Using All The Freshest Ingredients...

I finally got my act together and decided to do some Christmas goodie making...you know, the sugar cookies, pecan dreams, chocolate chip cookies, pound cakes...I'm even trying some wild and crazy new recipes I found using Chex...I'm a rebel. Of course, one can never forget the candy cane sugar cookies that Gracie and I make every year...my mom and I used to make them too...they are cute, yummy and have crushed peppermints on top...what could be better? The only thing I think I'm missing are crack crackers...but I digress. Tonight I made chocolate chip cookies. You know, I think I spent upwards of fifty bucks on baking supplies yesterday. Butter, flour, sugar, blah, blah, blah. But when I made my cookies tonight, they were rather flat and boring. No "poof" to them. No jazz. No umph. I'm thinking it may be related to the baking soda I used...expiration of June 2006. I didn't think the stuff went bad, but I've been wrong a time or two. The cookies don't taste bad...not really. They are just ugly, flat and are missing that poofy chewy texture. I'm sad. My whole life, after being centered on Christ, has basically been centered on cooking and eating fabulous food. Following in the culinary shadow of a southern fried cooking great (my mama), it's disheartening when I experience a kitchen failure. I dwell on it. I think over what I should have, could have done differently...and I worry about what others will think of how it looks, tastes, etc.

You know, my relationship with God is somewhat the same way. In my daily quiet time (when I really take the time to do it...sometimes I admit, it's like cooking supper...sometimes I just can't seem to make time to do it, so I get take out - like reading Our Daily Bread or something instead of digging into His Word) I often give God my stalest ingredients. Maybe it's just a few minutes here or there...maybe it's not even taking the time to really sit and be quiet and experience Him...and you know what? That's when I turn out the flattest. It's when I have my most disorganized, falling apart days...like a casserole that won't stay together, or a cake that falls. It's disheartening...like my failures in the kitchen. I tend to dwell on it, think of what I should have done differently to make it more meaningful...but honestly? I tend to dwell more on my food failures than my God failures. Sad huh? I know I fail Him every day. I don't worry about how it looks to Him or anyone else...and I should. Most of all, I should focus not just on how I've failed Him, He doesn't want me to dwell on it, I need to also focus on how to make it better...to not fail Him again.

So my cookies will be fine I suppose. My Christmas goodies will not fall flat...they'll be yummy. And I pledge my heart to God that I may not fall flat for Him...that I will be as pleasing to Him, even more pleasing...as my Christmas goodies are to my palate :)