Five Minutes

     Five minutes. It isn't very long, but it can be productive. I haven't blogged in far too long, and I keep thinking about it. Obviously, that isn't translating to action, but over all these months I have appeared quiet my mind has never stopped thinking about posting.

   I think we were made to be productive. We were created in the image of God, and He made all things. He shows us in so many ways through creation that producing, creating, is part of His plan. Yes, there are other places and ways that I "produce" or "create", but none has ever felt so much "me" as pecking away on this little corner of the internet.

   I think my demands for myself are always greater than the ones that anyone else has for me. Heck, half the time I don't think anyone is even reading what I write so why do I insist that it be perfect? It never has been anyway. I want to have a great title, wonderful photos, graphics I designed myself. And I am sure there is a time and place for those things, people who are called to do that. But right here, right now, that isn't me.

   I tried keeping a journal, but it isn't the same. So here I am. I am committing to sit down and write. Even if it is only for five minutes. I won't say that I will do it every day, but my goal is more than once a week. If I get started and want to keep going after five minutes, fine. If not, I am holding myself accountable to this: I will press "publish" before I close my laptop. Even if it is a mess. Even if there are typos. Even without photos. Even if no one reads it. Because I feel like this is something I need to do. I was made to create.

To Carson, On Your 11th Birthday

Dear Carson,
            I am so excited that you are 11. I particularly remember 11 as being a very good year. I have every reason to believe the same will be true for you. You are really finding your groove in so many ways, and it is giving you confidence to try new things and mature in a wonderful way.

     I feel like I always say the same things about you in your birthday letter, but that is because you have stayed true to the character God created you with. You are kind, thoughtful and have a true servant's heart. You have really started to use your gifts in regards to glorifying the Lord, and it is so beautiful. You have such sensitivity towards people's feelings, and you combine that with your gift of leadership in a really wonderful way.

   You are learning to persevere when something is difficult. No one likes to do that, but it is a skill that will benefit you your whole life. Often learning new things is tough, but it is beneficial to keep going, even when it seems like a waste of time. Your dad and I are tasked with teaching you a lot of things that you may not deem important, but we are simply trying to equip you to serve the Lord to the best of your ability. We are not trying to frustrate you or embarrass you, we just want to see you grow!

   It is always hard for me to not want to shelter you from anything that makes you anxious. I have fought with anxiety and fear my whole life, and when I see you struggle I just want to rescue you, and keep you away from anything that makes you afraid. But if I do that you will never be who God wants you to be: someone who depends fully on Him. I am doing my best to walk beside you in those tough times, and remind you that the Lord is always with you, that He will guide you, and that you don't need to fear. I am always praying for you, and I am always here to listen.

    And every time I see you face your fears it makes me brave. It reminds me that if you can do it, I have no excuse. You are always helping me to be better, reminding me what friendship and thoughtfulness looks like, that serving others is really service to God. And you make me so proud, because you do it without an expectation of recognition.

    This is going to be a good year. God has great plans in store, just as He has every year of your life. Seeing you gain an ever-deepening appreciation for that is one of my favorite things about seeing you grow. You are amazing, smart, caring and kind. Your dad and I take such pleasure in you. You are growing in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord and it is exciting. I'm glad I get to be a part of it. I love you.
                                                                                                        Love,
                                                                                                                  Mom

   

The Rescue Begins

   

     Drowning. Engulfed in flames. Enemies rapidly overtaking. In this type of situation you are consumed by one thought: rescue. And the sooner the better. Dramatic events like these demand a swift, certain, absolute rescue. A hero, a savior, brave, bold, a true knight in shining armor is the only one who will do.

   Flooded by doubt. Burning with guilt. Continual attacks by the enemy. Do these demand a rescue, too? Even more so.

"“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."" Luke 12:4-5 NIV

Tales of climatic escapes thrill us. But the greatest one ever began on Christmas night. Every good rescue needs a hero, and the greatest One ever to grace the printed page had a very humble beginning.

 We don't like to admit that we need rescuing at times. We want to prove our self-sufficiency. Earn our way to salvation. But we need a hero. No, we need a Savior.

  And on Christmas we got a brave, bold, humble, honorable, King. No mere knight would do-not even one from the mythical Round Table. No, this one came straight from heaven.

  His mission: to save us. He never wavered from the goal-to give His very life to rescue mine. A fate far worse than a burning building threatened, the very fires of hell cast shadows on my soul. And if that doesn't seem very Christmas-y to you, then you don't really understand what Christmas means.

"Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17 CSB

    Death was winning. Sin was overcoming. Hell was literally about to break loose.

But Jesus.

But JESUS!

  Christmas is so much more than we have allowed it to be. Christmas is the beginning of the most dramatic rescue ever told-yours! Through the gift of Christ we are SAVED.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 CSB 

  Are you on the edge of your seat yet? Are you biting your nails? Is your heart beating out of your chest? Are there tears in your eyes? This is the time-you have heard this story before, but this time do you see it? There He is-center stage, everything is falling in to place.

"Rise up and help us;    rescue us because of your unfailing love." Psalm 44:25 NIV

He came to save...

 "He sent out His [W]ord and healed them; He rescued them from the grave." Psalm 107:20 NIV

Salvation is near...

"...[G]iving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.
 For He has rescued us
 from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:12-14 NIV 

This Christmas don't be distracted. Don't look away. Don't miss it. It's the most important opening to any story, ever.

The Rescue Begins...

for you.

