How to Know if You (Really) Love God

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

Let’s cut to the chase.

The life of a person who is avidly and truly a believer of God and follower of Jesus Christ is not marked by whether they are living perfectly and free from sin, but whether or not that person is fiercely and faithfully fighting against sin.

If marks of that battle are not evident, if there is no war declared, no clear sign of any ongoing fight underway – then that person is not someone who is following Jesus. Period.

When Jesus said in Matthew 5:28-29 that we should be gouging out eyes and whacking off hands and other extremities in our ferocious willingness to cut out (and off!) sin in our lives, we could expect to see the people who claim be Christians largely as a group of amputees, violently handicapped in multiple ways… unless, as John Piper states, Jesus must have had something “even more radical in mind than literal mutilation”. (Future Grace, Multnomah Publishers, 1995. “Faith in Future Grace vs. Lust”, pg. 330)

(Whew! Everyone, it’s safe to come out now. Your hands and eyes can stay put.)

In Piper’s excellent book Future Grace, he explains that while we generally consider global issues and injustice and similar ‘big’ social problems as far more important than ‘minor’ sins like pornography or complaining or lying, Jesus sees things differently than we often do.

The ‘big’ problems are important, but it’s because they all relate to individual people. People, who are made in the image of God with eternal souls, have only two possible endings: forever in the New Heavens and Earth in the presence of God glorifying him, or forever in hell defying him. This is why people – with their eternal ability to honor God regardless of their actual earthly lifespan – are so important.

All the ‘big’ problems can kill the body. But the consequences of sins (like lust) that stalk and easily entangle can eternally condemn our souls – more terrifying than any earthly death.

This is a comfort to me. I am not expected to be perfect, nor am I chided by my Holy Father for stumbling when I do. But I am to consistently grip my sword and fight and to resist my sin with each new day that I am given here on Earth.

That resistance is what marks me as a faithful warrior who claims Christ as King.

“If you live by [your sinful nature’s] dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” – Romans 8:13

Which brings me to the sword.

Ephesians 6:17 calls us to take up the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.

If we are not faithfully, consistently and prayerfully opening the Bible and reading it with humility and teachable hearts, we are weaponless in the battle.

The Word of God is there to bring light and truth to our thinking so we see clearly. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) The truth of God’s Word helps us recognize the inherent deception of sin to satisfy and bring happiness. It helps us recognize the fully satisfying, delightfulness of God and brings the faith to trust in his promises. “You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)

The role of God’s Word, Piper states, is to feed faith’s appetite for God. As we learn to delight in the rich sweetness of him, we begin to lose our taste for the poison-sugar of anything less.

It gives us the honed ferocity in our battle that we need – the daily reminders that give us the strength to endure the (often wearying) fight and to grow in our knowledge and love of God.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that endable to you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” – 1 Peter 1:3-4

“Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 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 6:8-9

Makes me want to go grab my Bible right now and get feasting – and fighting.
Come on, fellow warrior!

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Wear your crown. Carry your sword. – Maria E. Miller

How to Find New Hope in Homeschooling Your Child

Photo by Belinda Fewing on Unsplash

I Was Ready to Quit Homeschooling – Then I Read This Book

“I want to quit.” I said to my husband, grimly blinking back tears. “I hate homeschooling.”

Shoulders hunched in defeat, brow furrowed with frustration, heart full of self-reproach, I was not only on the struggle-bus, I was driving it. Off a cliff. 

Homeschooling a slew of kids (I have eight – at the time of this story, my youngest was an infant, my oldest was ten) while also managing a busy home with a baby and two toddlers was slowly but surely burying me under a crushing load of my own expectations, along with all the dirty laundry, dishes, diapers, and dinners.

We had always wanted to homeschool – before we even had kids we had planned to homeschool. 

We always had homeschooled, from when my tribe only consisted of two tiny girls who were excited by reading lessons and practicing writing letters and numbers, all the way through growing from those two kids to eight altogether.

But now?

I wept in utter discouragement and exhaustion to my husband at night: “I just don’t think I’m doing this right. I don’t think I know how to do this. I can’t keep up. I think I’m not teaching them enough. I’m not doing enough. I don’t think I’m good enough to be their teacher. I can’t even keep up with the laundry!” 

