Sift the flour and salt into the creamed butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Press the dough into a 9 inch pie pan and prick the surface with a fork. Score it into 16 or 20 wedges (as if you were slicing pieces of pie), cutting only halfway through the dough.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until it is firm in the center and golden on the edges.
Cool in the pan, then flip out onto a cutting board and slice through the score marks to serve.

What simple traditions do you do with your family that express or remind you of your identity in Christ?

Share with us in the comments.

Simple traditions, like baking Shortbread cookies, can express and remind us of our identity in Christ. Read more on the blog. #JesusChristEmmanuel #ChristmasTea

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May you be blessed sweetly as you draw near Christ and focus on your identity in Him.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Ali

Christmas Tea with Do Not Depart

December 1, 2020 by Cheli Sigler 4 Comments

As lights are dimmed, the candles glow amid beautiful Christmas greenery. Equally beautiful are outfits of red and green with accents of gold and silver. Together with Christmas music the backdrop for a Christmas Tea is complete.

It looks like Christmas. It sounds like Christmas.

From savory hors d’oeurvres and holiday treats, aromas overtake the senses. One bite transports a person to a Christmas memory from long ago.

It smells like Christmas. It tastes like Christmas.

Fellowship in the form of encouraging words, shared memories, and warm hugs envelopes the room.

It feels like Christmas.

Before the Christmas Tea ends, our attention focuses on The Word Made Flesh:

JESUS

The ONE who saves us from sin and death.

CHRIST

The Messiah who frees us from every entanglement.

EMMANUEL

God who is “with us” and in us.

This is Christmas.

You are invited to join Do Not Depart for a virtual Christmas Tea throughout the month of December. Inspired by recipes of Christmases past each contributor will share a Christmas memory and a message from God’s Word. We will even share the recipe that inspires the post, like we would share a recipe at a Christmas Tea.

It is my prayer that you will know the hope, peace, joy, and love of God throughout the Christmas season. Join us as we gather at the blog to celebrate the birth and presence of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.

Join us as we gather at the blog to celebrate the birth and presence of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel. #JesusChristEmmanuel

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