Volume 1, Issue 5

Volume 1, Issue 6

December, 2012

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to

the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy. The Bible contains two accounts that describe the events surrounding Jesus' birth. Depend-ing on one's perspective, these accounts either differ from each other or tell two versions of the same story. These biblical accounts are found in the Gospel of Mat-thew, namely Matthew 1:18, and the Gos-pel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26 and

2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem.

According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals. A manger (that is, a feeding trough) is mentioned in Luke 2:7, where it

states Mary "wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."; and "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."

Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an An-

gel, and were the first to see the child. Popular tradition also holds that three kings or wise men (named Melchior, Cas-par, and Balthazar) visited the infant Jesus in the manger, though this does not strictly follow the Biblical account. The Gospel of Matthew instead describes a visit by an unspecified number of magi, or astrolo-

gers, sometime after Jesus was born while the family was living in a house (Matthew 2:11), who brought gifts of gold, frankin-cense, and myrrh to the young child Jesus. The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of a King of the Jews. The com-

memoration of this visit, the Feast of Epiph-

any celebrated on January 6, is the formal end of the Christmas season in some churches.

Christians celebrate Christmas in various ways. In addition to this day being one of the most important and popular for the attendance of church services, there are other devotions and popular traditions. In some Christian denominations, children re-enact the events of the Nativity with ani-mals to portray the event with more real-ism or sing carols that reference the event.

Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crèche, in their homes, using figu-rines to portray the key characters of the event. Prior to Christmas Day, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the 40-day Na-tivity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Je-sus, while much of Western Christianity celebrates four weeks of Advent. The final

preparations for Christmas are made on

Christmas Eve, and many families' major observation of Christmas actually falls in the evening of this day.

A long artistic tradition has grown of pro-ducing painted depictions of the nativity in art. Nativity scenes are traditionally set in a

stable with livestock and include Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus in the manger, the three wise men, the shepherds and their sheep, the angels, and the Star of Bethle-hem.

Today‟s depictions of the nativity in art might look like our „Baby Hays” below:

Offerings of Christmas from one heart to another is one of the core aspects of the

modern Christmas celebration. On Christ-mas, exchange gifts of love on the basis that the tradition is associated with the birth of infant Jesus.

h t t p : / / e n . w i k i p e d i a . o r g / w i k i /

Christmascommemorating_Jesus.27_birth

2

Psalm 92:4Psalm 92:4Psalm 92:4 For You, Lord, have made me glad

through Your work; I will triumph in the

works of thy hands.”

“The Mission of Christian Lifestyles is to

spread the Gospel throughout the world from Altadena, California and beyond. First, we can be confident that we can win as long as it is the work of His hands. Sec-ondly, we must win souls. And lastly, we

must win against sin. To this end, we can win in our worship, we can win a soul, and we can win against illegal or immoral ac-tions.”

“For thou, Lord, hast made me glad - Thou hast made me happy; thou hast giv-en me such a state of feeling as finds an appropriate expression in "praise."

Through thy work - Either the work of cre-ation, the finishing of which the Sabbath was designed particularly to commemo-rate; or the works of God in general - the universe; or the general dealings of his providence; or some particular interposi-

tions of Providence in his behalf that called for special praise.

All these are appropriately combined in the celebrations - the praises - of the Sab-bath; to these should be added, as among the most marvelous of his works, and that which furnishes special occasion for praise on the Christian Sabbath, the won-

derful work of redemption - that which of all the "works" of God makes a heart right-ly affected most "glad."

I will triumph - I will exult and rejoice. In the works of thy hands - In all thy works; in all that thou hast done.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible-website is: http://

barnes.biblecommenter.com/psalms/92.htm

Commemorating Jesus’ BirthCommemorating Jesus’ BirthCommemorating Jesus’ Birth

The The The

Potter‟s Potter‟s Potter‟s

HandsHandsHands

3

Magnify and Worship Him Magnify and Worship Him Magnify and Worship Him In Song and In Dance In Song and In Dance In Song and In Dance

Psalm 69:30Psalm 69:30Psalm 69:30———363636 “I will praise God’s name in song

and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will

please the Lord more than an ox, more than

a bull with its horns and hooves. The poor

will see and be glad—you who seek God,

may your hearts live! The Lord hears the

needy and does not despise his captive peo-

ple.”

“Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas

and all that move in them, for God will save

Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then

people will settle there and possess it; the

children of his servants will inherit it, and

those who love his name will dwell there.”

“The psalmist concludes the psalm with holy joy and praise, which he began with complaints of his grief. It is a great comfort

to us, that humble and thankful praises are more pleasing to God than the most costly, pompous sacrifices. The humble shall look to him, and be glad; those that seek him

through Christ shall live and be comforted. God will do great things for the gospel church, in which let all who wish well to it rejoice. A seed shall serve him on earth, and his servants shall inherit his heavenly kingdom. Those that love his name shall dwell before him for ever. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Arise, thou great Restor-

er of the ancient places to dwell in, and turn away ungodliness from thy people.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary—http://

bible.cc/psalms/69-30.htm

Can We Really Can We Really Can We Really Dance like David? Dance like David? Dance like David?

A Strange Story of PolityA Strange Story of PolityA Strange Story of Polity “During the final worship session of the youth convention at Pittsburgh 2011, the band played a popular wor-ship song—Dance Like David. The

song is unique in mainstream Chris-tian music. It uses Latin beats and is sung in both Spanish and English. It was written by a Christian band called

Salvador, which, based in Austin Tex-as, specializes in Latin funk music. Its

musical style bears little resemblance to Mennonite hymnody. Its syncopation does not lend itself to our typically stoic church

posture positioned toward the pulpit. In the same way that the medieval chants invite contemplation and the Sankey‟s hymns

encourage boisterous choruses of tight

harmony, Latin funk demands dance.

The lyrics even say as much: “When the Spirit of the Lord moves upon my heart, I

will dance like David danced.” That is the entirety of the song. It is not difficult. Add bongos, claves, and timbales, and the rhythm becomes infectious. That is why I found that final worship session strange.

With the synergy of the music and lyrics, not to mention thousands of excited young people, no one was dancing. Well there were actually a few dancers. They were

children. Childcare was closed by the final evening so all the youth sponsors, often young married couples, had to bring their

children to worship. In the aisle, there were

a number of little children jumping, bounc-ing, spinning, twirling, and driving them-selves into an emotional tizzy as they be-came absorbed into the music. Of course such behavior was all rather inappropriate

for a worship session, so their parents tried to corral them back to their seats.

Whether the children who danced were

being safe in their spinning, or whether their parents were justified in calming them down is not really the issue here. What is at issue, I must confess, was my own inability

to dance. Despite the Spirit moving during the service, and having an urge to imitate

its energy in dance, I did not. I denied something new by choosing to maintain the

worship posture with which I am most fa-miliar. I settled for slightly raised hands and a tapping foot.

White cradle Mennonites have been formed into people who generally sing very well and mostly never dance, especially in worship. In the same way that it would be unfair to expect tradi-

tions that have poorly developed vocal skills to find deep significance in four-part harmony, it is equally unfair to expect as kinesthetically stunted a tra-

dition as most white Mennonite groups

are to find immediate significance in

dancing. But, there is a tension here. It is between history and moment, diachronic and synchronic, experienced and experi-

encing, the past and the now. Our history is good. It has formed and informed us, mak-ing us who we are. However, the past must be always held up against the now. The

now is a liminal space suspended between what is and what could/should/will be. It is in the potential of that moment that some-thing new can emerge. Emergence is a

pneumatological act because crossing the threshold between what has been experi-enced into a new experience requires free-dom; it is in the Spirit that we are free

(Galatians 3:14, 4:6-7).

I think that children are generally freer persons than are adults. They live on the cusp of the new by virtue of their limited

experience of a past. Perhaps there is less

to keep them bound. Regardless, Jesus was clear that their foolishness (or was it free-dom?) is at the heart of the Kingdom (Matthew 19:14). I am not claiming that

charismatic worship or child-like dancing is inherently better or more faithful than traditional forms of Euro-Mennonite piety.

It is not a medicine for the church‟s ills.