He quietly listened, held me, and then, a couple days later, he gave me an incredible gift: Homeschool Bravely, by Jamie Erickson, herself a former elementary teacher, and a homeschool mama of five.

I had never heard of it.

I read through the chapters carefully, slowly, often with tears of relief and comfort at the encouragement, understanding, and gentle wisdom I found.

This woman understood the struggle I was in. She addressed so many of the situations and questions I struggled with while giving so much grace for each family’s unique situation and personality.

I read and reread parts when I was gritty with frustration and discouragement, each time finding hope and courage to keep going.

The best part? 

I was reminded of why I was doing this in the first place – It refreshed my heart and renewed my purpose. And I was set free from the guilt and burden of my own heavy expectations that were not something I should have picked up in the first place.

Most of all, Jamie’s book reminded me of who I was – beloved and precious in the sight of my Father God – and that my status with Him is not dependent on how I homeschool. My feelings of failure, discouragement and defeat in homeschooling did not reflect my worth or my identity as a child of God. 

If you are in the need of some real in-the-trenches help and hope from a mom who’s been there and writes honestly and lovingly, I think this is one book every homeschool mom should read. 

Find your courage, refresh your heart, restore your confidence as you teach your precious kids at home. Homeschool Bravely helps you do all three.

You can do this, whether it’s for a short season or for a long haul.

You have a community of encouraging, wise, and heart-filling homeschooling mamas walking this road too. 

I will always be grateful that one of them took the time to write this book for the rest of us.

(Thank you, Jamie! Your words poured strength, courage, and hope back into my heart when I needed it most. I will always be deeply grateful.)

I wrote this post out of a genuine desire to help other mamas find the hope and help they need in homeschooling their kids and did not in any way receive any compensation, monetary or otherwise, from Jamie Erickson. Just sayin’.

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How to Use Courageous Humility to Bring New Connection

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Dinner was steaming on the table. Anger was shimmering in the air. 

It had been a long, hard day, and the afternoon had dissolved into an evening mashup of bickering, belligerent selfishness, snotty remarks, and defiant disobedience.

My husband wasn’t even home yet, since it was another long work day, and the eight kids and I were eating later than I had hoped. A sense of helpless discouragement over my inability to keep on time stabbed me mercilessly, even as the seething anger at my kids rose like an acidic heartburn.

“Everyone, sit down and be quiet!” I snapped, trying to quell the unending verbal antagonization. 

As the kids settled into a sullen silence, with one last glare at siblings before closing their eyes for the blessing on the food, the ugliness of the hypocrisy was not lost on me.

How could we pray and ask God to bless our meal, our time together, when we were holding so much anger, hurt, and offense?

Unwilling and unable to pretend to God or my kids that everything was fine and carry on as usual, I declared:

 “OK. We all need to apologize to God, and to each other for all the things we’ve done and said today. 

We’ll each go around and pray, asking God to forgive us, and then we’ll ask the people we’ve wronged to forgive us.

I’ll go first.”

And I prayed out loud, telling God I was sorry for my impatience, my anger, my harsh words and my quickness to react when I needed to be calm. I asked Him to forgive me.  

I then turned to the children I had been sharp and angry with, and asked them to forgive me as well.

Startled at the departure from our usual method of praying before a meal, my kids hesitatingly opened their eyes, looked into mine, and each told me they forgave me.

“Thank you,” I said. “Now, it’s your turn,” and pointing at the child sitting next to me, I indicated they needed to start talking. 

And the amazing thing is… they did. 

With the exception of the three-year-old, all seven older children first quietly prayed aloud, asking God to forgive them, and then spoke to the siblings they had offended, asking forgiveness for specific things they had said and done. Several of them apologized to me for various moments of “selective deafness” or snarky back talk. 

All of them knew how they had wronged each other. All of them knew when it was they had done or said something hurtful. 

Granted, we did have a few bumpy moments… One kid was suddenly struck with severe amnesia about the entire day, especially pertaining to their own behavior (too bad there were too many witnesses.) Eventually the memory was fully restored in an apparent miracle, with an acceptable apology stated at last.

