Divine Yule Logs (and Cakes)

Here’s another new tradition, introduced to our family by my son-in-law Carl, who got creative and made a yule log cake last year. It so piqued my curiosity that I asked him for the recipe and decided to try my hand at making one for a Christmas dinner party this year. It’s a little more complicated than most recipes I shaare, but it isn’t really that hard, and it tastes pretty much divine! The first known yule log cake—bûche de Noël —was created by French pastry chef Pierre Lacan in 1895, although the tradition of burning a huge log (or tree) during the twelve days of Christmas began at least a century earlier in Germany, where a portion of a large log was burned every evening until “twelfth night,” which is January 6. Hence . . . you still have time to make one of these delightful yule log cakes to celebrate this week if you want to! Here is my own adaptation to an old classic:

Yule Log
(Serves 8-10)

Step One: Start by making the ganache for frosting the cake:
In a saucepan, heat:
1 cup heavy whipping cream until just starting to simmer (about 2-3 minutes), then add:
12 oz chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet, but suit yourself)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla. Immediately turn off the heat and whisk together until it turns into a smooth, satiny mixture. Cool for 5 -10 minutes and then place in the refrigerator to chill until you’re ready to frost the cake.

Step Two: Prepare the cream filling:

In a mixing bowl, whip together until thick peaks form:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla. This will take about 3-4 minutes on medium high speed. When it’s done, store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fill the cake.

Step Three: Bake the sponge cake, but first preheat the oven to 425°F. and then line a 10X15″ baking sheet with parchment paper which has been cut to fit the bottom exactly with no extra paper around the edges.

Then, in a automatic mixing bowl place:
4 egg whites and whip them for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but distinct peaks form that cling to the beaters. Remove to a clean bowl and set aside for a few minutes.

Next, combine in the mixer:
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whip together until it’s a heavy, consistent dough.

Then, gradually add half of the well-beaten egg whites, taking care to run a spatula around the edges and bottom to make sure everything is mixed in and becomes a thick batter.

Finally, carefully hand stir in and mix the last half of the whipped egg whites. At this point, you want to be careful to mix only enough to make the batter consistent. Don’t over mix or the air bubbles will all pop, and you need them to make the batter light and frothy!

Gently distribute the batter over the entire surface of the baking sheet and with a gentle touch of a spatula, smooth the batter out. If possible, keep it on top of the parchment paper so it doesn’t touch the edges of the baking sheet (although I can’t do it perfectly).

Bake for 6-7.5 minutes in the oven. Check at 6 minutes with a gentle touch, but if the center doesn’t spring back up, then bake it for another minute or two until it does. You want it done, but not overdone lest the edges get too dry and brittle. Remove from the oven and set on the counter to rest for no more than 2-3 minutes.

While it’s baking (not after) prepare a tea towel by adding about a cup (or more) of powdered sugar to form a thick layer just slightly bigger than the 10X15″ baking pan.

While the cake is still hot, take a knife to loosen all the edges and then flip the entire cake out, upside down, on top of the powdered sugar.

Immediately and gently, pull off the parchment paper. (The paper is off in this photo, but it’s pulled off bits of the cake. That will happen; don’t worry about it!)

The next step is a little anxiety-provoking, but it really does work, although it has to be done while the cake is still hot, which means you’ll get your hot pads dirty! Oh, well, they’ll wash! Start at one end of the shorter (10″) side of the cake and roll it up in the tea towel. If you have a heavy coating of powdered sugar, it will work just fine and shouldn’t break apart. Leave it in this shape until it’s completely cooled. If you skip this step, your cooled cake will crack when you try to roll it, so don’t skip this one!!

Once the cake has completely cooled, unroll it—still on the tea towel—and cover it with the filling, leaving about a half an inch on each edge to keep it from squeezing out at the seams and looking messy when you try to re-roll it. (It doesn’t take more than about 15 minutes to cool, so you could make the filling during this time if you’re in a hurry, although I like having everything ready ahead of time.) This would also be the perfect time to remove your chilled ganache from the refrigerator. It needs to be thoroughly chilled but warm enough to spread.

Carefully roll the sponge cake back up and place it on top of a large serving dish.

Give your chilled ganache a few swirls with a whisk to make sure it’s not too cold to spread. It will seem a little on the thick side, but if you do it right, it will spread without dripping off the ends, which is what you want!

Once your ganache is the right consistency, take a minute to cut off about a 1.5″ slice from one end of the yule log at an angle. Take that piece and attach it to the side of the cake so it looks a little like a branch coming out of the stump.

