Amanda Stephan's Blog: God is Good, God is Great, page 35

I'm Just a Child!

We were in the middle of our Algebra lesson. Yes, Algebra. Not Pre-Algebra, but Algebra and things weren't working out very well for us.



My son and I were having a...muddy day.



There are certain days that we can surf right through our Algebra lesson without a hitch. He learns it, I'm refreshed, we get along, and all goes well.



This is *not* always the case.

There are some days when our lesson seems to be as clear as the proverbial mud, or, as clear as the blackest of black coffees.



This was one of those days.



It wasn't going well. My daughter had just hit the halfway mark of her entire seatwork, and my son and I hadn't even finished the lesson part. Sheesh! Could it get any worse?!



My son has attention problems. I'm not saying he's A.D.D. because we haven't had him tested, but I am saying...ooh look! A red headed woodpecker just landed in the tree! Is that sirens I hear? I think I left the dog out. Do you hear that backhoe that's a mile down the road? They're working on the ditch again.. all within the space of five minutes. I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure of some things, and I've considered calling the Government and requesting a no-fly zone be declared over our house.



Things would just be better that way.



Anyway. I digress.

We were having a muddy day, and it seems that those muddy days are some of the funniest and most endearing days. Oxymoron-ic sounding, right?



Well, I was about to bash my head against the white-board before going over the problem set for the sixth time, when he looked up at me, his big, adorable brown eyes wide, and he says...



"Mom. I'm just a child in these things. A child."



With all the seriousness of a preacher at a funeral.





And I had to laugh.



Because, if you remember, a long while ago, I talked about how the Bible says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." and I take that seriously. (Praise God for HuMoR)



But while I giggled like a hyena and we did finally get the point of the lesson (I take back all those times I said I was never going to use this...) he did bring me to another thought.



How we should be like children in certain areas.

Like anger. And malice.



You remember the days when you and your best friend were on the outs and you swore you were never going to speak to her again? Then, after only ten minutes, you couldn't stand it anymore and you were the best of friends again? That's what I'm talking about.



Quick to forgive.

Quick to make up and get over it.

Quick to bury the hatchet and knock the chip off your shoulder because life is just better with your friend.



"Suffer the little children to come unto me." See, there's something special about a child. They believe. They forgive. They love.



Isn't it time we were a bit more childish about some of the important things? Like forgiveness and malice?

Yep. That's going to be my New Year's Resolution. But I'm not going to wait to begin.

I'm starting right now. How about you?





www.BooksByAmanda.com

Railroad Cookies For Christmas

Holiday Baking at my house has begun. Saturday I
churned out 5 1/2  dozen Railroad Cookies (also known as Date Nut
Pinwheels) which I believe were called that because Railroaders would take them in their lunches. Seeing that I am in charge of the Staff Appreciation Snack Bar
at my daughter's school that is just the beginning of the cookie
express which chugged on today as I made several dozen Russian Tea Cookies. On the agenda for later this week are Chocolate Thumbprint cookies with
Kisses in the middle, lemon cookies made from lemon cake mix, raspberry
filled cookies, Peanut Butter cookies, and
possibly Frosted Shortbread and spice cookies If I have time to fit them all in by Wednesday evening.



Some of these cookies will also be for my husband to take to work and
for our family to eat at Christmas so I'm glad we have freezer space. I
personally have never frozen cookies, but my mother assures me they
thaw out nicely.



I took pictures of the Railroad Cookie process (with my old camera
because my new Nikon didn't come with an HDMI cord for downloading ~
sigh) and I thought I would share them and the recipe with all those of
you who might want to add an old fashioned cookie that's a little
different to your list of great cookies to make with kids. These might  not be as easy to make with kids as some recipes but the mixing part is fun and they are so tasty too. And that is straight from the mouth of my seven year old who doesn't even like dates and turned her nose up at these cookies until she actually tasted one!



Merry Christmas and Happy Baking!




















 






























 





 

Dough~

1 Cup Vegetable Shortning

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup packed Brown Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

4 Cups Unbleached Flour

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Creme Of Tartar

1/2 tsp salt (I use real salt brand because it's unprocessed)



Filling~

2 Eight Ounce Packages of Dates

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts



In large bowl cream shortening and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla
beating well. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of the flour with the rest
of the dry ingredients.  Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture and stir
well. Next add remaining flour which will form a stiff dough when
mixed. If you don't have a stand mixer have fun and use your hands (kids
love this part). Separate into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap, and
chill for two hours.



After dough is chilled roll one package out into a 9 x 13 rectangle. I
use a silicon mat which helps me to roll the dough into the perfect
size. Make sure to use flour when rolling out the dough so it doesn't
tear or stick to the rolling pin.