There was also the child who, whenever someone else paused in their apology, would helpfully pipe up with a reminder of another item they should be sorry for as well.

But in spite of these little snags, by the time we had circled around to the last child, the tension and anger in the room had totally gone. Some kids had wept while apologizing, and the sincerely uttered “I’m sorry for…” statements had been accepted without hesitation by all the others. Often, when seeing the contrition in the one apologizing, the offended siblings would spontaneously jump up to rush around the table to give a comforting hug.

When I finally prayed to ask the blessing on the food, there was true peace and a softness in everyone’s face where there had been anger and hardness before. Genuine smiles and kindness lingered, even as we cleared the table and got ready for bed later. 

It was an entirely changed atmosphere.

It scared me to think of how the evening might have turned out if I hadn’t said those three words: “I’ll go first.” 

Sometimes, to bring back the softness, the repentance, the kindness, and the love – to repair relationships that have cracked or broken – it takes gritty humility to make that hard initial move and acknowledge our own wrongdoing FIRST. 

Our kids and spouses and the people closest to us aren’t shocked by our imperfection. They relax in reassurance when we courageously apologize and admit our errors and wrongdoing, since it means that they, too, aren’t expected to be perfect.  

They find comfort knowing there is humility and grace waiting to meet them when they share their own lackings and failings.

It takes a lot of strength and courage to lead in reconciliation and repentance. But the rewards are sweet and entirely worthwhile.

“I’ll go first.”

Will you?

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

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How to Make Delicious Homemade Chicken Shawarma

The delightful medley of fragrant, exotic spices, the rich savory chicken flavor, the smoky undertones of a street rotisserie… When the craving for an amazing chicken shawarma meal strikes, we can’t all rush out to the nearest street market to enjoy traditional shawarma, as much as we might want to.

But fear not, this recipe is here to bring your heart joy by providing you a way to enjoy some of the most delicious food on the planet – made easily in your own home!

The method is very different, but the flavor is similar and very tasty. I have been sitting on my hands to stop me from sharing this recipe sooner – it’s one of my great favorites, and is adapted from Janna Gur’s “Homemade Shawarma”, in The Book of New Israeli Food.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN SHAWARMA

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs deboned chicken thighs or about 5 lbs chicken legs

Marinade:
½ cup vegetable or olive oil

2-3 Tbsp mild yellow curry powder

2 Tbsp soy or tamari sauce

1 Tbsp garam masala (mild Indian spice mixture, if desired)

1 Tbsp powdered chicken bouillon

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:
  • Place all the chicken in a very large bowl or container.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix all marinade ingredients and stir/whisk till smooth.  Add to chicken and mix well, making sure every piece is covered.
  • Cover. Marinate in the fridge a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/ 200 degrees C.
  • Arrange all pieces on a foil-lined large baking sheet with sides. Bake for about 45 minutes or till chicken is done. Inhale the glorious aroma while it’s baking.
  • If using thighs, thinly slice chicken before serving. If using legs, leave them whole (or debone, if desired).
  • Serve with rice pilaf and a salad; over couscous with sliced tomato, cucumber, peppers and onion; with tabbouleh; in a pita with tomatoes, cucumbers and plain yogurt; with a buttery orzo and spinach; rolled up in a wrap; or with whatever sides strike your fancy.

I hope you try this wonderful, easy chicken soon – and please let me know how you liked it!

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How Your Little Kindnesses Make Big Impact in Life

Photo by JW, Unsplash.

I was often the shortest kid in my classes at school. Since my birthday was in the summer, I was usually one of the youngest as well. And since I was also insecure and shy, it just made sense that I would be a lackey to another kid who was more of a leader. 

So, at age six, attending an international school in Hong Kong, I was a weak-willed follower of a charismatic, taller, lovely bully (I’ll call her Lana) who domineered my recess times and dictated my interactions with the other kids for many months. 

(We finally broke off our relationship when I stood up to her one day and she then punched me ferociously in the stomach, but that’s another story.)

During the course of my friendship with Lana, for no discernable reason that I can fathom, a boy in one of the older classes (4 grades above mine) took an interest in Lana and me. During recess he would often stroll over (looking very tall to my eyes) to where we were, to say hello and chat with us (specifically me) in a friendly way. 

