Winter 2009

Dear Friends,

Snowy winter days are here for much of the country; what a great time to make a snowman cake! Elaine, age 10, and her mom, of Washington State, recently made this darling cake. What a great job you did; thanks so much for sharing the photos!

The idea comes from Pampered Chef’s book, “Festive Holiday Desserts.” Elaine and her mom used one cake mix and divided the batter between three oven-safe bowls. Pampered Chef’s batter bowls work well & a glass custard cup is a good size for the snowman’s head. They trimmed the three cakes a bit to make them more round, stacked them and stabilized them by inserting a couple of bamboo skewers through the center of all three layers.

  




A round cookie and a marshmallow covered with melted chocolate chips (or chocolate icing) work well for a nice hat. White frosting and candies completed this delightful cake! Elaine’s mom said they did not have any cookies on hand, so they used a graham cracker for the base of the hat. Great idea; be creative and use what you have on hand! They used fruit leather to create the scarf and the bow on the hat.

This would be a wonderful winter birthday cake, or a fun dessert to make on a long winter’s day.

Before Christmas, Elaine and the girls in her FCH class enjoyed making gingerbread houses using graham crackers as illustrated in “Fun with Gingerbread.” They decorated little Christmas trees to make lovely table décor. You can sometimes find little trees and miniature ornaments at craft stores, and dollar stores. Very creative, girls! I’m proud of all of you!




Taking time to decorate the table is one way children can help prepare for family mealtimes. The décor not only sets a festive mood and pretty table, it says “dinner time is special” – a time to share food, conversation, and memorable moments together as a family.

Jesus chose a meal, the Last Supper, as the time to share what was on His heart the night before He went to the cross (see John 13 – 17). At that meal, He gave us the great example of a servant as He washed the disciples’ feet. He comforted the disciples as He taught them about the Holy Spirit. He taught them, and us, about the joy that is ours if we abide in Him. He predicted the betrayal by Judas, and Peter’s denial. He prayed for the disciples, and for us, and instituted the Last Supper, a way that we would remember his death and our salvation. What a memorable meal!

What if Peter’s cell phone had rung during dinner? What if John and James kept glancing down as they texted on the Blackberry “hidden” in their pocket? That sounds silly, and yet, every Sunday in our churches these are common problems.

I’m sure the disciples gave Jesus their complete attention! Do we? It’s important that we learn to be attentive, and train our children to focus and pay attention, too. It will not be so difficult on Sunday morning if children learn and practice these skills every day at home.

Family meals are a great place to start. Make family dinner time a priority; it’s important not only for good nutrition, but for the communication, bonding and learning that take place. It’s an ideal time to train children to be attentive as they listen to you and to each other.

Don’t let outsiders rob your family of this time together. All too soon, the children will be grown and gone and you’ll wonder: where did all those years – and opportunities to be together – go? The time was spent at a sport’s field, music classes, dance and gymnastics, extra-curricular activities…. good activities, but they robbed you of the best, and most precious time: family time.

Let me encourage you this year to take a serious look at all outside activities and prayerfully lay each one before the Lord as you and your husband evaluate not just the benefits of each activity, but also the cost: financial, as well as the hours spent away from home. Add up all the time activities require: time on the road taking children to and from all the activities, the class or activity itself, shopping for the things they need for that activity, additional practices, competitions, performances and playoffs.

I hear so many ladies say they are exhausted and need more rest. They feel stressed out much of the time. They want to serve more nutritious meals, but rely too often on fast-food because there is little time to shop and prepare anything else. They want time to exercise regularly and they especially crave some “downtime” at home, time for R & R. They know they need to spend more time with the Lord and would like a family devotional time… but there’s just not enough hours in the day.

Limit activities outside the home and you will find time for these important goals. That may mean telling the children, “No, not this year” when they ask to sign up for something their friends are doing. Be a leader and take charge of your family time!

You know, when we take children to the supermarket, they want to have everything they see: toys, candy, that new brand of cereal they saw on TV. When children see their friends doing various activities they want to do them, too. They want it all! They don’t understand all the costs involved, or the impact on the family. Nor are they wise enough to make thoughtful decisions to limit themselves. Just as they would eat all the candy at the checkout counter if we let them, they would also do every activity under the sun.

Many people clamor for you and your family’s time and money. They have products to sell, whether that is candy, toys, lessons, sports leagues, or classes. Keep the Lord first, and the family foremost. Set wise limits on everything else.

That brings me back to the cute snowman cake and table décor Elaine and her mom made. Spend time with your children planning meals with some special touches from time to time. Reclaim family dinnertime. Protect time at home with your family. You may find everyone will be less stressed, more rested, and relaxed. And you will have more time for the truly important things in life.

Yours in Him,

 

Copyright, 2009, Laurie Latour.  www.FutureChristianHomemakers.com

You may make one printed copy for your own personal, private use.  FCH leaders may make one printed copy for each person in their group.  Copyright line above must be included in all copies.  Permission for any other use must be requested in writing. 
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