Taste and See

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

I'll tell this the way it was told to me, though I am sure others would disagree with the story, surely no one will disagree with the message. So grab a candy cane and enjoy this sweet tale of Christmas with the whole family.

In the seventh century, when kings and queens declared and enforced the laws with the sword, a law was made that Christmas would no longer be celebrated. It broke the heart of an old candy maker who loved to see the smiles of children as they enjoyed his sweet Christmas treats. He also loved the telling of the Christmas story in churches and homes.  No one was allowed to own or read a Bible except the priests and now that was questionable under the rule of this queen. He wondered how this generation would grow up without the knowledge of Jesus if the laws forbade the telling of the story.

As the old candy maker locked his doors for the evening and knelt by his counter for prayer, the Lord gave him an idea. It was not illegal to make new kinds of candy and he knew just what kind of new candy he would make.

All night the candy maker tweaked his candy recipes to fit the story of Jesus. As the new day dawned he set out for his shop anxious to get a start on his new candy. He would start with pure white candy and spice it with peppermint. Then he would layer it with red candy, making a pattern of a wide red stripe and three thin red stripes. As he rolled and twisted the hardening candy, he sliced off lengths of candy and bent them into a crook at the top. The next day would be Christmas and he would be ready to share his Christmas story. 

As families entered his shop the next day with faces long and sad because of the canceled holiday, he offered them a new candy and an old story. "See this crook?" he said. "On a night long ago, shepherds stood on a hillside watching their flock by night. Angels announced the birth of a baby born to a virgin. The baby was pure and sinless like the white of this candy cane. His father is God the Father. The baby is the Son of God and He would give us the Holy Spirit." The old candy maker pointed to the three thin stripes going around the candy cane. "The baby was to be called Jesus." The candy maker turned the cane upside down, making the J. "The big red stripe," he said. "stands for the blood Jesus shed on Calvary for our sins. Taste the candy now children. The peppermint reminds us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and the spices used to prepare His body for burial when He died upon the cross." The candy maker followed the large red stripe around the cane as he continued his story.  "His blood covers our sins and offers forgiveness. This, children, is the real story of Christmas, not the toys and candy, but the coming of the Savior of the world as a baby in a manger. Not just visited by shepherds and wise men but to be our Shepherd, who gives us eternal life in Christ."

The parents were grateful their children were able to hear the Christmas story that morning and take home a reminder of the true meaning of the season. 

Now, as you receive a candy cane, examine it for the three thin stripes, the large stripe, the taste of peppermint, and the pure white candy that makes the body of the cane. Turn it to make the J and the shepherd's crook. Now it's your turn to share the gift of Christmas with others. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life through Jesus Christ. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Picture credit to Pixabay.com

Legend of The Candy Cane - Sacred Literature Ministries, Taylors, SC

Hey Kids:

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  

Psalms 34:8

Have you ever made peppermint bark?

It's a layer of chocolate from melted chocolate morsels with a layer of white chocolate morsels layered on top. Then a heavy sprinkling of crushed peppermint. 

There are lots of recipes on the internet. Try helping mom find a quick and easy one. Then follow the directions. Maybe she'll let you crush the peppermint with a meat mallet. 

Sharing these amazing little candies with friends and sharing the candy cane story could make great conversations with Christmas kin and kith. 

For God so Loved

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

I'll tell this the way it was told to me, though I am sure others would disagree with the story, surely no one will disagree with the message. So grab a candy cane and enjoy this sweet tale of Christmas with the whole family.

In the seventh century, when kings and queens declared and enforced the laws with the sword, a law was made that Christmas would no longer be celebrated. It broke the heart of an old candy maker who loved to see the smiles of children as they enjoyed his sweet Christmas treats. He also loved the telling of the Christmas story in churches and homes.  No one was allowed to own or read a Bible except the priests and now that was questionable under the rule of this queen. He wondered how this generation would grow up without the knowledge of Jesus if the laws forbade the telling of the story.