His name was Ben, and his kind face and friendly questions were deeply surprising to me, since I had not imagined that I was worth the notice or time of anyone in any of the older classes. 

After the first startling encounter and initial suspicious thoughts (Why is this older boy talking to me? Is he trying to make fun of me in some way?), I began to relax, feeling that he was safe, that I could trust his kindness. 

Lana kept a tight control on our interactions, however, and I don’t recall any conversation with him that she didn’t attempt to control.

Once, near the Christmas holidays, two cards were delivered to our class by someone from the upper grades – one for Lana, and one for me. I had no idea who would have sent me a card, and was thrilled and delighted when I opened it and saw it was from Ben, wishing me a happy Christmas. 

When Ben found us on the playground later that week, and asked if we had received his cards, I looked up and said, “Yes!” I don’t remember if I said thank you, but I wanted to. 

Lana, however, jabbed me in my side, narrowed her eyes at me, and quickly lied, “No, we haven’t!” and I looked at her, startled, but was afraid to contradict her and risk her anger. So I weakly parroted, “No, we haven’t…”

Ben, looking displeased and disappointed, said directly to me, “You don’t have to do everything she says, you know,” and then walked away. I was embarrassed and sorry. I don’t think he ever spoke to me after that. 

That term was his last at our school, and I never saw him again. But I have always remembered him. 

Ben’s seemingly small, insignificant kindnesses to me were not small or insignificant.

Having a stranger demonstrate that I had value and merited time and kindness – through no effort of my own – was deeply impactful in a season where I felt unseen and of little worth. 

He had no way of knowing that at that time in my life, my parents were going through significant marital trouble, and my home life was unsettled and tense. Lana’s friendship was conditional and I was constantly afraid of displeasing her. I had no other close friends.  

Whether or not Ben knew it, I believe God used him to show me His love in that time. And I will always remember it with sincere gratitude.

We often carry hidden hurt places and unseen heavy burdens. It is not always the big things that bring solace, but the little kindnesses that can give the strength to take another step, another breath, to get through the hard of each day.

It’s important that you and I remember to not trivialize the potential impact of the little things we do.

The smiles we give, the kind words we say, the small graces and little gifts of attention and love – these can be immensely powerful and deeply life-giving to the hearts and lives we touch – whether our own family or perfect strangers. 

We may never truly know or understand the repercussions of our actions, but the Father of us all sees and knows – and He may be placing us exactly where we are to be His gentle hands, His whispered kindness, His smiling eyes to the broken and aching people around us. 

(Ben, thank you. I felt God’s love in your kindness. I’m sorry it’s taken over thirty years to tell you. I pray for you to this day.)

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Matthew 25:40, NLT)

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Best Fudgy Brownies – Make Chocolate Bliss Now!

Crackly top, rich, fudgy middle, studded with melty chunks of chocolate… Start your chocolate-happy moment right now!

I have strong opinions about brownies. I like mine gooey, preferably with no edges (I know, so controversial, right out of the gate!), and chocolate chips are always a good thing. If you’re looking for cakey or drier brownies, this is not your recipe.

The ‘secret sauce’ is an additional tablespoon of oil as well as a smidge more sugar. And to get that lovely crackly top, be sure to beat the liquid-egg mixture well before adding the dry ingredients.

INGREDIENTS
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
  • 1 Tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, olive or coconut are fine)
  • 1 ⅛ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½-¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C.
  2. Lightly grease an 8×8” square baking pan with cooking spray, set aside. 
  3. In medium saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat, combine with oil and sugar, whisk well for about a minute. Add eggs and vanilla, beat for another minute.
  4. Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gently mix until just combined (do not overmix at this point).
  5. Pour/scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top evenly. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips at this point, if desired.
  6. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Brownies will NOT test done, don’t even bother. If the top is set, remove from oven and let rest till room temperature. Cutting before it cools will not work well.

Eat with a sigh of blissful contentment, chocolate craving appeased for today. 