Gently frost the entire cake with the ganache, using a small metal spatula to carefully coat all the top edges while leaving the ends (with the cream filling) exposed. The recipe really makes a little more ganache than you’ll need, but it’s easier to work with a little extra so you don’t accidentally touch the cake and get crumbs in the frosting. Once you’re satisfied with the look, take a fork and gently run it vertically down the “log” and the “stump.”

Now, at this point, you could be done, but I think it’s fun to garnish the yule log, so here are a few ideas to get you started. Some of the sponge cake sticks to the tea towel, and I had to scrap it off with a knife (to keep from staining the tea towel). The bits of cake curled and reminded me of wood shavings from cutting down a tree. The powdered sugar made me think of snow, so I carefully transferred them to bowls and later used them to encircle the “stump” on the tray, so it looked like snowy wood chips at the base of the yule log. The curled bits of chocolate cake remained crispy and tasted great, so even part of this garnish got eaten after the rest of the yule log was gone.

One popular garnish is fresh cranberries with sprigs of fresh rosemary, but I had neither, so I used what I did have: wild rose hips, English ivy, and a sprig of pine needles. I wouldn’t use the ivy or pine needles again, because I’ve since learned that they can be toxic if swallowed. I arranged them so they didn’t touch anything, and they looked lovely, but . . . in future I’ll stick with edibles like rosemary, basil, bay leaves, or thyme. Rose hips are edible, as well as the petals and leaves, although up North where I live, there were no leaves or petals left. Thankfully, we do have an abundance of scarlet rose hips!

Cut with a sharp knife and serve soon (although it does keep surprisingly well . . . up to 24 hours I’d guess).

Long ago, Sir Isaac Watts noted that the Yule Log was an “emblem of divine light.” Sure enough! Like so many of our Christmas traditions, the radiant warmth of the “yule” (which celebrates the birth of Jesus) reminds us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and the author of life! Where would we be without light and warmth—in our homes and in our hearts?

“In Him [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). [John] “was sent to bear witness of that . . . true Light [Jesus] which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:8-9).

After We’ve Opened Our Gifts: What Then?

Have you experienced that tired lull in the action after all the gifts have been opened and enjoyed for a while? The wrapping paper and containers are discarded or prepared for recycling. Christmas dinner has come and gone. Sometimes even family has come and gone. I don’t know if the Christmas spirit is still high or running low at your house today, but I heard a wonderful message by an 80-year-old lay preacher named Jim Ayres on “What Then?” After we celebrate the birth of Jesus, what then?

Is it back to work as usual? If we’ve really opened our gifts: the birth of Christ to become our Savior and the Word of God as our treasure map for living, then life will never be “back to usual.” Jim remembered the birth of their first child. Their entire world was turned upside down. No more peaceful days pursuing predictable careers. No more quiet evenings pursuing personal pleasures. The gravitational force shifted from self to other. Burping days and sleepless nights. Learning to latch. Sore nipples. How is this all supposed to work, and will we survive?

About this time, Jim’s father called to see how things were going: “Do you need anything?”

“Not really. Everything’s going great . . . it’s just hard!” Jim stopped to think. “You know, what I really need is advice. Having a baby is way bigger than I imagined. Somehow you made it look easy. What did you do?”

I don’t know if Jim’s dad was really able to respond with profundity off the cuff or if he had to think about it. Maybe he’d been thinking about it for 30 years already and had his answer before Jim even asked. However it was, Jim’s dad gave him three pieces of advice:

*Take him to church every week.
*Take some time to talk to him every day.
* Make sure you eat at least one meal with him every day.

Frankly, I think that’s great advice for parents, and the world would be a much better place if this advice were heeded. However, Jim went on to encourage us to take this lesson to heart spiritually as well. The baby (Jesus) has been born. If we’ve opened our gift and received him as our Savior, which Jesus calls “rebirth,” then we also have been born anew ourselves. By receiving the Christ child, we have become the child of Christ. After celebrating the birth of Christ and becoming a son of God, what then? What should we be doing?

*Go to church every week
*Take some time to talk to Him (pray) every day
*Share at least one meal with Him every day (feast on God’s Word, which is Jesus, the manna sent down from heaven).

Jim concluded: Go to church, practice the presence of God, and find your place at God’s table. Before long, you’ll have learned how to latch, how to nurse, and how to sleep through the night, secure in the knowledge that your loving heavenly Father is watching over you.

