Birthday Celebration Party for Jesus

According to www.californiamall.com "Christmas is Britain's most popular holiday and is characterized by traditions which date back hundreds of years. Many Christmas customs which originated in Britain have been adopted in the United States." I come from an English background and one of the traditions I remember is a pudding made by an Aunt and was the main dessert. As I recall, I never tasted this pudding. It looked like mud to me and did not smell appetising. Following is the recipe and is a tradition from England. My great-great-great brought this recipe with him in 1876 when he migrated to the United States and became an indentured servant for 7 years near Chicago.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

This pudding dates back to the late 19th century. This pudding should be made well in advance, but it is possible to make it on Christmas Eve.
8 oz. currants
8 oz. sultanas
8 oz. stoned raisins
8 oz. Barbados sugar
4 oz. grated beef suet
4 0z. fresh breadcrumbs
4 0z. ground almonds
4 0z. blanched almonds, chopped
4 oz. mixed candied peel
6 oz. cooked apple, peeled and finely chopped
8 oz. plain flour
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 fI. oz. stout
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 oz. ground minced spice
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
5 tbsp. brandy

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl with 2 tbsp. of the brandy. Pour the mixture into a greased 3 1/2 pint pudding basin and cover with a double layer of greased, greaseproof paper or aluminum foil--pleated in the middle to allow for expansion. Tie string under the rim and across the top to make a handle. Place a trivet in the base of a large saucepan. Lower the pudding into the saucepan and fill with enough boiling water to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the basin. Pour in more boiling water if necessary.

When the Pudding is cooked, pour the remaining brandy over the surface and re-cover. To reheat, boil gently for 3-4 hours.

For our tradition one pudding was made without the brandy and one with the brandy. My Aunt would save about 1/2 of the brandy and 2 Aunts and my Mother would share the brandy in a little room off the kitchen of my Aunts house.

Another Birthday for Jesus

The day around here is sun shiny with a temperture of 26 and the propect of snow later tonight with 2-4 inches. It will make our area look a lot more like Christmas.

I would like to share with you something a friend sent to me, please enjoy.

God grant you the light in Christmas,
which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;....
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a great New Year!

Happy Birthday Jesus, Day 1

I would like to share a poem with you from Charles W. Swisher who was born and raised in Medaryville and is the Author of "Reflections in Verse for my first Happy Birthday to Jesus. Enjoy as you read.

I WOULD LIKED TO HAVE WALKED WITH THE SHEPHERDS

"I would liked to have walked with the shepherds
To Bethlehem that night,
And shared in their watching and wonder
As the walked toward that heavenly light.
Cross the hills and the plains of Judea
To the star in the East as it led,
And stood over Joseph and Mary
And the Saviour in His manger bed.
I would liked to have heard from the heavens
The words of the angel, "Behold!
This day a Saviour is born unto you",
The birth that the prophet foretold.
As oft' as I read the old story
And think of their joy and delight,
I would like to have walked with the shepherds
To Bethlehem's manger that night.

I would like to have walked with the shepherds
And yet, in the scriptures I see,
As the light from the Star guided them on that night
The light of His word guided me.
A star in the night, a light to my path,
A lamp to my wandering feet,
Then follow I will, thought the valley and hill
And someday my Saviour I'll meet.
Not as then will I see Him, is swaddling clothes
In the manger that welcomed His birth,
But on high, where He sits at the right hand of God
And rules over heaven and earth.
I would liked to have walked with the shepherds
But now, with His word as my light,
I can walk with the Shepherd of shepherds...
Who was born in the manger that night."

I Am lesson eight

1. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to 'go back' to a place of shame or ridicule? Yes How did that make you feel? Afterwards I felt relieved and blessed from the experiences.

2. Is there any circumstance in your life that still has you running for cover? Share if you feel comfortable. Sorry, I can not at this time.

3. When is the last time you felt like an overcomer? August of 2006, after being diagnose with congestive heart failure and knowing that God saved my life.

4. If you have not yet taken the serpent by the tail, are you willing to stop running, take hold and trust God to transform it into a tool for wonders? For me I stop running the second I realize the lie that the serpent is trying to get me to believe, but I know the serpent is a liar and all it wants is to take me over, but it is not going to happen. I do trust God to transform me into a tool of wonders.

5. I would like for you to write down this statement based on 1 John 2:14 somewhere you will see it often this week: "I am strong, the Word of God abides in me, and I have overcome the evil one." Memorize it. Say it over and over until you believe it. Will you do this?? Most of the time, there are no right or wrong answers, but on this one, I'm expecting a 'yes'! Oh, yes I will. I know I am strong with God abiding in me and I have overcome many things.

This or That

This will be a this or that day. A lot of rambling. First, my birthday meal happened at lunch time because of the country roads were not the best from an ice storm on Sunday. I did not get the prime rib, but had a delicious New York steak which I could almost cut with a fork.