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Broken & Beautiful: How to Hold Hope in the Imperfection

Photo by Tung Huang on Unsplash

I felt quiet and sad. I was nine, and my only close friend was moving far away. Because I moved so much as a child, it was hard to make close friends. And by “moved” I mean different hemisphere moves, not different states or cities. 

It didn’t help that I was shy, awkward, and mostly lonely. So I was almost pathetically grateful anytime another kid was friendly to me and showed kindness. 

This friend had been especially sweet, and I wanted to give her a goodbye present to show her how much I cared about her – one that she could keep to remember me by. 

Asking my dad to purchase a gift was out of the question: money was always tight and he would inevitably say the same thing he always did: “Make something yourself!”

I found the idea in a book of creating a little bird in a nest, using a blown egg and a little piece of egg carton. I painstakingly went through each step by myself, poking a tiny hole in the top and bottom of the egg and blowing it out of the shell, then letting it dry. I painted the eggshell a lovely aqua blue, glued on a little paper beak and two soft black paper eyes, and made a little “nest” with a painted brown cup of an egg carton, carefully gluing the egg-chick in place.

I was utterly delighted with my special gift, and very proud of my handiwork – especially since I had done it all by myself. I excitedly envisioned my friend’s joy on receiving her present.

The last day I would see my friend was on Sunday at church. That morning my dad, siblings and I all rushed out to the car to drive to church, running a few minutes late. I had grabbed the little chick and the card I had made, and placed them carefully inside the car next to my seat. Then, as I got in, I unthinkingly put my hand down to fasten the seat belt – and smashed the chick.

I was too stunned to cry, and too grief stricken to speak.

There was no point in crying. There was nothing to say.

We were already late for church, my friend was moving away the very next day, and there was no time to create anything new for her. All my hard work and loving effort was gone, and I had nothing tangible to show for it except crushed fragments of a lovely aqua blue. And it was my fault.

I have felt like that little nine year old often throughout my life. (Have you?)

I have an idea or a hope of how something I do will turn out, especially since as a believer I know that what I carry out each day is supposed to be to the glory of God. 

But then, often inadvertently, I feel like I clumsily end up ruining it somehow. The gift that I had wanted to give to God of my day or my effort ends up so much less than I had hoped: a broken, shattered version of what I had envisioned. Things sometimes just end up sort of smashed and irreversibly damaged. 

This is where it takes sheer stubbornness to hold on to what I know is true: God sees my heart, and He knows my intentions and yearnings.  Even in the brokenness, He sees the love that I hold in my heart for Him when I offer what I have as a worship to Him. And therefore what I do has value and meaning to Him when I work out of a desire to honor Him with it.

What you do, how you faithfully keep going with your work and how you live your days – it matters. 

When we deliberately choose to see our lives as something we offer up to God, even in its broken imperfection, He takes our love-gift and gauges it with a metric of grace.

As one of my favorite song lyrics say,

“So take my broken offering and make it whole/ And set my feet upon the road that leads me home/ Let me walk as one fixed upon the goal / Even though I’ve got a thousand miles to go.”

(Caedmon’s Call, “Thousand Miles”, Back Home, Essential Records. 2003)

Even in those moments when all we think we hold is a crushed little egg-chick, He sees the time, care, intent, and the love that we truly offer.

“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

– Maria

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Best Hasselback Potatoes: Easy, Elegant & Delicious for Your Next Meal

These are the beauties we enjoyed tonight – with garlic, onion, and Parmesan this time. Crisp skin, meltingly tender and flavorful interior – a new favorite!

I love potatoes. They’re filling, affordable, and (of course) deliciously versatile! Feeding my family of ten every day equals a lot of meals. So I’m grateful for great side ideas like Hasselback potatoes, which seem fancy but are really quite simple. And – no peeling is a plus!

(Just make sure you plan ahead for enough time to bake them – they take about an hour in the oven, plus a little time for prep, so start them early!)

Whether with a steak, steamed lobster, chicken nuggets or barbecue meatballs (or whatever your preferred main dish), these are a great option!

