Winter Goodies Baking Day

Yesterday, thanks to a lot of prayer and finger crossing (mine), my children's school was called due to bad weather. I loved the idea of just being at home with them all day without having to rush to do something.  We started off the morning with our respective breakfasts (cereal for them and decaf coffee for me. mmmmm).  Then we begin baking up our winter goodies to give away.  Our first item on the agenda was Bakerella's Red Velvet Cake Balls.  We have made these on several occasions, for church and as presents.  They require some work but are ohhhh so good.  I haven't mastered the chocolate dipping art like Bakerella but I'll get there eventually I hope.

Next up we had a recipe that a friend's grandmother gave me. Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.  This is about as close to the recipe I use that I could find.  The girls love watching the cocoa, butter and sugar combine on the stove.  I really need to get my digital camera fixed so I can show off pictures of my hoodlums. 

Then, we made blondies (brown sugar equivalent to brownies).  I made a batch and realized that the pan I wanted to use was twice the size that the recipe called for, so we had to hurry and make a second batch to combine with the first.  The girls had never tried blondies before, but are now in love with them. 

I melted some almond bark and let the girls dip pretzels in it so they could have a project all their own.  I think I am still trying to scrap chocolate drips off the counter top.  But they had a ball and I enjoyed their giggling.

Lastly, I made some Peppermint Bark.  Oh my word, this stuff should be outlawed.  It has a layer of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed candy canes. 

I have to go back to work this morning but I will be getting off and doing goodie box delivery. I can already see the girls and I having to have another baking day before Christmas. But we'll see.

May God Bless You Everyday,
Dana

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I Am Feeling Distant

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

It has felt like lately I have not felt as close to God as I normally do.  I am feeling distant and weary.  I noticed that I am not as willing to dive into His word. I am missing God’s presence and voice in my life.  I know in my heart that this is due to something I have done/thought/said.  I have doubted His provision for my family.  I am so anxious to be at home, to care for my children in my home, and not have to be away 9 hours a day to help support the household.  I am letting this anxiousness separate me from my God.  He is going to do things according to His plan for me and I need to remember that.  I cannot keep wishing that tomorrow would be the day, because tomorrow might not be His choice of days for me to follow my heart’s desire.  I cannot sit here and say that I will be at home one day.  It is up to God, not me.  I can ask God to make it possible for me if it is His will. I am letting this be part of what is distancing me.  I need to submit my thoughts and life to God.  He needs to direct me “in the way everlasting.”  I am on my knees asking God to forgive my impatience, my stubbornness, and all the other things I am letting between him and me.  God knows my heart even when it is at its weakest. When my heart is full of doubt, God still knows what is located there.  Amongst all the doubt, the impatience, my distance, He loves me still.  He knows me down to the number of hairs on my head. 

May God Bless You Every Day,

Dana Chappell

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Gifts for the Girls' school mates

As school is winding down for Christmas break, I am wondering exactly what my girls could take to their classmates as a gift.  I don't want to spend a ton of money but I want to atleast send something. Then last night it hit me.  I had a great idea. The girls were sitting at the dining room table coloring. Homemade coloring books!!! All it would cost me is paper and ink.  I got on Google and began searching for Christmas coloring pages. Here is one I found at Free Coloring Pages. 

 I printed 10 pages front and back, am going to cover them with construction paper, and let the girls write "from_____" on them.  Its personal. Its cheap. And what kid does not like to color at some point.  I get off work early Friday and I think it would be neat to wear red with a Santa hat and deliver the coloring books to their classrooms.  I am excited now. I can't wait. I think I'm going to pretend that I forgot the coloring books that morning so I can surprise them :).  We'll see how it goes. 