As the old candy maker locked his doors for the evening and knelt by his counter for prayer, the Lord gave him an idea. It was not illegal to make new kinds of candy and he knew just what kind of new candy he would make.

All night the candy maker tweaked his candy recipes to fit the story of Jesus. As the new day dawned he set out for his shop anxious to get a start on his new candy. He would start with pure white candy and spice it with peppermint. Then he would layer it with red candy, making a pattern of a wide red stripe and three thin red stripes. As he rolled and twisted the hardening candy, he sliced off lengths of candy and bent them into a crook at the top. The next day would be Christmas and he would be ready to share his Christmas story. 

As families entered his shop the next day with faces long and sad because of the canceled holiday, he offered them a new candy and an old story. "See this crook?" he said. "On a night long ago, shepherds stood on a hillside watching their flock by night. Angels announced the birth of a baby born to a virgin. The baby was pure and sinless like the white of this candy cane. His father is God the Father. The baby is the Son of God and He would give us the Holy Spirit." The old candy maker pointed to the three thin stripes going around the candy cane. "The baby was to be called Jesus." The candy maker turned the cane upside down, making the J. "The big red stripe," he said. "stands for the blood Jesus shed on Calvary for our sins. Taste the candy now children. The peppermint reminds us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and the spices used to prepare His body for burial when He died upon the cross." The candy maker followed the large red stripe around the cane as he continued his story.  "His blood covers our sins and offers forgiveness. This, children, is the real story of Christmas, not the toys and candy, but the coming of the Savior of the world as a baby in a manger. Not just visited by shepherds and wise men but to be our Shepherd, who gives us eternal life in Christ."

The parents were grateful their children were able to hear the Christmas story that morning and take home a reminder of the true meaning of the season. 

Now, as you receive a candy cane, examine it for the three thin stripes, the large stripe, the taste of peppermint, and the pure white candy that makes the body of the cane. Turn it to make the J and the shepherd's crook. Now it's your turn to share the gift of Christmas with others. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life through Jesus Christ. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Picture credit to Pixabay.com

Legend of The Candy Cane - Sacred Literature Ministries, Taylors, SC

Praise Him, All Ye Little Children

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ~John 3:16 ESV

Last week I had the privilege of participating in a sidewalk VBS. Our youth pastor taught the children a song for John 3:16. He taught them how to sign the song as well. Most of the children were under eight years old from a basically unchurched community. They easily learned the words and the motions. I thought not only will the children keep singing but even the deaf will hear from children who likely were too young to understand. The children will hold that song/verse in their heads and hearts for years to come. The children enjoyed the singing. They enjoyed the signing and they enjoyed the youth pastors approach to singing and teaching. This was like giving water to thirsty little sponges. 

 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

~Psalms 100:5 KJV

In college, we learned that we needed to teach in multiple ways. If we only lectured student retention was only about 10%. However, if we incorporated other ways of teaching such as note-taking, drawing, making models, reading along, retelling, and singing retention could rise as high as 90%. A teacher who only lectures is easily tuned out. When students are allowed to interact with the lesson it becomes much more enjoyable and much easier to remember. Remember that song about the books of the New Testament? I still sing it to myself when I need to find a smaller, lesser known book. 

The Lord expects us to use more than one way to help our children and ourselves to learn about his word. The longest book of the Bible is Psalms, a book of songs. All of creation tells the story of His love and sacrifice for us. Sometimes we just have to think about what we are encountering. And God has given us His word so there is no mistake about what he has done, is doing, and will do because of his great love for us. 

How are you teaching God's truth to the next generation?

Father, help us use every means possible to teach your truth to our children and others you place in our paths. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

What is your favorite song? Why do you like it?  

Do you know John 3:16? Can you sing it and sign it? 

Do you know the song Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton? Do you know a Bible story about a coat of many colors? Who is it about? What do you know about Joseph? How can you learn more?

What other Bible stories do you know? How did you learn them? 

Here's a link to help you have fun singing and learning this week. 