HASSELBACK POTATOES 

(makes 6 potatoes)

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried
  • 4-5 Tbsp butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt (or 1 Tbsp kosher salt)
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp granulated onion, optional
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, optional
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil.
  2. Scrub and dry potatoes. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, rosemary, and Parmesan (if using). Stir to mix.
  4. One at a time, place the potatoes in between the handles of two wooden spoons or large chopsticks of the same size. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the potatoes into thin slices, leaving the bottom of the potato connected. The wooden spoon handles assist with this endeavor.
  5. Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet and brush with butter/seasoning mixture, carefully getting between each slice, and continue till all potatoes are coated.
  6. Bake potatoes till tender and skin is crisp, about 55-60 mins. 

Bon appetit!

Let me know when you try them and what you think!

– Maria

A Heart of Unusual Grit: A Look at Courageous Thankfulness

One of my lovely daughters is blessed with a forelock. 

That is to say, she has a patch of thick hair from above her forehead that grows forward rather than backwards. Even as an infant she began resembling Highland cattle, and I was tying her hair back from a very early age so we could see her eyes. (Or she looked like this:)

(Highland Cattle – photo by Shane Aldendorff on Unsplash)

The other morning, as I was trying to quickly get through brushing and tying up the various girls’ hair (I have on average 3-4 daughters who still require help), I got to this particular daughter. She clearly and politely requested only two ponytails, but I knew from experience that this would not work with her particular head. The forelock was a factor, and needed its own individual tie. So I made a small ponytail at the top of her head to wrangle the forelock into control, then incorporated it into the two larger pony tails that she had asked for.

Then she realized what I had done. 

In short: Devastation. 

I had used THREE and not TWO hair ties, disregarding her request.

Huge eyes welled up with tears, little shoulders hunched, lower lip out, while gusty sobs began, showing just how much I had disappointed her.

Staring at her in mild astonishment, I watched as enormous tears streamed down her face. She dropped to the ground and wept, apparently inconsolable. This continued for about thirty seconds. Which seemed a lot longer than it was.

Finally, with some moderate impatience (yes, I’m not a perfect mom), I said, “Can you please just stop crying and say ‘Thank you’?!”

She needed her hair tied up. I knew what was going to work best for her and what would last throughout her busy day playing, and I had given her a very cute hairstyle. She had no real reason to cry, and should instead be grateful for my loving care.

Then it struck me: I think this is something God wants to say to me sometimes:

“Can you please just stop crying and say, ‘Thank you’?!”

I have my idea of how something should go. I have my plan that I think is the right way, the perfect path, the only option I find acceptable. And I’ve asked Him for it politely, or just merely expect it because it’s the thing that will make me happy. Since I see no reason why it shouldn’t happen, I calmly await the certain delivery of my (ahem) “request”.

Then when I get something different, or it’s not what I had hoped, or I walk through unexpected loss or hurt, I am devastated by the pain and disappointment.

But knowing Who God is, knowing that He knows infinitely more than I, that He understands all the microscopic nuances of my life and its outcomes, I am showing a blatant lack of trust in my Father when I don’t say, “Thank you.” 

Even if it wasn’t what I wanted. 

Even if it makes me sad, or I don’t understand, or I wish it were different. 

Those feelings can be there, but I can still choose to declare my gratitude to the Father who is working for my good, because I love Him and I know I am given a purpose in His Kingdom (Romans 8:28).

The command to “give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20, NLT) leaves no room for my feelings, as much as I may rebel and writhe with the apparent callous indifference to them. 

If I want to be obedient to God’s Word, this is a direct choice I must make, regardless of how I feel. 

Easy? More like terrifying and incredibly difficult.

Yet I must draw a line in the sand and decide in my heart whether or not I believe that my Creator God is truly the kind, all-knowing, always inherently loving Father the Bible says He is, and thank Him for what He has allowed to be for me and my loved ones. 

Or I don’t, and thereby deliberately choose to disobey this clear command.

This is not comfortable. 

This is not a placid, soft, warm-and-squishy kind of thankfulness when I’m feeling happy and things are going my way.

This is where my trust in this God I cannot see becomes the granite of reality and I obstinately choose to believe Him and His Word over my emotions, my experiences, and even my own understanding.

Like my little girl, I need to choose to stop crying and say “Thank you.” This is where the sacrifice comes in my “sacrifice of thanksgiving”.