Catch Up Day

It has been fairly quiet around my house.  The kids have been busy playing and wishing presents were already at our house.  I started off this season with more holiday spirit than I have had in the past.  It is the first Christmas that my husband and I were both working.  It has not been a big struggle like it has been in the past.  Although I would rather be at home, I am excited about what we did manage to get the girls this year.  I know the season is not about material things but when you have had to rely on strangers buying your children's Christmas for the last couple years. It makes this season so much more for me. My husband and I provided this year. I am eternally grateful for the programs out there that do help families in need during the Christmas season. For the last couple years, that was the only way my girls had Christmas.  Thanks to God's provision for our family, we were able to accomplish it ourselves with God's help.  He has given us the means to surprise our children with a couple things we wanted them to have.  God has touch and molded our lives to much in the last couple years.  He has made even the small things like being able to purchase the materials needed to make my friends and families a little something for Christmas mean so much.  Thank you God for all that You have done and provided for my family and for me.

May God bless you everyday,
Dana

Seeing Jesus

On my way into work this morning, the radio station that I listen to everyday was discussing this new Christmas song. "Where's the Line to See Jesus?" by Becky Kelley.  This song brings tears to my eyes.  The song is about a child that is in line to see Santa when he asks his mom where the line to see Jesus. He says if Christmas is about his birth, then why isn't there a line to see him.  It makes me wonder what would you say if you did get to see Jesus.  I have been thinking hard on this all morning.  I would probably stand in awe, studder, stammer, and stumble about.  Then, I would have to say Thank you and mean it wholeheartedly. He followed His Father's plan for His life and died so that we could be forgiven of our sins.

Other than thank you what can you really say to Jesus. 

 What would you say?

My Children and Religion

I was always raised to believe God, but we never really walked in that faith.  I come from a broken home.  After remarrying, my father became steadfast in his faith.  I only saw him maybe every other weekend and so I did not get to view the full teaching that he could have provided.  I just floated through growing up going to church on the weekends I was at my dad's house. Not really listening to the Word at church not reading the Word on my own.  Even now I am still guilty of not reading the Word everyday.  I have heard that it takes approximately 30 days to begin a new habit, so I'm hoping that by joining the Bible in 90 days challenge (with my husband mind you) I will better ingrain the habit of reading it everyday.

My whole thought today is what can I do to raise my children to love hearing/reading/discovering the word.  I want them to be thirsty for the Word.  I want their first thought in the morning to be a prayer of thanksgiving for another day, and their last thought to be a thankful ending prayer for the experiences of that day.  I know this is stuff that I have yet to make myself do consistently.  And I wonder how I will be able to help teach this to my children if I am not walking this out. I want my husband and I to really raise the girls to love God and walk the path God has laid out for them. I see how dedicated the Duggar children are to the Lord and I so want our girls to be the same way. 

Weekend before last, the girls and I made a trip to the library. I am checking out and reading books on family devotionals, how to enjoy the Bible together as a family, etc. I really want to follow the Biblical instructions for raising the girls.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Prov 22:6

My Shelter

So I am sitting at church this evening listening to a beautiful Christmas concert, when a thought hit me out of nowhere.
  In October, my hometown hosts what is called the Oktoberfest.  It is basically a festival to celebrate the German heritage of the area.  There are rides for the kids, craft booths, and some wonderful food, among other things.  This year, Brian and I took the kids to ride the rides after church the Sunday the festival was here.  Among the usual rides, the swings, the inflatable slides, they had a mechanical bull.  I have always wanted to try riding one, so Brian and I paid for the girls and me to have a turn on it.  I do have to say that it was fun. I really enjoyed it. 

  This brings me to my thought this evening.  This week overall has not been a bad week. It has just been full of ups and downs, with some twists and turns thrown in.  This week has made me feel I was back on the mechanical bull trying to hold on. I did spend time praying about it, but I do not feel I prayed enough.  I could probably pray every minute of every day and still feel I hadn't prayed enough. Just like the mechanical bull at the Oktoberfest, God has provided me with the safety padding in case I fall off.  He will protect me and keep me safe regardless of how rough the ride (my life) should become.  

Psalm 116:5-7
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

I believe that God is there for me as long as I am living according to His word and that I am trying to do everyday.  He will protect me just as the safety padding did when I flew off the mechanical bull.  Have Faith even in your hardest struggles, God is there for you. 

May God bless you everyday,
Dana