 

To Jocelyn, On Your 13th Birthday

Dear Jocelyn,

                  I think you pretty much know my viewpoint on the "teenage years". They aren't magical or exceptional, other than in the sense that they are a continuation on growing and maturing that you've been doing all along. Each year is a milestone, with it's own highlights and challenges. Adding "teen" to your age doesn't change that.

    And it doesn't have to turn you into someone you don't recognize. More than ever the world will demand that you turn your back on what you know is true. It will lie and tell you this is the time to "try new things", code for rebel against, mock and twist the truth. It will tell you that you need to "find yourself". Don't listen, you know the Truth. His name is Jesus. You are *so* faithful to Him, and focusing on Him will never be a bad choice. It will always lead to real, abundant, life. These things have been true all your life and they won't change now. We have always encouraged you to learn all you can about Him, to listen to His leading, to believe that the Holy Spirit teaches you and guides you. Don't follow your heart, or your dreams! Those selfish desires will only lead you astray. Follow Him, follow His vision for you. Follow His heart. 

    You have amazed me your whole life with your passion for Christ. As you become more and more autonomous, gaining new abilities and responsibilities you will be able to do a wider variety of things for the Kingdom. You are already gearing up for some big opportunities, deciding to do hard things, trusting that He will go before and behind you. Keep saying "yes!" to Him.

    Your challenge is the same as it has always been: fighting the fear that everyone seems to think is necessary. That is the biggest lie you will hear. Fear is absolutely in contradiction to everything the Word teaches. Over and over we are told, "DO NOT BE AFRAID!" You do NOT have to fear-He is with you. I am learning this, too, but I am here to encourage you. I am here to remind you. I am here to stand beside you. I can't do if for you, but if I can, I'll go with you. If I can't, I will be waiting to hear your stories of victory through Christ, to cheer you on, and to bring the ice cream. 

    And never, ever forget how much your Dad and I love you. The hard things we make you do are to help you to continue to mature in who Christ wants you to be. Our chief desire for you is to grow in the love of the Lord and walk in His ways. Your education, your extracurricular activities, your free time, those are all tools to reach the goal: loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. I have no expectations for you other than to follow His leading. 

   Make the most of Jesus. Leave the things of the world behind. I've said these things to you since you were born. These years ahead, they are just about continuing that journey. My fervent prayer for you is that in every way you will far surpass the faith that I have. I am always here to encourage you in that. I love you, my sweet, bright, lovable, Christ-like girl. That is never going to change.

                                                                                                          Love, 

                                                                                                                    Mom

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Truffles

   

      I did not fall off the face of the earth. I have spent a long time thinking about my blog, and whether or not I wanted to continue blogging. I finally decided that I think I will most likely let my custom domain go (meaning it will go back to being clarescontemplations.blogspot.com) and quit trying to "make" something of this little corner of the internet and just continue as a hobby. If someone ever comes along and wants to lift me out of obscurity, terrific. If not, I'm pretty sure my mom still reads this so that's someone!

   Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I tinkered with this recipe that I put together last year. I made a few changes and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I'm not in any way implying this is an original idea, I love the classic Oreo truffle and this is just a riff on that. However, I did not base this particular recipe on anything else besides the inspiration that struck standing in the aisle of Trader Joe's staring at the Pumpkin Spice Joe-Joe's!

   I am *basic* when it comes to pumpkin spice-I really do look forward to the first pumpkin spice latte of the year. The smell of those seasonings really conjures up images of fall. I wanted a little bit of that-in truffle form. I made these last year and dipped them in white chocolate, because I felt like it went better with the flavors and was more aesthetically pleasing (I'm just being honest!) but it was widely panned by my family and friends. I ran out of white chocolate and dipped the remainder in dark chocolate. Now those were a hit!

   So, I decided to go with the crowd-pleasing dark chocolate and make a few slight adjustments and I think these are worth trying! They're simple, but elegant and tasty! They are pretty quick to make, and they keep well in the refrigerator. (They last for at least a week if kept in the fridge, I don't know if they last longer than that, as they are always gone by then!)

   You only need four ingredients for these. So. Easy.

Ingredients:
1 box of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Joe-Joe's
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
10 oz. chopped dark chocolate (I used Ghiradelli melting wafers)

Optional: sprinkles for the top.

   First, you need to crush all the cookies into a fine crumb. I use my Ninja food processor, you don't want any big pieces or they won't have that creamy truffle consistency.  Next, you will want to add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly. I switch to the mixing blade on my food processor, it blends the filling nicely. You can also use a mixer, but be warned, the dough is very thick!

   Once everything is all blended, you will need to refrigerate the filling for an hour. This will make it easier to handle when you are shaping the truffles.

    After the filling is chilled, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. I used a scantily filled small cookie scoop. Place the rolled balls onto parchment or waxed paper to keep them from sticking.

  Melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Working quickly, dip the truffles into the chocolate. Place immediately onto waxed paper. If you are using sprinkles, add immediately after dipping so they will "stick". The chocolate should set fairly quickly but don't move the truffles until it has firmed up. I usually place the chocolates in the fridge to harden for at least a half-hour or so before I try to put them in mini cupcake liners or stack them. Keep refrigerated!

   This recipe will make 24-28 truffles, depending on the size. These are perfect for holiday parties or for gifting. They would make a great addition to a Thanksgiving dessert spread, too!

   Don't be fooled: they look like peanut butter but it is just the color of the cookie. See how uniform the filling looks? No one will be able to tell you took a cookie shortcut!

   Hopefully, you agree with me, that there is still plenty of "fall" left to make pumpkin spiced things in, as Halloween is only next week and we have a month until Thanksgiving. I love Christmas but I try not to rush it! How about you, are you still in fall mode? Or are you team Christmas?