Beloved Readers,
Within minutes of it happening, we heard about the Sandy Hook school shooting, and it laid miserable grief and heartache on us. Like many of you, I've
wrestled with it since, unable to comprehend what the parents, siblings, grandparents, and loved ones are going through and will go through for the rest of their days.
When I read the following poem, I felt it brought a little perspective, and I wanted to share it. It's written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA, with Andrea Marie.
Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38,
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.......
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"This is heaven." declared a small boy.
"We're spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring.
Those children all flew into the arms of their King.
And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had,
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
Then He and the children stood up without a sound;
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran;
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."
Cindy
Cindy’s
Blog and Chat
We’ve had a GREAT 2012 year on Facebook, and many of you have
participated in our Reader Friend of the Week giveaways. We’ve had a lot of winners, and it’s been so much fun! This year I’d like to change up how we connect by moving
our focus to the website.
Here are some of the things you can expect during the upcoming year:
- Family favorite recipes.
- Question and answer sessions on common questions my readers have asked about the Amish and their way of life.
- Guest posts by Sherry Gore. Sherry lives in Sarasota, Florida, and is a member of the Beachy Amish Mennonite church. She is the author of Taste of Pinecraft,
Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living magazine, and a brand new cookbook releasing in the spring.
- Guest posts by Melissa K. Norris. Melissa grew up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and loves all things vintage and antique. She is the author of
Pioneering Today-Faith and Home the Old-Fashioned Way, a nonfiction work full of practical and easy methods to cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own
food, and see God’s fingerprint in your everyday busy life.
- I’ll also have other guest bloggers who will focus on simple living, faith, family, recipes, homemade items we think you’ll love, and much more!
If you'd like to receive each blog post straight to your email inbox, click here
If you'd like to know more about this year's Christmas release,
please click here
Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
3 cups of oatmeal
½ cup of peanut butter
Place in a bowl and set aside.
2 cups of sugar
4 tablespoons of cocoa (unsweetened)
¼ cup of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
½ cup of milk
In a heavy saucepan combine: sugar, cocoa, butter, vanilla, and milk.
Stirring constantly, bring to a slow boil over medium heat and boil for one minute. (If you boil it too long, they'll be dry and crumbly, not long enough, they'll
remain so gooey you'll need a bowl and a spoon ;-)
Pour boiling ingredients into the bowl of oatmeal and peanut butter. Stir briskly until combined. Drop each spoonful onto wax paper or sprayed no-stick cookie pan.
Amish Connection
Hello! My name is Rachel. I’m Old Order Amish, and I own and operate Rachel’s Country Store. Friends
of mine built me a website so that you and your friends can order items from us.
You can find my website at http://www.rachelscountrystore.com. I hope you'll take a few moments to browse our
selection of Amish-made items, Amish cookbooks, Rhythm clocks, and novels.
So if you’d like to purchase something Amish-made, this is a great place to start. Whether you’re looking for the perfect décor for your home or a gift for a loved
one, Rachel’s Country Store is sure to have something that will catch your eye!
Wow, I had over 2,000 entries for this contest! Thank you to everyone who made
it so exciting.
The winner is Arleen Curry. Congratulations, Arleen!
Arleen will choose one friend to take a trip to Amish Country. She will stay the night in an Old Order Amish home, eat an authentic “wedding” meal, and attend an Amish
auction with spending bucks.
She’s sure to make many memories that she will cherish for a long time!
|
|