Make filling by combining dates, sugar, and water in a small saucepan
on medium heat. Stir constantly until thickened to prevent scorching
(about three minutes) then add vanilla and walnuts. Place half of the
mixture on your dough and gently spread until the whole rectangle is
covered. Roll longwise into a log, slice, and place on a lightly greased
cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350
degrees and bake for twelve minutes or until light brown. Remove from
cooking sheet and place on cooling racks. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen.



So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general. 



www.BooksByAmanda.com

Christmas Devotional - The Birth of Jesus

The Christmas season is already starting that familiar rush for me. I know that the schedule is starting to look crazy and the present shopping is in full swing. Let’s take a few minutes today to pause and refocus on the event that started it all: the real meaning of Christmas.




Today we’re looking at our next event in the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus. We’ve already seen how Mary was willing and obedient in the face of the unknown and how Joseph was obedient in the face of the known. Now, the time has come and we read how God took on flesh.




Luke 2:1-7 – “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”






The promise was fulfilled. In fact, those 7 verses detail the fulfillment of prophecies from the Old Testament including Micah 5:2 that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem and Isaiah 7:14 that the Messiah will be born of a virgin. Of course, we don’t want to forget the most often quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16. These verses in Luke explain how God sent His Son into the world to fulfill the promise in the remainder of the verse. These seven verses in Luke represent God keeping His promise to mankind that He will provide a deliverer, a savior.




Even today, we see God promising things in our own lives. The Bible contains several promises that apply to our life every day. God promises to love us, to care for us, to meet our needs. He promises to help us be obedient to Him and guide our path. We can trust Him to fulfill His promises to us because in these seven verses in Luke, God kept the biggest and most important promise of all. He provided a Savior, His own Son born as a baby, that we celebrate at Christmas.




Kristi Burchfiel, Christian devotional author and speaker

Living in the World – Living out the Word

Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook pagewww.BooksByAmanda.com

Celebrating the Season

If you are a diligent follower of our blog, I imagine you have given up logging in on Thursdays!  My well of writing tips has not only dried up, I think it's been filled in with cement and paved over as a parking lot.  So today I have no new suggestions on writing well.  However, since this is one of my favorite times of the year, I wanted to share with you a special "recent" tradition in our family, as well as the book that helped make it possible.



For many years my Christmas wish list included an advent calendar.  Not just any calendar.  I didn't want a cutesy felt one where we moved the Santa to a different numbered pouch each night.  I wanted one like the advent calendar on the movie, "Christmas Vacation", with little doors that opened up into something special.  Four or five years ago, my husband finally took the hint, and found me a beautiful advent house.  I was so excited, I immediately started looking for a book we could use during family devotions to celebrate each day of December in a meaningful way.



Maybe I was looking in the wrong place.  Perhaps my search wasn't actually diligent, but haphazard.  We didn't find a book that Christmas.  But the next year, I happened across this book:







After thumbing through the pages, my excitement grew!  While this book was not written as a strict set of advent devotions, it would most certainly work.  Mrs. Whelchel takes all the common Christmas traditions and gives some history behind them.  I was amazed to find that practically every Christmas tradition we follow had its beginnings in Christianity.  I took the table of contents, chose the top 24 topics, and set out to find little ornaments to match.



My plan was this:

1.  Have a special ornament that coincided with the topic for that day in December.  (For example, our devotion on December 1st discusses the tradition of Christmas trees, and how they came about. So I found a decorative button shaped like a Christmas tree and turned it into an ornament.)

2.  I bought a tiny 2 foot tree to place beside my advent house.

3.  Each night my children take turns opening the door for that night and putting that ornament on the tree.

4.  Then we read the history/devotion from the book.  At the end of the reading there are always thought provoking questions and points of discussion.

5.  We sing a song that goes along with the topic (or whatever Christmas carol comes to mind that night).

6.  We have a prayer.



Finding an appropriate ornament for each night took a couple of years, but last year I finally had one for all 24 days!  With a couple we had to be creative.  I made a tiny card ornament for the night we talk about Christmas cards.  We used a candle one of the kids made from beads in school one year to be the ornament when we talk about candles (this is one of my favorite histories, by the way...takes place in Ireland!)  I bought decorative buttons and strung them together for the night we talk about the colors of Christmas.  You get the idea.



Another "plug" for the above book is that Mrs. Whelchel also lists lots of crafts and projects to do with your children to emphasize each topic.  For example, making reindeer candy canes to give to neighbors, or making your own wrapping paper!



Our nightly devotions are not long, but they have become a treasured time in our family.  My children have begun to take a more active role by wanting to read the story or even tell it from memory some nights.  I highly recommend this book for any family who would like to find out more about our Christmas traditions, have another resource for Christmas crafts, or would like to begin their own ADVENTure at Christmas time!