Second, check out the Birthday Party for Jesus button and if you feel like participating go for it. I found it on my daughters blog. As creative as she is her blog will be spectacular to behold.

Third, I want to tell you about Youth Haven. It is a camp for at risk children, who many of them, live in Foster homes, single partent homes, or in homes with abuse going on daily. Many of their Moms and Dads drink or take drugs. There are gangs in most of the cities they live in. These children more than likely get their meals at school only. They come from many towns and cities of Michigan and other states. Youth Haven by it's name is a place where children can come, be safe, and learn about God and that He is a haven for them any where they are. Children come for free from donations from Churches and individuals. The camp does not get any funding from any government agency. There web site is: www.youthhaven.org, feel free to check it out and if you feel led tell others about it and your church. The camp runs year around with a staff of individuals who love kids and love what they are doing.

Finally, I want everyone to have the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. To know Him as a friend everyday, every night, and every where and forever.

Tuesday

Good Afternoon, Tuesday again. It is 36 and raining and not melting any of the snow and ice. When the temp drops we will be getting ice. I am praying for those who are still out of electricity because of the ice storms this past weekend.

Here is a quote for Tuesday In Other Words.

"Be such a person and live such a life,
That if every person,
Was a person like you, and every life a life like yours,
This Earth would be God's Paradise."
~Phillips Brooks~

I read this quote and my first thoughts were please do not have any one else like this sin stain woman. Then I read a couple of blogs and my thoughts began to change. I have been working to become a women according to Paul as He talks to the aged women in Titus 2:3-5

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers not given to much wine, teachers of good things: That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed." (KJ version)

I saw these words in two wonderful women in the Church I attend, who were my mentors. One taught me how to cook, clean, and love my husband more and more each day. The other lady assisted me in raising my 2 girls into adulthood. As I have aged I have helped out a few young women as my examples taught me and from what Paul had to say. Can I become a women who can assist in making this earth God's Paradise? Yes, I can and will continue to each day of the rest of my life.

What A Weekend

To begin! Where? At the beginning I guess. At 11:45 AM we picked up 2 young people and started a 3 1/2 drive to Youth Haven Camp in Rives Junction, Michigan. A camp for at rick children in a 200 acre woods in near the center of Michigan. The words were good and we arrived safely at our destination. (Only one stop at Mc.D's for lunch)We arrived at 3:30 PM, unloaded the car and said good by to my husband who was turning around to make the trip back home. My daughter is the cook at the camp and I was going to spend the weekend watching and listening and working and crying for 70 kids, from the age of 7 to 12, who needed a safe place, if only for a weekend. I boned 4 turkeys, stirred chili, washed many, many, pots and pans and most of all watched my girl in action. I was so proud of her, for I know she loves the kids and has a passion to make it easier for them and to tell them about God and the haven He is in their daily existence.

On Friday evening during chapel I heard praises going upward to the God of us all. One song I want to share with you. It was the last song and I cried when I felt the Holy Spirit in Holy goosebumps. The song for me is a prayer and after they sang it many times I could not help but cry. I hope it will be a prayer for you.

Come and make my heart your home
Come and be everything I am and all I know
Search me through and through
Until my heart becomes a home for You
I Home for you Lord
A Home for you Lord
Let everything I do, open up the door for You to come through
that my heart may be a place that you want to be.

The staff put on a skit for 5 Chapel services on the birth of Christ in the setting of a news broadcast.

Saturday night the 70 young people enjoyed a full Christmas meal, with white table cloths and green and red place mats. The surprise I heard in their voices made all the preparations a piece of cake. To know that most of them will not be getting a Christmas meal on Christmas Day brought a lump in my throat. The four turkeys and all the fixings were devoured and enjoyed by all.

Sunday they received donuts and milk in bed. A treat. After lunch the children were taken to what is called the Hay Loft on the camp grounds for a Christmas party. There they sang Christmas songs, quoted scripture, heard the final story about Jesus, and were given a huge shopping bag of Christmas gifts. I heard one little 7 year old boy say "Is all of this for Me" Again the tears were flowing.

We arrived home to ice, but the trip was good. The 2 young people we took was in heaven on the way home. I could hear their chatter all the way home. Arrived home at 8:30 PM.

My daughter has help from LIT's (Leaders In Training) for serving and clean up from each meal. I met and fell in love with 5 of the most adorable boys and girls who want to give back to a place where they had attended as a younger child. Their sweet personalities won my heart. The hugs were heart felt as I said good by to each of them and wished them a good life.

Now for the birthday. Turning 60 was not the end of the world after all. My family played it very low keyed. My other daughter and her husband surprised me at the camp on Sunday morning. They gave me a plant in a box. It was so good to see them and see them jump in and help clean the kitchen so the cook could be at the Christmas party. The cook gave me my most favorite candy, sugar free taffy. Today my husband is taking me out for my most favorite meal of prime rid, backed potatoes, and the most melt in your mouth roils in an inn along the Kankakee river.

This is the end. Love and Hugs to all who sent birthday wishes to me.