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer;
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

What is your most treasured possession (not counting loved ones)? If you could have anything for a gift, what would it be? Last Christmas Alan and I decided to share with each of our children and grandchildren what we treasure more than any other earthly possession: a copy of the Bible. Because many of them are still too young to comprehend the value (some can’t even read yet), we enclosed a letter explaining why we love the Bible so much. Just in case any of you are wondering “What’s the big deal?” about the Bible, let me share our hearts with you:

Christmas, 2021

To my beloved children and descendants:

What is this book? It’s the Word of God to us—a manifestation of foundational Truth that existed from the beginning, that was with God, was God, created all things, and became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, whose “name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13, KJV). In a mystery we struggle to grasp, when we hold the Bible in our hands and hide it in our hearts, we are holding Jesus. It’s that precious!

Who wrote the Bible? Holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:21). Does that include everything written in this book? Yes! “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Why did God write the Bible? It’s His love letter to us—to you, me, and the whole world! It explains how we can enter into a love relationship with God so that He becomes our Father, we become His child, and we are born anew into the kingdom of God: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). By reading the Bible, we learn to recognize our sinfulness and need for repentance: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 3:3). We understand our need to be saved by faith in Jesus: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

How do we receive this gift of salvation and eternal life offered by Jesus? Jesus lived a sinless life and died to pay the penalty for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8). So, we are “born again,” or “saved” simply by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus—accepting the gift of salvation that He offers us: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

My daily prayer for you is two-fold. First, I pray that you will believe and receive this good news—this Gospel—proclaimed in the Bible! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Second, I pray that from a child you will grow daily in grace and knowledge through meditating on the Bible, to the end that you will be enlightened by its teachings, reproofs, corrections, and training in righteousness, ever growing into a more spiritually mature person who is “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

I first heard the good news that God loved me and that I could be saved by faith in Jesus when I was twelve. It was easy for me to agree that I was sinful and imperfect: I remembered lying in an effort to get out of trouble with my father when I failed to obey him, and I fought all too often with my sister! But, I had never heard that God loved me! I remember practically flying down the aisle when the speaker invited all who wanted to become God’s children to come to the front of the auditorium to commit their lives to Christ. I was crying but filled with joy. Although my parents were dismayed and my friends didn’t understand, I was so thrilled to become a child of God that I began sharing the good news with everybody around me. I have been thankful and delighted with Jesus every day of my life from then until today! God IS love! He loves me, and He loves you!

Ever since my conversion, the Bible has been the sola scriptura of my life, which means I believe it is rightfully the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice. It is the “Gold Standard” of the Christian faith—the one certain source of truth against which all others should be tested: “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160). The Bible is our moral compass to help us discern truth from error (Hebrews 4:12) and continuously points us to God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the true North of the Universe—our “bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16). God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway to keep us from stumbling in the dark or losing our way (Psalm 119:105). It teaches us how to avoid sin (Psalm 119:9) and keeps us from destruction (Psalm 17:4).

God tells us that Jesus—His Word—is the spiritual bread from heaven that we need to feed on so we can be healthy and grow stronger spiritually day by day. Jesus promised, “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58). Like the manna in the Old Testament, the Bible is mysterious. “What is it?”

When we believe and meditate on the Bible, we are taking in the very person of Jesus Christ spiritually. This meditation—spiritual feeding—comes as a command and a promise for all believers: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Want to be prosperous and successful in life? Meditate daily on this book!

Think of meditating on the Bible as poring over a spiritual treasure map! It will help you day by day to acquire gems of true wisdom and knowledge. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . .For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20). The Bible gives us life and comfort: “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life” (Psalm 119:50), but it can also be like a hammer in the hand of our great master sculptor as He breaks and chips away at our hardened hearts to make us into masterpieces of grace . . . or like a burning furnace to purge away the dross in our lives and refine us by fire: “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). Please don’t ever try to chip away at the Scriptures and only agree with what you like; allow His Word to rein you in and redirect your heart and thinking when you’re tempted to disregard any of its teachings: “I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons” (Psalm 16:7, KJV). Rather than trying to find your own way apart from the counsels of God’s Word illuminated by the Holy Spirit, I pray that you will join me in asking the Lord: “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (Psalm 119:133, KJV).