What ails us is not a lack of charismatic worship. It is the inability to engage freely in the ways we feel led! To be faithful disci-ples of Christ, we must respond to the Spir-it in as free a way as he did—to emerge in

the now into the new to which history was brought us. The intuitive response of chil-dren may serve as a helpful example as to what that movement looks like. Unfortu-

nately, our responses are more often con-ditioned only by history. Whatever we are used to doing, we continue to do.

Perhaps I was an isolated case. I could have been the only person in that service

stubbornly rooting my feet to the place I did

Youth In The Pulpit Youth In The Pulpit Youth In The Pulpit

continues on page 4

B i t s a n d P i e c e sB i t s a n d P i e c e sB i t s a n d P i e c e s 2 Timothy 2:152 Timothy 2:152 Timothy 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no

need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

2 Corinthians 4:162 Corinthians 4:162 Corinthians 4:16

“So we do not lose heart. Though our

outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

1 Corinthians 6:181 Corinthians 6:181 Corinthians 6:18---202020

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every

other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You

are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

2 Corinthians 5:102 Corinthians 5:102 Corinthians 5:10

“For we must all appear before the

judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Romans 8:28Romans 8:28Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love

God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his pur-pose.”

Matthew 16:26Matthew 16:26Matthew 16:26

“For what will it profit a man if he gains

the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

1 Corinthians 10:131 Corinthians 10:131 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be

able to endure it.”

Acts 17:28Acts 17:28Acts 17:28

“For “„In him we live and move and have our being‟; as even some of your own poets

have said, “„For we are indeed His off-spring.‟” Ephesians 2:8Ephesians 2:8Ephesians 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved

through faith. And this is not your own do-ing; it is the gift of God,”

Romans 10:10Romans 10:10Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes and is

justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Galatians 3:26 Galatians 3:26 Galatians 3:26

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of

God, through faith.” Isaiah 66:2Isaiah 66:2Isaiah 66:2

“All these things my hand has made, and

so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. “ (All references are English Standard Versions)

Dance Like David Dance Like David Dance Like David continues from page 3

not want them to be, but I doubt that is the case. I have on numer-ous occasions heard other brothers and sisters express their de-sire for greater freedom to express their worship in new ways. I sense they feel the same strictures on their behavior that I do. That situation is very dangerous.

The Mennonite church espouses a congregational polity. That means that congregational representatives join to make theologi-cal decisions for the broader church instead of leaving that re-

sponsibility to a hierarchical structure such as the Catholics have in the pope. Our tradition claims that the Spirit is revealed most fully through the gathered body instead of individual leaders. We are facing, now, some quite contentious issues in the church and

freedom in the Spirit will be essential if we are to emerge beyond them into a newness that looks toward the Kingdom.

If we cannot find the courage to respond as the Spirit leads in

worship, have we any hope for faithfully responding in our deci-sion-making processes? Our worship is constituent of our spiritu-al identity and health. If we cannot free ourselves in worship to the Spirit‟s moving, we cannot expect our decisions in the dele-

gate session that follows to be characterized by pneumatological attentiveness. Our congregational polity then ceases to work. Our pneumatology becomes mechanistic. It empowers our theologi-cal deliberations only in theory, populating a flowchart of herme-neutic responsibilities. I fear, however, that if our worship lacks

freedom then these other aspects of our church life will as well.

Perhaps it is time we tried to dance.” Like Hays Tabernacle?Like Hays Tabernacle?Like Hays Tabernacle?

http://anabaptistmissionalproject.org/blog/2012/05/05/can-we-really-

dance-like-david-pnuema-and-polity/Posted May 5, 2012 by Lane Miller

4

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or

discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not

fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the tem-

ple of the Lord is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:201 Chronicles 28:201 Chronicles 28:20

“He gives us strength to the weary and increases the power of

the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men

stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their

strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not

grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29Isaiah 40:29Isaiah 40:29–––313131

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the mem-

bers should have the same care one for another.” 1 Cor. 12:251 Cor. 12:251 Cor. 12:25

Bible Scriptures for CaregiversBible Scriptures for CaregiversBible Scriptures for Caregivers

5

Chri s t i anChr i s t i anChr i s t i an s’s’s’ CornerCornerCorner

Christian Testimonies Christian Testimonies Christian Testimonies About Loss of FaithAbout Loss of FaithAbout Loss of Faith

My name is Camile and I have been

a Christian since I was 12 years old. At

the age of 14, my mom left to live at

another parish and I was left to practi-

cally take care of myself through high

school.