May your days be merry and bright, and this season be filled with Christ's light,



Karina Harriswww.BooksByAmanda.com

Kindle Pocket Tutorial

If you're looking for something special for that reader on your list, 

if said reader has an eReading device, i.e., Kindle, Kobo, Sony, Nook, etc,

here's an idea I wanted to share with you.



Make a Kindle Pocket!



Kindle Pocket Tutorial








I've made several of these, and I'm running out of people to give them to.

My Kindle and Kobo are the best dressed in town, I think...

;)













www.BooksByAmanda.com

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Now that December has finally arrived and all the leftover turkey is gone, it's time to start getting ready for Christmas. And there is nothing more fun then working on a Christmas craft with your favorite half pints except maybe decorating the tree and making cookies!





































So here's an easy craft to make that truly celebrates the birth of Christ. I call it "Surprise Girl!" All you need are three of the dessert size paper plates, some construction paper, stick paste, and markers. First cut out two arms using colored construction paper they will be rectangles roughly 12 x 4 inches. Then have your kids trace their hands on white paper and cut them out. Next cut out a white rectangle about 1.5 x 8 inches and print Happy Birthday Jesus on the paper.


Set these papers aside and take one of your plates (we didn't have small plates at the time so we just cut the middles out of large plates). Decorate your plate like a face. We made a blonde surprise girl, but you could give her have any color of hair or you could even make it a surprise boy. That's the fun thing about crafts; they are so adaptable.  







As you can see by the picture you then assemble the parts. First attach the hands to your arms with your stick paste. Then fold the ends of the arms at about the 4 inch point. Place the arms together so they look like one long piece and glue your two plain plates or plate middles on top so they form a collar. We decorated ours by using a heart punch. Next past on the face and finally the birthday sign. Then you can hang you surprise person up with the arms folded and the hands slightly intertwined. The best part is that when guests arrive at your house they can open the girls arms to read the surprise message.











So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general.
www.BooksByAmanda.com

Christian Devotional - Joseph

As we officially get into December, we’re taking a look
through the first Christmas story. Last week we saw that Mary was obedient even
in the midst of the unknown with the change of plans that the angel brought to
her.




Her betrothed, Joseph, had a slightly different path to
come through. Joseph’s journey is found in Matthew 1:18-25.



“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a
righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away
secretly. But when he had considered this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will
save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was
spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child
and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated
means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of
the Lord commanded him, and took Mary to be his wife, but kept her a virgin
until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”



Mary had been obedient to God’s plan for her, but she
wasn’t the only one involved in this plan that God had for her. Joseph was
betrothed to Mary and all he knew was that his wife-to-be was pregnant and the
child wasn’t his. Mary may or may not have told him about her angelic visitor.
Either, way, Joseph wasn’t convinced and figured that he was not to be part of
Mary’s life anymore. He thought he was doing the right thing. He thought he was
being kind and considerate. Mary couldn’t convince him to stay with him. All
she could do was continue to be obedient to what she knew was God’s plan for
her.



God took control of the situation and He brought Joseph
into the loop. Joseph received a vision that showed him what was going on and
what he should be doing about it. Still Joseph had to take the opportunity to
be obedient to the plan that God had.



Last week we saw that Mary was obedient in the face of
the unknown. This week we see that Joseph was obedient in the face of the
known. Joseph knew what he was facing and the angel explained the plan and he
chose to be obedient even in the face of the known issues and concerns.



When we see what God has planned for us and when we are
staring down the path that God has for us, do we still take that next step down
the known path that God has for us.



Known or unknown, God’s plans in our life require our
obedience so that we can move forward with all that set in motion for us.

 
Kristi Burchfiel, Christian devotional author and speaker

Living in the World – Living out the Word

Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook pagewww.BooksByAmanda.com

Book Review: Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green

It’s April 1861, and the Union Army’s Medical Department is a disaster, completely unprepared for the magnitude of war. A small group of New York City women, including 28-year-old Charlotte Waverly, decide to do something about it, and end up changing the course of the war, despite criticism, ridicule and social ostracism. Charlotte leaves a life of privilege, wealth-and confining expectations-to be one of the first female nurses for the Union Army. She quickly discovers that she’s fighting more than just the Rebellion by working in the hospitals. Corruption, harassment, and opposition from Northern doctors threaten to push her out of her new role. At the same time, her sweetheart disapproves of her shocking strength and independence, forcing her to make an impossible decision: Will she choose love and marriage, or duty to a cause that seems to be losing? An Irish immigrant named Ruby O’Flannery, who turns to the unthinkable in the face of starvation, holds the secret that will unlock the door to Charlotte’s future. But will the rich and poor confide in each other in time? (book description)

I have always loved books that are set during war-time. I don’t know why, but they have always intrigued me. So when I picked up the newest book, and the first in this series, from Jocelyn Green, I quickly found myself immersed in the pages, imagining myself as the heroine, Charlotte. These days it is no surprise to see women in the business world, and nursing seems to be thought of a woman’s profession for the most part. But would it surprise you to know that originally, men, more specifically convalescent soldiers were the nurses during war times, not women. In this book, Green writes about the time when women began to try to work their way into medical professions, such as nursing. There are a lot of interesting facts in this book about that time period.