 If you ever wander off the path, remember that God loves us with an everlasting love and will continue being faithful even when we fail (Jeremiah 31:3). Jesus is our great “high priest forever” (Hebrews 6:30) and promises for all who have received Him by faith: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Furthermore, Jesus declared, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). If you have turned your back on God, turn back to Him! “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). He still loves you! He will always forgive you, and He will continue His good work in you. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

 May you live your life saved by faith in Christ, feasting daily on His Word, abiding in Him, walking in His light and love, finding your joy and satisfaction in bringing glory to God, and enjoying Him forever! “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:1).

My prayers go with you—even down through the generations—until His kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”                                     

With all my love and many prayers,

       Mom/Mama/Nana/Grandma

I first began to hear stories and teachings from this book in church and Sunday School when I was just a little boy of 5 or 6. From my earliest memory unto this very day, these stories and teachings have been truth to me—that is that they have had the “ring of truth” to my inmost spirit. I am blessed that while in my teens I had an encounter with the God of this book and committed my life to Jesus Christ. 

Like you and perhaps like every other person, I spent my life searching and wondering, hoping that I would understand life and the universe with my intellect. I was trained as a doctor-scientist and granted the privilege of interacting intimately with literally thousands of people, hearing all kinds of life stories and personal experiences along the way. What I can say now is that if God had not chosen to reveal himself in the Scriptures and provide the way of truth and salvation, we would never figure it out with our human intellect. 

For thousands of years the Scriptures have taught us that the world, the universe, and all of life were created out of nothing by the power of God’s word and the breath of His mouth. Only in the last hundred years have we learned from physics and ever more powerful particle colliders that even the atom is made up of such small particle-waves that we presently don’t have the ability to detect anything smaller. I am humbled to say that there is nothing better for us than to simply receive what God has provided for us to understand life and find our way. Please receive this gift with our prayers as God’s message to you.               

With all my love and many prayers,

       Dad/Pop/Papa/Grandpa Alan

Opening Gifts

What are your Christmas traditions? I’d love to hear from you! Some of our favorite traditions include singing Christmas carols together around the piano by our Christmas tree and attending a Christmas Eve service at our church. Most years, we also fit in a re-enactment of the Christmas story, dressing in makeshift costumes and reading our parts from tattered scripts taken from the accounts in Matthew and Luke.

But, no matter what else you do, exchanging gifts is a big part of the celebration, isn’t it? Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Our family tends to set aside Christmas Eve for reflecting on the birth of Jesus, and then we allow Christmas morning to be an explosion of pulling candy and nuts from stockings and unwrapping presents. Breakfast turns into brunch and the majority of the day is spent assembling toys, admiring presents, playing games, and cooking a feast for dinner. Bedtime comes a little early since parents stayed up way too late Christmas Eve preparing and little ones woke up way too early Christmas morning!

Last Christmas Alan and I sent a box of gifts to the family of our kids who are living in Germany. We mailed it early in December, assuming nearly four weeks would be sufficient time to arrive, but in fact, it didn’t arrive until January 6th. What a disappointment not to have presents there for the kids on Christmas morning . . . but what squeals of joy resounded when the big box finally arrived! My daughter-in-law videoed the kids swooping in to unwrap the presents, and it made me laugh with delight to see how excited they were with their new gifts! Whew! Do you ever worry that someone won’t like your gift? I do! Hearing their happy “Thank you, Nana and Papa!!!” made all the effort, expense, and waiting worth it!

Do you realize that God has given us an amazing gift? It’s Jesus: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). God gave us his Son as a gift. Why? Because He loves us, and as the angel explained in Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” The Israelites were looking for a Messiah who would save them from the oppressive rule of Rome, but God sent them his son to save them from something even more terrible than outside oppression: the inside oppression of their own sin. But, the people didn’t want to be saved from their sins, they wanted to enjoy them, and so they refused the gift. In fact, they hated God’s gift so much that they eventually killed Christ, hoping to destroy the gift forever.

Thankfully, Jesus wasn’t destroyed. Instead, after He died to pay the penalty for our sins, He rose from the dead, proving that He was indeed the indestructible, eternally living God! And, He didn’t destroy Israel because of their unbelief and rejection. Instead, He opened His arms wider still, so that “His people” could include not only the Jews, but all people throughout the world because He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It isn’t just the children of Israel who are invited but “whosoever.” Whoever is willing to repent of their sins and follow Jesus! “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

Have you opened your gift from God yet? Has He had the pleasure of seeing your eyes light up with joy and hearing your “Thank you, Father, for giving me Jesus, the best of all gifts!” Have you made His heart rejoice in all the effort, expense, and patience He’s poured into you? Or, have you refused His gift? Are you worried it might be too much work . . . or are you still thinking your freedom TO sin means more to you than your freedom TO RESIST sin? Last year we had some gifts that didn’t get opened on Christmas Day because they were for a family who came down with Covid and couldn’t come home until later. We promised our grandchildren that we’d keep the presents under the tree and not put away any of the decorations until they got a chance to recover and come for their gifts. My guess is that, if you haven’t yet opened your gift from God, He is still waiting patiently for you.