I made a choice to remain where I

was, close to family and friends who

could help me, since we are from a

poor family. My faith wandered be-

cause of the lack of guidance, and

though I made it through high school, I

got pregnant at 18.

My heart was always with Christ and

living in the world as a sinner was nev-

er a desire of mine, so I returned to

Christ after the birth of my child. My

mother returned, but I was filled with

bitterness and unforgiveness which

got the better of me.

I kept on struggling with my Christi-

anity, not having a true relationship

with Christ and found myself back into

fornication again. I remember crying

and crying and asking God to show

me what my purpose was and to refill

me back with his Holy Spirit. I was at a

state of drought and dryness in my

Christian walk.

Finding My Way Back to Christ

Around this time, the local church

which had been struggling, received a

new pastor. He was planning a Christ-

mas production and because I love

drama, I asked to be a part of it. I had

no idea that this would be my way

back to Christ and a totally sold out

life.

During the production I found myself

changing some old ways, breaking off

relationships, praying more, and it

was then that God revealed his pur-

pose to me. I would print documents

about the Christmas production, make

phone calls, and ensure that all went

well.

In the end, the production was a suc-

cess and my pastor asked me to be the

church secretary and a member of the

church planning committee. I know

that I had been baptized for years, but

never before had I felt the calling of

God like this.

I am totally sold out and committed.

It's been almost a year and I have no

taste for the sinful things of this world.

My life has now been surrounded with

only the decision to work for God and

to build his kingdom.

Christianity is a Marathon

It's amazing when you have sinned

all of your life, but then one encounter

with God can change your entire fu-

ture. I now serve as the Youth Presi-

dent and County Secretary. It's not I,

but Jesus Christ who lives within me.

I've learned that Christianity is a

marathon rather than a 100-meter

race, but with the strength of Christ, I

know I will make it through. To God be

the glory, great things he has done!

A New Passion

Ever since then I have attended the

family's church. I have had the most

amazing experiences, like never be-

fore, with Jesus. And, I have never felt

this close to him.

I attend church regularly, and have

started studying the Bible, which I

never did before. I have such a pas-

sion and thirst for knowledge. I just

want to learn as much as I can about

God and be as close to him as possi-

ble.

I never had this passion before, and

how strange that only two weeks prior,

for the first time in my life, I had said I

was atheist! God was definitely trying

to get my attention, and I'm so glad he

did!

If you are losing your faith, stop by

one of your local churches and talk

with a Disciple to discover the differ-

ence!

from

Excerpts taken from ―How to Build an Intimate

Relationship with Jesus. Practical and Spiritual

Principles for Building Your Relationship with

J e s u s — F r o m J a c k Z a v a d a - h t t p : / /

christianity.about.com/od/topicaldevotions/a/

relationshipwithjesus.htm

Christian Lifestyles

1 Corinthians 121 Corinthians 121 Corinthians 12

Spiritual Gifts: Unity in DiversitySpiritual Gifts: Unity in DiversitySpiritual Gifts: Unity in Diversity

“Spiritual gifts were extraordinary pow-

ers bestowed in the first ages, to convince unbelievers, and to spread the gospel.

Gifts and graces greatly differ. Both were freely given of God. But where grace is

given, it is for the salvation of those who have it. Gifts are for the advantage and sal-

vation of others; and there may be great gifts where there is no grace.

The extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were chiefly exercised in the public assem-

blies, where the Corinthians seem to have made displays of them, wanting in the spir-

it of piety, and of Christian love. While hea-thens, they had not been influenced by the

Spirit of Christ. No man can call Christ

Lord, with believing dependence upon

him, unless that faith is wrought by the Holy Ghost. No man could believe with his

heart, or prove by a miracle, that Jesus was

Christ, unless by the Holy Ghost.

There are various gifts, and various offic-es to perform, but all proceed from one

God, one Lord, one Spirit; that is, from the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the origin of

all spiritual blessings. No man has them merely for himself. The more he profits

others, the more will they turn to his own account.