Candy Canes with a Love Story

 

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 NIV

I'll tell this the way it was told to me, though I am sure there are others who would disagree with the story, surely no one will disagree with the message. So grab a candy cane and enjoy this sweet tale of Christmas with the whole family.

In the seventh century, when kings and queens declared and enforced the laws with the sword, a law was made that Christmas would no longer be celebrated. It broke the heart of an old candy maker who loved to see the smiles of children as they enjoyed his sweet Christmas treats. He also loved Christmas traditions and the telling of the story in churches and homes.  No one was allowed to own or read a Bible except the priests and now that was questionable under the rule of this queen. He wondered how this generation would grow up without the knowledge of Jesus if the laws forbade the telling of the stories.

As the old candy maker locked his doors for the evening and knelt by his counter for prayer, the Lord gave him an idea. It was not illegal to make new kinds of candy and he knew just what kind of new candy he would make.

All night the candy maker tweaked his candy recipes to fit the story of Jesus. As the new day dawned he set out for his shop anxious to get a start on his new candy. He would start with pure white candy and spice it with peppermint. Then he would layer it with red candy, making a pattern of a wide red stripe and three thin red stripes. As he rolled and twisted the hardening candy, he sliced off lengths of candy and bent them into a crook at the top. The next day would be Christmas and he would be ready to share his Christmas story. 

As families entered his shop the next day with faces long and sad because of the canceled holiday, he offered them a new candy and an old story. "See this crook?" he said. "On a night long ago, shepherds stood on a hillside watching their flock by night. Angels announced the birth of a baby born to a virgin. The baby would be pure and sinless like the white of the candy cane. His father would be God the Father. The baby would be the Son of God and He would give us the Holy Spirit." The old candy maker pointed to the three thin stripes going around the candy cane. "The baby's name was to be called Jesus." The candy maker turned the cane upside down, making the J. "The big red stripe," he said. "is the blood Jesus would shed on Calvary for our sins. Taste the candy now children. The peppermint reminds us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and the spices used to prepare His body for burial when He died upon the cross. His blood covers our sins and offers forgiveness. This, children, is the real story of Christmas, not the toys and candy, but the coming of the Savior of the world as a baby in a manger, not just visited by shepherds but to be our Shepherd, guiding us to eternal life in Christ."

The parents were grateful their children were able to hear the Christmas story that morning and take home a reminder of the true meaning of the season. 

Now as you have receive a candy cane, examine it for the three thin stripes, the large stripe, the taste of peppermint, and the pure white candy that makes the body of the cane. Turn it to make the J and the shepherd's crook. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Merry Christmas, 

Gail

Picture credit to Pixabay.com

Legend of The Candy Cane - Sacred Literature Ministries, Taylors, SC

Teenagers!

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

We've always burned wood as our major heat source. My oldest son said he thought his name was "Git Wood" until he was 10 years old. Of course to help their daddy cut and stack wood while wearing little work gloves was a big deal. Getting to go out on the porch, sometimes barefoot to get wood on a snowy day was a big thrill until they were teens. That's when teens begin to say, "But Mom, Dad, I have a life."

Abraham's teenage son was a little different, especially when it came to worshipping the Lord. Isaac was very dedicated to his father and his heavenly Father, so when Abraham asked him to go worship on the mountain, Isaac was ready to go. At the foot of the mountain, Abraham had Isaac carry the wood for the sacrifice. All alone father and son went to the place for the sacrifice. They laid the wood on the altar. Then Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on the wood. 

WHAT? Picture this. An old man over 100 years old binds a teenager and puts him on an altar for a sacrifice. I know what my teens would have done. They would have high-tailed it back down the mountain. Isaac could have easily outrun Abraham. He could have struggled against the binding and won. Getting away would have been no problem but he was obedient to his father. 

Does this sound familiar? Jesus like Isaac was born through impossible circumstances. Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to rescue him from a mob (Matthew 26: 52-56) or anyone else. Instead, He allowed himself to be deserted by his followers and led up Calvary's mountain just He and his Father. He allowed himself to be our sacrifice. He had even asked the Father if there was another way (Luke 22:42). There was no substitutionary ram for Jesus. There on a cross, He was sacrificed for our sins. 