Also, if you’re not sure the gift of God is worth the cost of discipleship, I want you to think about what God is offering us in Christ: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

These are just a few of the benefits God gives us in Jesus: He protects us. To know Him is to love Him because He truly is wonderful. He becomes our counselor. God Almighty dwells within and with us. He gives us eternal life and peace that never ends. He provides judgment and justice “from henceforth and forever.” And, we don’t have to fight for any of these blessings, because Jesus—the Lord over innumerable hosts—does this for “his people.” Isn’t that better than fighting to have your own way in the world? Won’t you open the gift God is offering you this Christmas and become one of “his people”? “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the world! Over two billion people in 160+ countries consider Christmas the premiere holiday of the year, and even among countries where other religions reign, there are often celebrations including traveling to gather with family, gift-giving, and feasting that occur during December and early January.

Are you “ready” for Christmas? We love to decorate our home, but some people think decorating is a waste of time and money. Others would love to decorate but don’t have the physical strength or resources! Whether or not you’ve festooned your living room with wreaths of popcorn or shimmering colored lights, I hope you’re getting “ready” emotionally and spiritually, because the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving and receiving love.

Our Christmas tree is usually the perfect foretaste of Christmas gifts to come, decked with an assortment of ornaments created and collected by love over the years. Embroideries, hand-painted plasters, a heart-shaped string of beads to “Grempa.” A tiny photo of Daniel as a toddler made in Sunday school class 34 years ago and attached with a paper clip. A lovely photo from last winter appliquéd to wood. Above (unseen in this photo and out of reach of small hands) there is a gorgeous blown-glass orange and yellow globe from Venice and another amazing purple and gold globe hand-crafted in California. Each ornament is a timeless treasure, reminding me of how much I love my family and have been loved by them.

I think sharing love is the heart of Christmas, and I hope you’re experiencing wonderful feelings of love and joy this year, but I’m sure this won’t be true for everyone. We have friends who lost their 34-year-old daughter last Christmas Eve. We have friends who lost their beloved 87-year-old father (who’d been living with them for nearly twenty years) on New Year’s Day. Covid stole the life from another family of five: No mother, and the father died after only being ill with Covid for 10 days last December. I’m sure these families are all feeling a sense of reliving terror as they approach Christmas without their loved ones. Perhaps you are also among those who’ve experienced terrible loss this past year and find yourself dreading Christmas, so haunted by the Ghost of Christmas Past that you can’t bear to face Christmas Present.

If you’re sad, lonely, sick, discouraged . . . if you’re feeling unloved and forgotten, I want to share something wonderful with you! You may not be able to have what you’d desperately like to have this Christmas in the way of loving family and friends. You may not have anyone who can or will provide some special gift you can’t afford but really want or need. However, we can all have the world’s BEST Christmas Gift! Christmas is—after all—the celebration of God sending His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, down to earth as a gift to you and me—and all the world!

The best gift in the world isn’t the friend or relative that you most love. It isn’t the “thing” that you’d most love to own! It’s “Immanuel,” GOD Himself with us! God gave us the greatest gift ever: His uniquely begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God didn’t send him to a palace wrapped in glittering robes. God sent him to “Bethlehem”—which means “house of bread,” and God wrapped him in flesh and rags. The King of Kings was birthed into a dirty manger—a feeding trough for animals—to provide spiritual food for the world, but in such a way that it would take humility to receive.

Jesus was a vulnerable, helpless baby amidst smelly animals. More humble than the most humble. There was no room for him at an inn. No matter how miserable our circumstances, his were more desperate. There is no situation he doesn’t understand. Are you poor and homeless? So was He! Are you separated from family? So was He. Do you feel like a stranger in a strange city? So was He! Are you feeling hunted by evil? So was He! He loves you. He understands you. He is offering Himself as a gift to you.

This Christmas, I pray that you will take some time to meditate on Jesus: The fact that He was given to us as a love gift from God. Jesus loves us. Jesus lived, died, and rose again for us. Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him forever. Do you want Him? Will you accept this most wonderful of all gifts this Christmas?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20).