The gifts mentioned appear to mean ex-act understanding, and uttering the doc-

trines of the Christian religion; the knowledge of mysteries, and skill to give

advice and counsel. Also the gift of healing

the sick, the working of miracles, and to

explain Scripture by a peculiar gift of the Spirit, and ability to

speak and interpret languages. If we have any knowledge of the

truth, or any power to make it known, we must give all the glo-

ry of God.

The greater the gifts are, the more the possessor is exposed to temptations, and the larger is

the measure of grace needed to keep him humble and spiritual;

and he will meet with more painful experiences and hum-

bling dispensations. We have little cause to glory in any gifts bestowed on us, or to

despise those who have them not.

Unity and Diversity in One BodyUnity and Diversity in One BodyUnity and Diversity in One Body

Christ and his church form one body, as

Head and members. Christians become

members of this body by baptism. The out-

ward rite is of Divine institution; it is a sign of the new birth, and is called therefore the

washing of regeneration, Titus 3:5. But it is by the Spirit, only by the renewing of the

Holy Ghost, that we are made members of Christ's body. And by communion with

Christ at the Lord's supper, we are strengthened, not by drinking the wine,

but by drinking into one Spirit.

Each member has its form, place, and

use. The meanest makes a part of the body. There must be a distinction of members in

the body. So Christ's members have differ-ent powers and different places. We should

do the duties of our own place, and not murmur, or quarrel with others. All the

members of the body are useful and neces-sary to each other.

Nor is there a member of the body of Christ, but may and ought to be useful to

fellow-members. As in the natural body of man, the members should be closely unit-

ed by the strongest bonds of love; the good of the whole should be the object of all. All

Christians are dependent one upon anoth-er; each is to expect and receive help from

the rest. Let us then have more of the spirit of union in our religion.

Contempt, hatred, envy, and strife, are very unnatural in

Christians. It is like the members of the same body being without

concern for one another, or quarrelling with each other. The

proud, contentious spirit that prevailed, as to spiritual gifts, was thus condemned. The offic-

es and gifts, or favors, dis-pensed by the Holy Spirit, are

noticed.

Chief ministers; persons ena-bled to interpret Scripture; those

who labored in word and doc-

trine; those who had power to

heal diseases; such as helped

the sick and weak; such as disposed of the money given in charity by the church, and

managed the affairs of the church; and such

as could speak diverse languages.

What holds the last and lowest rank in this

list, is the power to speak languages; how vain, if a man does so merely to amuse or to exalt himself! (See the distribution of

these gifts, not to every one alike, verses 29,30). This were to make the church all

one, as if the body were all ear, or all eye. The Spirit distributes to every one as he

will. We must be content though we are lower and less than others. We must not

despise others, if we have greater gifts.

How blessed the Christian church, if all

the members did their duty! Instead of cov-eting the highest stations, or the most

splendid gifts, let us leave the appointment of his instruments to God, and those in

whom he works by his providence. Re-member, those will not be approved here-

after who seek the chief places, but those who are most faithful to the trust placed in

them, and most diligent in their Master's work.

Love Is IndispensableLove Is IndispensableLove Is Indispensable ‘‘‘.........And yet I will show you the most ex-

cellent way.‟” (verse 31)

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?

com=mhc&b=46&c=12

6

Gifts of Extraordinary PowersGifts of Extraordinary PowersGifts of Extraordinary Powers

Give All The Glory to GodGive All The Glory to GodGive All The Glory to God

Concerning Spiritual GiftsConcerning Spiritual GiftsConcerning Spiritual Gifts

777

Obama in Rio de Janiero

Did Jesus Accidentally Did Jesus Accidentally Did Jesus Accidentally Fulfill the Old Testa-Fulfill the Old Testa-Fulfill the Old Testa-

ment Prophecies?ment Prophecies?ment Prophecies? “As Peter spoke to the crowd in the temple

courts following the heal-ing of a man crippled from birth, he made it clear that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament proph-ecies (see Acts 3:18, 24). But could Jesus have merely fulfilled these prophecies by accident? Could it be that he‟s just one of many throughout history who have coinci-dentally fit the prophetic fingerprint? „Not a chance,‟ comes

