Homemaking – EAST WILLOW PLACE

We are all called to great things. The real question is whether or not we understand what greatness means.

Because sometimes it might mean spending time cutting children’s nails.

Amy was a young woman who loved God and felt his call on her life to serve Him by traveling as a missionary to other countries. She believed strongly that she was to share the truth of the Bible, and her focus was mainly on reaching women (who were often ignored or socially restricted from interacting with male missionaries).

Her travels led her to India, where after traveling around in an ox-cart, evangelizing to women in villages with a small, devoted team, she eventually became aware of the prevalent practice of child prostitution in the temples (both young girls and boys). When a little girl escaped from a temple and fled for refuge to Amy’s home, the issue became personal.

Amy began working to free children from this terrible form of sexual slavery, and her efforts led to hundreds of children being freed, fed, clothed, housed, and educated at the orphanage and mission she founded.

No longer able to travel about evangelizing, she instead became “Amma” (Tamil for “mother”), and her newfound duties as a mother of many included that of “cutting the toe nails of a thousand children” (as her biography quotes*).

Amy Carmichael died today, January 18, in 1951, at the age of 83. She had worked in India as a missionary for 55 years without furlough. A law was passed outlawing temple prostitution for children about three years before her death.

The mission she founded still operates today.

She had traveled to India planning to work as a evangelist and focusing on teaching adults about the Gospel… and ended up cutting toenails and mothering a huge number of little children instead.

Would you say her life was wasted? Do you think she missed the mark of making an impact? Toenails seem like an insignificant task compared to preaching the gospel… but apparently not to God.

God had so clearly orchestrated the timing and work He brought her to be about that she cheerfully and joyfully submitted to His plan, His definition of great things.

Her faithfulness and deep humility give me such encouragement, especially in my current season of diapers, pots and pans, laundry, constant teaching, and yes, often cutting toenails.

What I am called to do right now as a homemaker, a wife, a mama, may not seem like high value in the eyes of the world, but I have no doubt it is exactly where I am supposed to be, and therefore I can trust that my God in His wisdom has decreed it to be worthwhile and significant.

And in that trust I can wake up each morning and know that my longing to live a life of worth and purpose is carried out by my faithfulness in serving and loving those around me to the best of my abilities, with the strength and joy He gives.

I fiercely believe this is true for you, too.

What have you been given to do in this season? Do you also fight the thoughts that sometimes come to tell you your efforts are meaningless and trivial, insignificant, worthless?

Here’s what the Bible says: Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
(Colossians 3:23-24)

I find joy in remembering Amy and her work as “Amma” because it gives me renewed strength in my own often seemingly mundane and unimportant work . You can take heart knowing it applies to your work, too.

God sees you, sees your faithfulness, your efforts given in love and service. And He finds that to be of great value – regardless of your opinion or perspective, or anyone else’s. Keep on in your faithful work, my friend. Keep on walking each day in what you have been given to do!

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
(Galatians 6:9, NLT)

Even if doing what is good is clipping the toenails of little children.

Maria

* Amy Carmichael: Beauty For Ashes, A Biography; Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA (2015)

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(Bread machine version – see below for handmade instructions)

-Makes about 24 rolls, or more if you cut them thinner.

Delicious, fragrant, sweet, soft almond rolls are worth the little extra effort it takes! My family loves these overnight almond rolls so much, they have been requested for our Christmas morning breakfast for two years now. Maybe you might want to start your own Christmas Almond Roll tradition!

This batch makes a lot, so be prepared to give some away, or maybe halve the recipe if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd.

The sweet dough recipe is my go-to for everything from the traditional cinnamon rolls to raisin buns to Hot Cross Buns. I’ve adapted it from Peter Reinhart’s recipe in Artisan Breads Every Day. Try it – you’ll be a huge fan too!

Be sure to make your marzipan ahead of time so that it can be chilled before you use it.