Hachi Hachiko

Looking for a sweet story to watch during the holidays? Is there anybody who doesn’t love a story about undying love and loyalty?

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, is an Americanized and modernized version of the true story of Dr. Ueno, who was a professor at the University of Tokyo a century ago.

Hachiko with the Ueno family (Public Domain)

Although the movie depicts Hachi as a pup found at a railroad station, in reality, Hachi (“Hachiko”) was a Akita Inu puppy born on a farm in 1923 and adopted by Hidesaburo Ueno, who was a professor of agriculture.

Uneo’s faithful dog accompanied him to the Shibuya train station every day and then hung around town until his owner returned on the evening train.

Workers loved him and shared scraps from their lunches with him.

Hachiko waiting every day for his master

Sadly, one day when Ueno was only fifty-one, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and died suddenly. Hachiko, with no way of understanding what had happened, continued waiting at the train station for his beloved master to return . . . every day for nine years, until he died (autopsy reported terminal cancer) on March 8, 1935!

His faithfulness in keeping vigil inspired the entire town, and when he died, his remains were brought into the train station for photos before being his body was preserved and placed in the National Science Museum of Japan in Tokyo.

A bronze statue was placed at Shibuya train station where Hachiko waited so patiently. In modern times, the entrance closest to this statue has been renamed “The Hachiko Entrance/Exit”, and there is now a “Hachiko Line!” Another statue is at Ueno’s gravesite in Aoyama Cemetery, Minato, Tokyo, where his ashes rest beside his master’s.

On March 8, 2015, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Ueno’s death and 80th anniversary of Hachiko’s, a statue of the professor and his beloved dog reuniting was placed outside the University of Tokyo’s agriculture department.

2009 adaptation, G-rated, 8.1 on IMDb

True, there are no bad guys in the movie, no explosives or wars or street fights. What the movie depicts isn’t hair-raising or spell binding, and so the movie has gotten some criticism, but I think the extremely high rating on IMDb reflects how people really feel. It’s sweet. It’s about love and loyalty. It’s about faith and trust. It’s about waiting patiently for your loved one to return. It’s about undying hope, which I also have. Do you? Not in the return of a mortal, but in the return of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead and promised to come again. And, despite what the critics say, I believe He will!

 “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:7-11 ESV).

Gingerbread Boys and Bears

Is baking Christmas cookies one of your Christmas traditions? I am always torn between baking sugar cookies (classic flavor that everybody loves) or making something out of gingerbread for the Hansel and Gretel in all of us. When I asked Aaron’s boys, the vote was unanimous for gingerbread, so that’s what we went with.

One of my problems with gingerbread is that I don’t like perfectly hard cookies, so I’ve changed the age-old version to produce a softer cookie that still stays together well enough to accept frosting and decorations but doesn’t become dried out and brittle within a day. To keep them really moist, I cover them with saran wrap and store them in a cool place. They also freeze well if you want to make them ahead . . . but who’d want to do that, since they’re a perfect “craft project” to do with kids!

Gingerbread Cookies
(Makes 3-4 dozen)

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Whip together in your mixer until frothy (3-4 minutes):
2 cups molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (8 oz) warm butter
2 eggs

Next, add:
5 cups white flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together only until completely uniform. I divided the dough into three big, sticky lumps, which I placed on the counter, each in its own small pile of flour to be rolled out. Add more flour if needed to make it possible to roll, but don’t add any more than you need, since soft dough produces soft cookies. I like the dough to be about 3/8″ thick, but anywhere between 1/4 (crisper) and 1/2 (moister) works. Cut out your shapes (our young guys chose boys and bears) and place them on buttered cookie sheets with a little room for expansion as they bake. You may need to re-roll the scraps a couple of times, and I always end up with one or two round cookies at the very end, although you may be able to get those last scraps to fit into a cookie-cutter shape. 🙂

Bake for 10-12 minutes (or even more), depending on how crisp you like them. Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes in the trays, and then carefully remove them onto the counter for decorating. My grandchildren said that white is the classic color, so that made that easy! Use whatever chocolate chips, sprinkles, or other candies you like, and enjoy!!! Our family certainly did!

“God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah” (Psalm 67:1).

“God is great, and God is good,
Let us thank Him for our food;
By His blessings we are fed,
Give us Lord, our daily bread. Amen.”
– Author Unknown

Walk with Me—Now and Forever!