the response of Louis

Lapides, a Christian con-vert from Judaism. „The odds are so astronomical that they rule that out. Someone did the math and estimated that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled is one chance in one hun-dred million billion. That number is millions of times greater than the total number of people who‟ve ever walked the planet!‟ „That same per-son calculated that if you

took this number of silver dollars, they would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. If you

marked one silver dollar among them and then had a blindfolded person wander the whole state and bend down to pick up one coin, what would be the odds he‟d choose the one that had been marked? The same odds that anybody in history could have fulfilled just

eight of the prophecies.‟ Scientist Peter Stoner estimated that the proba-bility of fulfilling 48 prophecies was one

chance in a trillion.12 „The odds alone say it would be impossible for anyone to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies,‟ Lapides con-

cludes. „Yet Jesus—and only Jesus throughout all of history—managed to do it.” But what about Presi-dent Barack Obama‟s

odds in being reelected?

Only God KnewOnly God KnewOnly God Knew!!!

On The EdgeOn The EdgeOn The Edge

Thank You Lord for Your WordThank You Lord for Your WordThank You Lord for Your Word

Our Human Condition On “The Body of Christ”

“We all bring with us our own ideas, interests, loyalties, and back-

grounds, and our human inclination to seek our own advantage, hold

on to our rights, and see ourselves as self-made. Can we come togeth-

er? - from the Disciple Study Manual, 3rd Edition

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and

God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in

His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemp-tion—that, as it is written, „He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.‟”

1 Corinthians 1:26—31

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:27

“Remember me, Lord, when you help your people; include me when

you save them.” Psalm 106:4

Impossible Peanut Butter Christmas CookiesImpossible Peanut Butter Christmas CookiesImpossible Peanut Butter Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:

Yield: 18 Serving-Size

Cookies

- 1 cup peanut butter

(your choice, smooth or

chunky)

- 1 cup honey

- 1 large egg

- ½ cup of sugar*, for roll

- ing (optional)

Directions:

1) Mix peanut butter, honey, and egg together until smooth.

2) Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet two inches apart.

If desired, roll in optional sugar before placing on cookie

sheet. * Consider using Splenda. See conversion chart.

3) Press with fork; press again in opposite direction.

4) Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 5) Do not brown; do not over bake.

Sweet Tooth TidbitsSweet Tooth TidbitsSweet Tooth Tidbits

Farmers’ TableFarmers’ TableFarmers’ Table

8

It's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and a man makes his way to his seat right at center ice. He sits down, noticing that the seat next to him is empty. He leans over and asks his neighbor if someone will be sitting there. "No" says the neighbor. "The seat is empty." "This is incredi-ble," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Stan-ley Cup and not use it?" The neighbor says, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my husband, but he passed away. This is the first Stanley Cup we haven't been to together since we got married." "Oh, I'm so

sorry to hear that. That's terrible... But couldn't you find someone else, a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?" The woman shakes her head. "No,” she says. “They're all at the funeral."

Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to head toward them. The first

guys drops his backpack, says a prayer and then sud-denly digs out a pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on. The second guys says, "What are you doing? Sneakers won‟t help you outrun that bear." "The Lord said that I don't need to outrun the bear," the first guy says. "I just need to outrun you."

A young Christian boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in all of the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the oth-er, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy com-ing out of the ice cream store. “Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters in-stead of the dollar bill?” The boy licked his cone and replied, “Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!”

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Christ ian Lifestyles

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

2 egg yolks, beaten

4 tablespoons water

8 apples - peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup butter Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a large bowl, combine flour sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg yolk and water together and mix into flour until it forms a ball. Roll out to fit the bottom of a 10” x 15” inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons flour, sugar and cinnamon. Pour filling into pie crust and dot with 2 table-spoons butter.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 2/3 cup butter. Cut in the butter until crum-bly, then sprinkle over apples.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until topping is gold-en brown.

Nutrition Facts

Servings per Recipe: 15

Amount Per Serving

calories: 410 calories

total fat: 17.7 grams

cholesterol: 55 milligrams

sodium: 152 milligrams

carbohydrates: 62.4 grams

fiber: 2.7 grams

protein: 2.9 grams

Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Ready In: 90 minutes

Servings: 15 folks

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