Charlotte knows that God has called her to do more than just sit around like a “proper woman” was supposed to. So when the call to nursing comes, Charlotte jumps at the chance and it changes her life forever. I won’t tell you Charlotte’s journey, but her character is so well written, I found a lot of myself in her.

This is a DEFINITE, must read and I cannot wait until the next book comes out!

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www.BooksByAmanda.com

Flirty, Sexy Christian Books...Really?

I have been in some interesting conversations this week. Interesting might not be the right word. A little confrontational, a little on the spot and as one dear friend put it, down right gutsy.





Well, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ll fill you in on a little secret. I’m not one to shy away from tough or controversial subjects. It’s not like I enjoy them, and I don’t go looking to pick a fight. Yet somehow, some way, I always end up in the middle of something!



The latest topic to grab my attention and send my heart into spasms is what are appropriate subjects or topics for Christian Fiction writers to address in their works of Christian fiction.



For instance, in any case, in any circumstance, would it be appropriate for an author who calls himself/herself a Christian, who writes in the genre of Christian Fiction to use, as my son would say, the bad word that starts with the letter f?



Me? I would have to say no. Under no circumstance should the f bomb be dropped in any work that is labeled Christian Fiction. I personally don’t read books in other genres that use it. And it turns my stomach if I am watching a movie and I hear it.



What about other evils that are masked? How about attraction between a man and a woman? How much is a reasonable amount of attention a Christian author should give to this subject?





Should the male character be thinking about how hot the female lead is on every page? Should her attention be on how well he fills out those jeans or whether or not she would enjoy being with him in bed? Is lust permissive on the pages of a Christian novel? What if it's from a non-Christian character?



Yes, I admit it, people lust in real life. They sure do. The Bible talks about sexual attraction as well. Every time I have read Song of Solomon it has made me want to curl up in my husband’s arms. He makes me feel loved, safe and cherished, exactly how a husband should be making his wife feel. I have never read anything in the Bible that would make me want to sin.



Ephesians 5:1-5 tells us this: "Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.



But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.



For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."



In my opinion, when someone picks up one of my books there should be no question whatsoever that I am a Christian and that I write Christian books using the Bible as my measuring stick. I wouldn’t want anything else.





I want to know your opinion. If you are a Christian, what do you enjoy reading? What do you tolerate? What turns your stomach? What makes you put down a book? What makes you cross that writer off your list forever? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!



Thanks for taking the time to grow with me this Wednesday!



Darlene Shortridge,

Author of Until Forever and Forever Blessed

www.darleneshortridge.com

www.darleneshortridge.blogspot.com

















www.BooksByAmanda.com

Secret Book Swap for Christmas, anyone?

I am honored and privileged to announce that I'm the new Admin for the Ruby Readers Group on Ruby for Women. (I'd LOVE for you to join this wonderful community of Christian women with a heart for God.) As new admin, I've got an idea and I want to share it with you.





A SECRET Book Swap for Christmas . 

Yep. You read that right. 




I don't know about you, but I love going to the mailbox, opening it up and finding a secret package inside. All right, all right. Perhaps I knew the package was coming, I just didn't know when it would arrive. Quit being so picky. Anyway. I wanted to ask/invite you to join our new group ~ 




Ruby Readers . 











Books. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're here to stay. And quite a few have landed on my over-stuffed shelves. Which made me think that a Christmas Book Swap may be in order.

But, as always, I'd like to know what you think about it before we jump in with both feet.



We need at least ten people for this to be a go, so if this is something you think you'd like to do, please join this fabulous Christian community, join my group, Ruby Readers , and leave a comment on the Christmas Book Swap page.



If we get ten people who are interested, we'll open comments to leave our name and snail mail address, or if you'd rather receive a Kindle book, your email address.



And these are the rules after we get 10 members:

-used paperback books in good condition or Kindle eBooks to US participants

-Kindle eBooks to those outside US participants (If you don't have a Kindle, there are free Kindle for PC apps available here.)

-family friendly only books allowed

-if we have enough members interested, you'll be sent an email with a the name of the one you'll send a book to.

-all paperback books must be sent out no later than December 15th - Media Mail can take a while!



That's it. Sound like something you'd be interested in? 

Get Ready...

Get set...

GO!



hurry...this closes December 3rd!

http://ning.it/bfyylc


www.BooksByAmanda.com