Recipe: Sugar and Spice Cookies

Fall has finally arrived (sort-of...VA weather always flips back and forth) and with it the changing of the leaves, hot tea/cocoa, and COOKIES!!  Sugar and Spice cookies is one of our family's favorite fall/winter-time cookie recipes...enjoy!

Sugar and Spice Cookies

Cream:
1 c. dark sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 c. sucanat with honey (or white sugar)
1 c. of butter (2 sticks)

Then add:
2 eggs (preferably fresh from the farm: non-GMO and pastured raised....see HERE for more info)
1 t. vanilla

In a separate bowl combine:
4-5 c. of freshly milled soft white wheat or 4 c. of white flour (until the dough doesn't stick too bad to your fingers)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. allspice
Then add these ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture.  After mixing thoroughly pinch off little balls and roll in a bowl of sugar.  Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.  Delicious hot and great leftover!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah    

A verse the Lord showed me....

"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

Matthew 24:12

I read this verse in my quiet time yesterday morning and the Lord revealed just a tiny bit about what this verse means.  To give you a little background, in Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" [Matthew 24:3].  Jesus' response is recorded not only in Matthew 24 but also in Mark 13 and Luke 21; but only in Matthew is this verse recorded.  
Our family knows many couples who are struggling with their marriages.  In fact, in America a whopping 50% of marriages end in divorce.  The Lord showed me that because of the sexual lawlessness thriving in our country the love of many couples is growing cold.  Satan knows that the strength of a nation depends on the strength of the families.  He knows that marriage is "the Lord's holy institution which He loves..." [Malachi 2:11c] and that it is supposed to represent the love and commitment Christ has for His church.  For these reasons he has tried since the beginning of time to destroy the life-long vow of marriage.

I want to thank my daddy and mamma for understanding the importance of marriage and for fighting so hard to follow the model clearly set forth in the Bible.  The Lord has reasons in putting the man as the head of the wife, the wife in submission to the husband, and the children in obedience to both.  He has reasons for putting the wife in the home and not in the work place.  It is because God's people have chosen not to follow God's roles in marriage that divorce is on the rise.  If unbelievers do not see a difference between their own marriages and Christian's marriages then why would they want to come to Jesus?
Although lawlessness is abounding we still have the responsibility to "be holy as He is holy" [1 Peter 1:16] and to allow Him to use us in whatever way He sees fit.  How comforting to know that the Lord's love for us will never grow cold.  What an awesome God we have!

Learning to delight in Jesus,
Hannah
      

Book Review: The Kingdom Series

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

2 Corinthians 10:4-6

My parents bought this book series by Chuck Black, a retired F-16 fighter pilot, in mid-June for family reading every night.  As soon as we picked up the first book we could not put it down.  Within 2 months we were done all 6 books and wanted more (we soon after bought the Knights Of Arrethtrae Series and have enjoyed those so far).  Anyway, about these books...........

Set in the 14th century A.D. be prepared to enter a world of knights, ladies in distress, sword fighting, dragons, etc.  Originally written to increase his children's interest in the Scriptures, Chuck Black expertly and eloquently weaves in an allegory of the entire Bible, starting in Genesis and ending with Revelation.  Your heart will beat with excitement during every encounter of good with evil; it will cheer in victory every time "The King reigns...and His Son" is proclaimed; it will be filled with sorrow when it seems as if evil has conquered only to be lifted out of the depths of despair when the Prince's Silent Warriors come to the rescue!  Prepare to be encouraged in your walk with Christ and challenged to give your ALL to the King to do with as He desires.  This isn't just a book for boys but courageous young women who desire to serve the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Suitable for all age ranges I highly recommend this series for the whole family to read.

Learning to delight in Jesus,

Hannah

To find out more go HERE 

My Family Beach Vacation

The Lord did allow us to enjoy our much-looked-forward-to beach vacation.  Hurricane Irene landed in Outer Banks the Saturday we were supposed to leave but after much prayer and the thumbs up from the realty company, we were able to leave last Monday.  We've gone every year with my mom's side of the family since before I was born!  Jesus has blessed me with some wonderful, fun-loving Aunts and Uncles and some great cousins!  This is the one week of the year that we put aside our differences, whatever they may be, and just enjoy being a family.  Please enjoy the pictures below!

Packing up early Monday morning!!

Our 15 passenger van is usually stuffed!

Every year we stop at Morris Farmers Market on our way down!

At the Farmers Market they have antique tractors that the kids were able to play on.  My sister Eden seemed to be enjoying it!

Peaches are one of our favorite fruits to get down there!!

We're finally here!!  It was really foggy when we arrived but it cleared up soon!

The front of our 8 bedroom rental home.

What our house looked like from the beach.

This was my brother Judah's first time at the beach!!  He loved the water but tried to get away from the sand.

Two of my sisters and I shared this colorful room.  We enjoyed having our own space!

The view of the ocean from the top deck of our home.

Three of my cousins!  Love um to death!!

The ocean!  Ah, how marvelous are your works O, Lord!!

My sister and another cousin jumping the waves.

The day before we left my sister Kimber took some updated beach photos of all of us!

The ones who started it all!  Love you guys!

The whole family.  Wouldn't trade you for the world!

L to R: Hannah (17), Lydia (3), Seth (10), Josiah (5), Lexi (14), Judah (1), Caleb (12), Eden (7), Kimber (15)

I leave you with this.

We had a wonderful time and made many memories.  How very blessed we are to be able to enjoy a vacation like this every year!

        "Those who go down to the sea in ships,
         Who do business on great waters,
 ²⁴ They see the works of the LORD,
         And His wonders in the deep.
 ²⁵ For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
         Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
 ²⁶ They mount up to the heavens,
         They go down again to the depths;
         Their soul melts because of trouble.
 ²⁷ They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
         And are at their wits’ end.
 ²⁸ Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He brings them out of their distresses.
 ²⁹ He calms the storm,
         So that its waves are still.
 ³⁰ Then they are glad because they are quiet;
         So He guides them to their desired haven.
 ³¹ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!"

Psalm 107:23-31

Learning to delight in Jesus,

Hannah

P.S.- Photo's a courtesy of Photography for Jesus.  Please see my family's blog for a more detailed account of our beach vacation.