Isaac could not die for his father, or even for himself. Isaac was a sinner just like us. He needed Jesus to die for him too. God wanted a picture for Abraham and Isaac and the Old Testament people so they could understand the sacrifice He would make. That picture is still a good one today. I wouldn't be willing to offer one of my children for anyone but I'm thankful Jesus was willing to be that sacrifice. 

Hey Kids:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Ephesians 6:1

Isaac was an obedient son. I know Abraham was proud of his son, a son who was willing to obey and help a very old man.

Notice the verse says "in the Lord". 
God does not require us to do wrong or be abused in obedience to our parents. 
However, we do need to obey in every other way. 

How have you helped through obedience this week? 
How might you improve in the coming weeks?
Here are some ideas.
1. Be helpful without being asked. That's maturity.
2. When asked, do the job without being reminded.
3. No complaining, whining or rolling your eyes. 
Watch your relationship grow with your family and with the Lord.

Working to be obedient to the Lord

Gail

The Sweet Story of Christmas

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 NIV

I'll tell this the way it was told to me, though I am sure there are others who would disagree with the story, surely no one will disagree with the message. So grab a candy cane and enjoy this sweet tale of Christmas with the whole family.

In the middle ages, when kings and queens declared and enforced the laws with the sword, a law was made that Christmas would no longer be celebrated. It broke the heart of an old candy maker who loved to see the sweet smiles of children as they enjoyed his sweet Christmas treats. He also loved Christmas traditions and the telling of the story in the churches and homes.  No one was allowed to own or read a Bible except the priests and now that was questionable under the rule of this queen. He wondered how this generation would grow up without the knowledge of Jesus if the laws forbade the telling of the stories.

As the old candy maker locked his doors for the evening and knelt by his counter for prayer, the Lord gave him an idea. It was not illegal to make new kinds of candy and he knew just what kind of new candy he would make.

All night the candy maker tweaked his candy recipes to fit the story of Jesus. As the new day dawned he set out for his shop anxious to get a start on his new candy. He would start with a pure white candy and spice it with peppermint. Then he would layer it with red candy, making a pattern of a wide red stripe and three thin red stripes. As he rolled and twisted the hardening candy, he sliced off lengths of candy and bent them into a crook at the top. The next day would be Christmas and he would be ready to share his Christmas story. 

As families entered his shop the next day with faces long and sad because of the canceled holiday, he offered them a new candy and an old story. "See this crook?" he said. "On a night long ago, shepherds stood on a hillside watching their flock by night. Angels announced the birth of a baby born to a virgin. The baby would be pure and sinless like the white of the candy cane. His father would be God the Father. The baby would be the Son of God and He would give us the Holy Spirit." The old candy maker pointed to the three thin stripes going around the candy cane. "The baby's name was to be called Jesus." The candy maker turned the cane upside down, making the J. "The big red stripe," he said. "is the blood Jesus would shed on Calvary for our sins. Taste the candy now children. The peppermint reminds us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and the spices used to prepare His body for burial when He died upon the cross. His blood covers our sins and offers forgiveness. This, children, is the real story of Christmas, not the toys and candy, but the coming of the Savior of the world as a baby in a manger, not just visited by shepherds but to be our Shepherd, guiding us to eternal life in Christ."

The parents were grateful their children were able to hear the Christmas story that morning and take home a reminder of the true meaning of the season. 

Now as you have received a candy cane, examine it for the three thin stripes, the large stripe, the taste of peppermint and the pure white candy that makes the body of the cane. Turn it to make the J and the shepherd's crook. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Merry Christmas, 

Gail

Ready, Willing, and Able

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASV)

Jesus prayed for us to be made holy through the truth. His word is truth.  

The other day I saw two ladies get out of a car and head for our door. I thought, that's witnesses for a cult. It's suppertime. I'm tired and I don't want to talk to them. They knocked. I whizzed into the laundry room out of sight. I wasn't ready.