How’s your gait these days? Is there a spring in your step, or are your joints creaky? Are you relishing happy holidays or feeling downcast? One of the blessings that keeps us cheerful even when we’re feeling creaky is a small, daily devotional magazine called Our Daily Bread, which has been a source of spiritual nourishment to me for the past 60 years! It’s an absolutely free ministry (although they do accept donations!) and includes a daily Bible reading, a short “insight” section with some biblical background material, and a simple, thought-provoking article relating the biblical teaching with everyday life experiences. You can receive a paper copy of Our Daily Bread monthly (which is the way we get ours), or you can read the messages online. Our happy habit is to read the devotional every morning after breakfast while we’re sitting around sipping tea, but anytime is a good time! If you read everything, it only takes about five minutes or less, so I think of it as a great value—investing in a little spiritual breakfast!!

Every article is worthwhile, but I was especially struck by one we read a couple of weeks ago, so I want to pass it along to you, just in case you’re starting to think about possibilities for positive change in the new year. What would it be like to be a disciple of Christ? Here’s what Sheridan Voysey shared in Our Daily Bread on November 28, 2022:

“A few years ago, a popular song hit the charts, with a gospel choir singing the chorus. ‘Jesus walks with me.’ Behind the lyrics lies a powerful story.

“The choir was started by jazz musician Curtis Lundy when he entered a treatment program for cocaine addiction. Drawing fellow addicts together and finding inspiration in an old hymnal, he wrote that chorus as a hymn of hope for those in rehab. ‘We were singing for our lives,’ one choir member says of the song. ‘We were asking Jesus to save us, to help us get out of the drugs.’ Another found that her chronic pain subsided when she sang the song. That choir wasn’t just singing words on a sheet but offering desperate prayers for redemption.

“Today’s scripture reading [Titus 2:11-14] describes their experience well. In Christ, our God has appeared to offer salvation to all people (Titus 2:11). While eternal life is part of this gift (v.13), God is working on us now, empowering us to regain self-control, say no to worldly passions, and redeem us for life with Him (vv.12,14). As the choir members found, Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sins—He frees us from destructive lifestyles.

“Jesus walks with me. And you. And anyone who cries out to Him for. help. He’s with us, offering hope for the future and salvation now.” (For more information or a free app or subscription, contact: https://odb.org/.)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14, ESV).

Holiday Travel: In the Nick of Time

Alan was flying down the hall toward me when I heard “Open the gate again!” blaring over the loudspeaker. It was 10:10 am, and our American Airline flight to Charlotte was supposed to leave at 10:15 am. Was it even possible to board and leave the gate on time?

Frankfurt used to be a fairly easy airport to fly through, but since Brexit, some 50 new companies are building skyscrapers in Frankfurt and the population is skyrocketing. In the past, our son Jonathan found that two hours was usually enough time to get through the airport there (which is normally also true in GR where we live), but we definitely needed three hours, although we didn’t know it. We left Jon’s promptly at 6:40 am and arrived at 8:15 am. So far so just as planned!

Inside, the lines were distressingly long and slow.  We waited about a half an hour to check in and drop off our luggage and then went to “Immigrations.” I got through without a hitch (after a long wait), but for some reason Alan’s passport couldn’t be read at any of the four kiosks (he tried them all), and it took an extra 20 minutes beyond our long wait before an agent directed him to the general line for everybody who was not from the EU or about a dozen special friendly countries (like USA, S Korea, Australia, UK, etc.). By this time we were running very late. We got to security, and even though we had “priority” tickets, the line barely moved. It was past time to start boarding, and the minutes were slowly ticking toward 9:45 am when the gate would close and they wouldn’t allow any more passengers to board. I asked twice if there was any way to expedite our going through security, but the guard didn’t even respond. He looked totally uninterested in being helpful.

“We’re doomed!” I lamented to Alan when the clock overhead read 9:45. However, to our great relief—at 9:46 am when we thought all hope was lost—an attendant from American Airlines came and asked who was scheduled to go to Charlotte, North Carolina. About 20-30 of us responded. The agent had us form a line and took us through security, commandeering all the various security scanners. Some people running late for the London flight (I think to leave a 10:30 am) were complaining loudly because they were being held up too, but the AA rep said they would be next but we had to go through first. We flew through the line, very disorganized and in a flurry!

I got the routine pat down, but they gave Alan an extra long going over, and then we got our luggage and practically flew down the halls to Gate D-1, where we were to board the plane. Again, I was able to go through without any questioning, but they said Alan had been selected for a random special search. They allowed me to wait just inside the agent checkpoint before the gate but took Alan to a private room where he and his carry-ons were thoroughly searched. After taking his carry on away (to be picked up in America), two police officers came in, one with a machine gun. They never found anything suspicious (although they ran a drug test on him) so let him go. Really? Seventy-two with nothing worse than a speeding ticket on his record and they chose this moment to give him the inspection of a lifetime?!