– One recipe Sweet Roll Dough (see below)

– 1/3 cup butter, melted and divided into two equal portions

– 3/4 – 1 cup granulated sugar, divided into two equal portions

– 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds

– One recipe prepared and chilled Almond Marzipan (see below)

– Almond Glaze

– 1/4 cup (ish) sliced almonds, for sprinkling on top

Sweet Roll Dough:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup + 2 Tbsp lukewarm whole or lowfat milk (about 95 degrees F)

2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp instant yeast

DIRECTIONS:

– In your bread machine bucket (technical term), pour in the liquids: milk and oil, add the sugar and salt, stir gently with something non-metal. (I don’t want you to scratch the non-stick lining of your bread machine bucket.)

– Add the flour, then the yeast on the very top.

– Turn the bread machine to the dough setting and punch that button! Then go do something else for a bit (my dough setting is an hour and a half).

For Handmade/Mixer Sweet Dough Recipe, follow these instructions:

To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk the yeast into the milk until dissolved, and then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, along with the oil. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large wooden spoon and stir about 1 minute. The dough should form a soft, coarse ball.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on med- low speed or by hand for 4 minutes, adding flour or milk as needed to create a smooth, soft, slightly sticky ball of dough.

Increase the speed to medium or stir by hand 2 minutes more, until the dough is soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky.

Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 1 minute, then form into a ball. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to four days.

On Baking Day
Remove the dough from the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a ball. Cover each ball with a bowl or plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed.

And now, back to our usual program (the directions):

– When it’s ready, tip the dough out onto a lightly greased surface (I use my dining room table), divide in two with a sharp knife and roll out into a 12×15″ rectangle. If dough starts to resist or shrink back, let it rest for a minute, then continue rolling. Dough should be between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick.

-Using about 1/4 cup of the melted butter, spread evenly on dough rectangle, leaving length of the bottom inch bare and butter-free (so that it will stick to the rest of the dough when it’s rolled up).

– Sprinkle about 1/2 cup or so of sugar lightly over melted butter, again avoiding bottom inch.

– Using the prepared and chilled marzipan, slice long wedges off the log, then roll them thinly using a rolling pin. This works most easily with cold marzipan, and it will become more sticky and difficult to roll the warmer it gets, so work quickly!

– Taking the thin marzipan strips, break or cut them into large pieces and place evenly over melted butter and sprinkled sugar.

– Sprinkle slivered or sliced almonds evenly over marzipan.

– Beginning from top, begin gently rolling dough down over filling in a tight roll, carefully keeping roll even and gently sealing ends by pinching. When you reach the bottom edge of dough, help roll keep shape by gently pinching the edge to the dough underneath.

– With serrated knife, carefully slice 1 1/4″ slices (or thicker, if you like) and place on greased baking sheet (I use sided 11×17″ baking sheets – but remember to use what will fit inside your fridge!). If they seem sticky, lightly spray rolls with oil and then gently cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight.

– Repeat with second half of dough.

In the Morning:

– Take rolls out of fridge, uncover, and let sit on counter while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

– Bake rolls for about 13-15 mins, but not much longer (or they get dry), unless they were quite large. Rolls should be turning a light gold on top and a little on sides.

– Remove and let cool slightly before icing with Almond Glaze while warm. Sprinkle on a few more sliced almonds before icing sets.

Almond Marzipan:

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp finely ground almond flour

9 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp rose water – food grade (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

– In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients till dough is smooth and holds together, forming a ball. If it’s too dry, add a tiny bit more corn syrup. Only add just the littlest smidge till it forms a thick dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more almond flour.

– Tip out marzipan ball and knead on a clean surface for about 30 seconds. Shape into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate till it firms up.

– Marzipan can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks, or up to 3 months in the freezer (wrap and bag it well!).

Almond Glaze

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups powdered sugar (more if needed)

dash salt

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 Tbsp milk, more as needed to achieve desired drizzling consistency

– Mix all ingredients till smooth. Taste, adjust as needed (More salt? More almond extract? More powdered sugar? More milk?). Drizzle (or spread) over almond rolls.

ENJOY.

If you try these, let me know how they turn out for you!

Category: Homemaking

Toenails & Why Your Life Counts: Finding Ultimate Worth