You Need the Right Ingredients | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: You Need the Right Ingredients | Previous Challenge Entry
By Aileen Hill
01/05/07
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I feel a sense of accomplishment now that the Holiday Season is over. “How is that”, you may ask? I always wanted to do a Christmas project which involves making Christmas cookies as gifts. I love to make cookies, especially on holidays, but never could find the time or have the finances to plan. Well, my plan for December 2006 was to outline how many cookie recipes I would create, purchase the necessary cooking utensils, gift boxes, tags, and mugs and write out a list of those who would receive the ultimate gift – cookies!!! Although I started out with 10 of my favorite cookie recipes, I had to take a hard look financially to narrow down to 5 recipes that I could do. I was excited that I was going to do 3 of the 5 newest cookie projects. On a regular basis, I would prepare Chocolate Chip and Sugar cookies; therefore, I felt that I would not run into any problems. It was my first time using royal icing to decorate the eyes and nose for the Gingerbread Man. The Swirl Mint cookie included the use of red and green food coloring which was not an easy task. Last but not least was the Mint Chocolate Truffle which was the easiest of all.

My apartment is very small; therefore, I ask myself how can I complete these recipes in time to give on Christmas Eve? Luckily, one of my girlfriends from church has a big house with a sizable kitchen that would be feasible for baking. Though my kitchen was small, my task begins early Saturday morning by using all the right ingredients for each cookie recipes one at a time.
I found that most of the recipes called for the basic ingredients: sugar, eggs, flour, butter and pure vanilla extract. The uniqueness for each recipe is the precise ingredients required for these cookies to bake near perfection. The time and dedication in following these instructions brought great value and a sense of enjoyment. Now that I’ve completed all the necessary ingredients, it was time journey to my girlfriend’s home. With the essential cooking utensils at hand: Christmas cookie and Gingerbread Man cutters, cookie sheet, wire rack, storage containers and decorations, I begin my quest of baking. The process was tiring since I’ve started late in the evening and didn’t finish until 2 o’clock in the morning; but it was worth the sacrifice. As I presented my gifts to the children and adults on Christmas Eve, I was able to see their joyful expression as an extension of my love.

Think of all the time we used to plan, purchase and prepare the right ingredients to make our favorite Christmas cookies, dinner or acquiring that special Christmas gift, and picture our Heavenly Father always having the time for us to be conformed to the image and likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29). Because you and I couldn’t follow the rules and regulations from his commandments, God’s plan was simple, but it required a sacrifice. By sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to purchase mankind through his precious blood, the way has now been prepared. It is up to you to receive him. For those who have already received him, we still need to have the right ingredients for our Christian walk. Let us find ourselves walking in “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Gal. 5:22-23) which is the fruit of the spirit. Let’s continue to “pray for one another and confessing our faults one to another so that we may be healed (Jas. 5:16).” Let’s fulfilled Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

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