Mission’s conference at Immanuel.  What a great time to make a meal using recipes contributed by our missionaries!  So that is exactly what I did.  (Yes, this post is long overdue.)

Menu

Tuscan Tomato Soup (p. 53)

Couscous Salad with Grapes & Feta (p. 37)

Indian Curry (p. 157)

Brownies (p. 289)

The first thing I did was make the brownies.  I did this early in the afternoon while my children were napping.  The last time I attempted to make brownies from scratch was while I was in graduate school.  My friend Beth had come over for the afternoon, and we really wanted brownies; so we attempted to make them using our common sense.  They were edible, especially to two hungry college girls, but nothing you would want to serve to company.  I was very curious as to how the brownies from the cook book would turn out.  I did not put nuts in them.  I have to admit here, time has faded my memory of exactly how they tasted.  They were definitely not like boxed brownies—not the same texture—a little more cake-like, and not quite as sweet (which is not necessarily a bad thing)!  I do remember that they were good and gobbled up by my family.  (Hmmm. . .maybe I should go make some right now to refresh my memory on what they are like.)

I have always loved stories……….loved to hear them……loved to read them.  As I think back to my childhood, I have great memories and still recall so many stories and rhymes and poems that had such impact at a young age, that I still remember at fifty “some” years later (don’t ask….:-D).  Those special treasures that came from the written word of books………like the old woman who lived is a shoe with so many children she didn’t know what to do…….or the beauty of the ball who lost her glass slipper…….or how about the period in our lives when the material in books taught us about the history of our nation……..or how to add and subtract.  All those things left indelible marks on our lives.  They have given us knowledge and skills for living as well as joyful moments of childhood innocence.

Last Sunday, Pastor made a statement in the message that said our lives are a biography.  I had heard that statement before, but for some reason, it resonated with me more strongly this week.  Maybe it is because I am getting ready to mark one more year on the birthday chart (Praise Him for that!).  Then today, I received a birthday card from my mom entitled “Your Life Tells a Story”.  I started to think maybe the Lord was bringing that point home to me for a reason……….maybe He wants me to really take a look at what story I am writing……..what WILL my biography say?

Dear Immanuel Athletes (and non-Athletes):

Last Sunday I announced that the Women’s Ministry was sponsoring training for any women of Immanuel who wanted to be part of a team at the Ukrops 10k race on Saturday, March 31.  Our own Candice Collins, a fantastic runner who perennially places high in this race, has offered to train those who would like to participate at any level – from running to walking!  We already have ladies signing up, and the first “team” meeting is this Saturday at 8 AM at the church.

I teased about Tom Smith working on a Men’s group who could serve as cheerleaders, and he proposed a 10k rib eating team.  (Way to go, Tom!)  But … that afternoon I received a surprise email from a member of the church, a man who is a trained runner, who volunteered to coach a men’s group (unless the guys around here are just wimps and will be satisfied with letting the women alone represent us).  This volunteer has 13 marathons under his belt (or should that be “in his running shoes”?).  He has run an ultramarathon … several half-marathons … 10k and 5k races.  This year he will be running in the new DC Marathon, the San Francisco Marathon, and is in the lottery to run the New York City Marathon.  I was astounded!  So … this is announcing Jerry Riggins as the men’s coach and together with Candice and her team, we hope to field a large group of participants in this years’ race of runners and walkers.  Men … you can also gather this Saturday at 8 AM at the church to start your training.

Can you believe Christmas is only 4 days away?  Many of you know that I love Christmas………I love the decorations, I love getting together with friends and family, I love the music, and I love the gift buying and giving!  And as believers……..the ultimate joy is found in the gift of our Savior! There is a song that I love that has these words in a verse..

” The king became a child a long long time ago
And the child became a king
So the whole wide world will know
What Christmas really is “.

So there it is…….what Christmas really is.  Celebration of the king lowering Himself as humanity and becoming King again……all for the sake of undeserving you and undeserving me…….all because He loved us.  WE are His loved ones.

There is never a Christmas that comes that doesn’t bring to mind the mother Mary.  For some reason, my heart goes out to her during this season.  What must have been going through her mind as she realized she……a virgin…..would give birth to the King of Kings!   Luke Chapter 1 tells us that Mary was afraid. I wonder if her mind played questions like these as she thought about the days ahead:

• What is going to happen to me?
• What will people think?
• What will my life be like now?
• What if this change isn’t what I want?
• What if this change doesn’t make me happy?
• What if I can’t handle it?