As King David said, “I will not present offerings that cost me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:24)

May God graciously grant you and I the courageous hearts and flinty-faced grit to be thankful for truly everything.

“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

(Psalm 50:23, NLT)

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Chocolate (Mint) Truffle Tart – Make Your Mouth Happy Now

(Unapologetically adapted from a recipe in epicurious to make it simpler, more efficient, and more delicious. You’re welcome.)

This is one of my simplest, most-delectable, most-requested desserts, as well as one of the most elegant. I’ve been asked what bakery I purchased it from. After tasting this, you’ll want to keep chocolate graham crackers and whipping cream on hand as staples, just for this recipe. At least, that’s why I sure do.

Makes one 9-11″ round tart (depending on how large your pan is). Because you’ll need a tart pan of some kind here. Mine is 11″ round fluted, 1″ deep. Initial recipe called for 9″ round, 1″ deep fluted pan. It’s your chocolate tart = It’s your call. (Sometimes I’m kind of convention-bucking like that.)

INGREDIENTS:

For crust:

* 9 chocolate graham crackers (this is one of the packs inside the box), finely ground/crushed (1 cup)

* 5 Tablespoons butter, melted

* 1/4 cup sugar

For filling:

* 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

* 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 oz)

* 2 large eggs

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

* 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (depending on your minty preference – I like it stronger)

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze:

* 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

* 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (2 oz)

* 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

* 1 Tablespoon warm water (the temperature is important!)

PREPARATION:

Make crust:

– Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle.

– Stir together all crust ingredients (I use my food processor for this part) and press evenly up sides and on bottom of tart pan (I use a fork for this part).

– Bake for 8 minutes. (I know that’s oddly precise. I have reasons, Grasshopper.) 

– Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Make filling:

– Dump chocolate chips into a medium-ish microwaveable bowl. Pour heavy cream on top. Microwave on high about 1 minute. Take out, stir, and return to microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir till smooth (I use a whisk).

* Should you be lacking in a microwave: Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour over chocolate chips in bowl, let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir till smooth.

– In another smallish bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, vanilla, and peppermint extracts. Stir into chocolate mixture. Mix till smooth.

– Pour/scrape chocolate mixture into crust.

– Bake for 17-18 minutes AND NOT A MINUTE MORE! This is if you are looking for that delectably melty chocolate-truffle texture.  Set aside on rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

In small microwaveable bowl, dump the 1/3 cup chocolate chips and pour in the heavy cream. Microwave for about 30 seconds (watching because the cream will boil over!), and stir till smooth.  (Again, non-microwave people: small saucepan on stove, heat cream, turn off heat, mix in chocolate till smooth, continue with recipe.) Stir in corn syrup, then warm water.

Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart (carefully) so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand till glaze is set, about 1 hour. If the tart cools too much during this time, the glaze will set more quickly but will lose that patent-leather shine.  (I don’t know if this is deeply important to you but I thought I’d mention it.)

Note: Tart is exquisite the day it is made, but can be made, without glaze, 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before glazing.

VARIATIONS!

Because this tart is ridiculously and wonderfully adaptive to suit all your chocolate dreams.

* Chocolate, Straight Up – Omit peppermint extract, increase vanilla to 1 tsp. No apologies – this is chocolate heaven. Use bittersweet chocolate (no more than 65%) in the filling if you have it!

* Chocolate-Orange  – Omit peppermint extract, add 1-2 tsp orange extract, and 2 tsp finely grated orange zest to filling.  Sprinkle additional orange zest over glaze before serving, if desired.

* Chocolate-Mocha – Omit peppermint extract. Add 1 Tbsp finely ground espresso to filling. Decorate with   chocolate-covered coffee beans on glaze, if desired.

* Chocolate-Bourbon– Omit peppermint extract. Add 1-2 Tbsp bourbon whiskey (such as Jack Daniel’s) to filling.

* Mayan Chocolate (one of my personal favorites) – Omit peppermint extract. Add 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne, and use Mexican vanilla if you have it.  Decorate top of tart with a couple cinnamon sticks, or one or two small dried red peppers if you’re feeling feisty and your guests won’t be too scared. (Invite me!)

I’m so excited for you to try this -Let me know how it turns out!

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