This week's assignment is to write down some goals. This is a hard one for me - I don't usually set goals. It's not that I don't like some kind of direction in my life, it's more that (as my husband says), "I've learned that if I make plans, God is committed to send me in a different direction." But I did start this year writing down some goals for our homeschool, so I'll list some of those and some goals for myself that I'm tentatively making.

School:

• for my daughter to become comfortable reading
• for my son to write a one-paragraph story

Home: for me to build the habits of following my weekly cleaning routines

Personal:

• for me to exercise 3 times each week
• for my son to build his self-control
• for my daughter to learn and build attentiveness

OK, this turned out to be good because it made me look at the list of goals I made up for the children last summer. There were character qualities that I planned to work on with each child this year, but as we've gotten caught up in our school routines, I've forgotten about those things. Over our break I'll have to pray about and plan for how to incorporate them into our time together.

My favorite Christmas cookie recipe is this one for Candy Cane Crisps. I love them soooo much that I can keep candy canes around long after Christmas just to make them!

1 cup butter, softened

about 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

about 3/4 cup coarsely crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar until creamy; beat in vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, oats & salt; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Add 1/4 cup of crushed candy canes and mix until well combined.

Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls, then roll in remaining powdered sugar to coat. Place balls about 2 inches apart on greased and flour-dusted cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with a fork making a criss-cross pattern with the tines. Sprinkle each cookie with about 1/2 tsp of crushed candy canes.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to racks and let cool completely. Store airtight. Makes about 4 doz.

(From Sunset Cookies: Step by Step Techniques, 1985)

Growing up, my mom's tradition was to bake Sugar Plum cookies every Christmas. Even if she never made anything else, she made those cookies - and it got to the point that she would make them because we children insisted on having them. They were a pretty simple shortbread cookie rolled around a raisin and dipped in powdered sugar icing. We considered them absolutely essential to Christmas! The funny thing is that after I got married and was celebrating my first Christmas with my husband, I knew I just had to make these cookies - I envisioned them as being an essential part of my family Christmas tradition. So I made them. And, well, they weren't actually very good! Maybe now that I can get butter-flavored shortening, I could make them taste better, but I haven't made them in over 15 years. I may pull out the recipe if I can find it and try to tweak it this year and see what my kids think.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

The assignment: (A) share at least 3 "Bountiful Blessings" the Lord has abundantly provided, (B) share your Thanksgiving feast, and (C) post a Scripture that reminds you of your blessings.

The Blessings: a devoted husband, 2 delightful and fun-loving children that God allowed us to adopt, the privelege of staying home with those children and being able to build relationships with them through all the time we spend together, an awesome community of supportive friends, a great home, opportunities to share God's love with those around me, good health and the grace to get through those days when I don't feel 100%, and many more things than I can think to name!

Thanksgiving Feast: Since we (like many families these days) don't live anywhere near the families we grew up with, we sometimes travel about 12 hours for a Thanksgiving feast with family, and some years we enjoy the holiday with friends in our community. Last year we shared a delightful day with close friends. I can't really remember all the food - of course, there was turkey and green beans and potatoes and pumpkin pie. But what I remember most was the fellowship. Three or more hours passed like a moment as we sat and conversed with our friends after dinner. One day we'll spend our eternity side by side with these friends, and maybe that will seem like enough.

This year I may make a new dessert instead of/in addition to the traditional pumpkin pie - Cranberry Cream Pie.

Everyone needs a new idea for those turkey leftovers, right? I ran across this recipe for Williamsburg Old-Fashioned Turkey Soup recently, and it's a winner! If you make the recipe as written, you'll have a lot of soup (probably 7 quarts), and I use a lot more diced turkey than the recipe calls for. Another trick I use with this recipe is to puree the cooked onion/carrot/celery mixture before adding to the soup. (Then my kids don't ask "What's that? Do I have to eat it?" and they still get the veggies!)

Scripture: "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Titus 3:4-7

Now that's Amazing Grace!

The assignment is to share anything related to pumpkins and share another scripture that comes to heart.

I believe my Mom got this idea from my Aunt, and I've carried it on over the years. I realize many families don't agree with our practice, but we choose to use Oct. 31 as an opportunity to offer hospitality to our neighbors, and we do as much as we can to include grace-filled symbolism.

The Great Pumpkin

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

This week's assignment is to post a baby picture and share a scripture that reminds you of your past.

I had to take a picture of this picture that's in a framed collage I happen to have in my loft. (Thanks, Martha - I still think of you when I pass by the collage!) This is a photo of me & my dad.

The scripture part is a bit harder to come up with....

OK, I'm going with Isaiah 49:15-16: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

It's meaningful to me for two reasons. First, because when I sang in the "folk group" (i.e. contemporary music group) at our church in my pre-teen years, there was a song based on this verse that we sang, and it has stuck in my mind for all that time. Second, it reminds me of God's ever-attentive love for me. Even if those who loved me most dearly forgot me, He never would. And that love and attention have shown up so many times - I know He has always been protecting me.

Several years back my mom gave me a pair of metal scissors that remind me of His protection every time I see them. These scissors have holes burned through the blades from the day (I was not much older than the picture above) when I grabbed them out of my mom's sewing box and used them to cut the cord of the sewing machine when it was plugged in! I woke up a few minutes later on the other side of the room, having been thrown there by the electric shock that went through my body. But I did wake up - because my Father was watching over me and had a purpose for my life. He holds me in the palm of His hand, and I never doubt His love.

I just joined, so this is my first assignment!

1. Use your blog name to create a sign.

2. Share a special verse. (This is one I'm keeping in my head this week, and it's making a huge difference in my attitude!)

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!

Phil. 4:4