There were no agents left to show us the way at that point, since almost everyone else had already boarded, but I took an escalator down and Alan took the stairs. I was just a little ahead because I started running as soon as I saw him coming toward me, hoping to lead the way and catch the plane before they shut the gate again. I heard an attendant calling for them to open the door so we could board. A tall, official-looking attendant pointed us to the right hall to reach the plane, and we boarded. I think probably both our hearts were racing but also rejoicing! Although we knew the gate was to close at 9:45 am, they held it open for us (the last of some 20-30 people who’d gotten caught in the slow lines) until 10:10 am. We hurried to near the back of the plane, sighed HUGE sighs of relief, and settled into our seats just moments before the plane left.

YES! Amazingly, they left exactly at 10:15 am. I’m sure with such incredibly busy airports, every plane HAS to leave on time or throw off everyone else’s schedule for departure! Jumbo jets screamed in over the top of us as we taxied out, but in just a few minutes we were airborne and on our way to Charlotte, NC. Thank you, American Airlines, and thank you, Lord!!

Goodbye Germany!

In case you’re wondering (probably not), I have two morals to this tale: #1. If you’re traveling, especially during the holidays, give yourself considerably more time than you think you’ll need, especially for international travel! You never know when the airport will be a madhouse and you’ll be singled out for special attention!

#2. If you’re thinking about wanting to take a flight to heaven, don’t wait too long! Jesus is waiting with open arms to save all who come to him by faith, but there will come a time when the door closes and it’s no longer possible to board. Have you got your passport (“repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” [Acts 20:21])? Even if you think you’ve been “good” during life and that should be enough to get into heaven; it’s not “good enough!” Know that you will be searched and investigated! “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Know also that there is only one way to get into heaven—through Jesus—the only One who’s ever been perfect and “good enough”—“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Have you been through immigration? (“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” [Philippians 3:20, NIV]).

Like the American Airline representative, only Jesus is qualified to help us get through security and on the plane in time if we’ve been slower than we should be! “For He [Jesus] says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” ( 2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV). But, even if we think all hope is lost, God will rescue us if we’ll simply follow Him! (“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” [Hebrews 6:19 NIV]).

Happy Holidays, and may all your Christmases
(including your last) be safe flights! 🙂

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
(2 Corinthians 6:2)

Almond Bark and Peppermint Bark

We grew up making “almond bark” as one of our Christmas candy treats, but I never thought to wonder how it got its name! In fact, “bark” refers to covering the almonds, the way bark covers a tree. If you’re looking for something yummy and simple to make with grandchildren—or something just plain wonderful to eat . . . here it is!

Chocolate Almond Bark
(Fills a small cookie-sheet: 2.5 pounds of candy)

I usually make a chocolate version of the almond bark with nuts, and a white version with peppermint, but the recipes are completely flexible and interchangeable. Basically, it’s just two or three ingredients:

In a mixing bowl, microwave:
24 oz. chocolate chips just barely enough to melt them. I start with 1.5 minutes and then stir to see if I can get all the pieces to melt and blend, although depending on your microwave, you might need more or less time. Do not overheat the chocolate or it will develop white lines through the candy and look old in a few days (although it doesn’t effect the flavor). To further protect the chocolate from developing lines, you can also add:
1 tablespoon canola oil

Once the chocolate is melted, stir in:
16 oz. roasted, salted almonds (could also use pecans, peanuts, walnuts, or whatever you have and love!)

Stir until completely mixed and pour out on a greased cookie sheet. Cool until hard (refrigeration helps, or a cold spot in your home), and then break into chunks. Store covered, and I even keep it refrigerated until we eat it, although I think chocolate tastes best at room temperature so try to set it out on the counter for a couple of hours before serving it.

Peppermint Bark
(Fills a small cookie sheet: 28 oz. candy)

Peppermint bark is made exactly the same way, although you use:
24 oz. white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola oil (can use safflower or other oils, but not olive, peanut, etc. Needs to be scent-neutral)
4 oz. crushed peppermint candies or peppermint sticks

We made some with our grandchildren this week and had a grand time! However, none of the three like almonds, and they all love peppermint, so we made half recipes of both white and dark chocolate with crushed candy canes. 🙂

“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.” (Psalm 119:49)