She's a MANIAC...for the Lord!

Remember that perfectly sweet almost 7 year old I was telling you about here...and how she wanted to ride her bike all around town so she could tell people about Jesus? Well you can give that girl and inch and she will take you for a mile!

(Nic showing off her missing teeth)

Nicole had her first piano lesson today. We were blessed to find a christian piano teacher who was teaching a group lesson to some little girls in our town. Nicole would be the oldest in the class - but it would be a great way for her to meet some new friends and see if she would like to continue with private piano lessons down the line. Anyhow, the piano teacher lives about 15 minutes outside of town so the moms decided we would take turns driving to lessons. One of the other girls is particularly shy so she wanted her mom to drive first.

Now...never before in the last (almost) 7 years has anyone driven up to my house, picked up my daughter and driven away with her. Never. I have always been there. A few months ago she went to a friend's house for the day without me...for the first time ever. I guess you could say I am having a hard time letting go!

I anxiously watched the clock waiting for her return. She came home bounding with energy (what else is new) and excitement. She had a wonderful time at lessons and remembered to use her manners. The only complaint was that the lesson was too short (to which I had to explain the theory of time flies when you are having fun). And then...she dropped the bomb...."I did talk a lot on the way to and from lessons, Mom."

Uh oh.

"Really, what did you talk about?"

"Well, I asked if my friend knew about God and she said only a little. So I told her about the Bible. The whole Bible. I started with Adam and Eve and then I told her about Noah and Abraham and Moses and David and Jesus and even about Paul - how he was in jail and told people all about Jesus while he was there."

Wow.

That must have been an earful for a 5 year old and her mom...who don't go to church...who think homeschooling is a little, um...weird.

Wow.

And yet, I was so proud of her because she was finally doing what she feels called to do - to tell people about Jesus.

Then...just about 9pm the piano teacher called. She wanted to let me know about something that happened in class.

Uh oh....

The teacher uses a mouse puppet named Mozart Mouse to help her teach the class. At the end of class, Mozart Mouse bowed to the students to thank them for coming. Then she had the student take a bow back to Mozart Mouse. Uh oh. I knew where this was headed...

She said that as Nicole was walking out the door...when all the other parents were there...she said, "But Mrs. Holden, I though we were only supposed to bow down to God."

I explained with a laugh that we had been reading the Torah and learning more about the 10 Commandments. We had also recently discussed Shadrach & friends (cause I don't know how to spell their names) and how they ended up in the fiery furnace because they wouldn't bow down to any god other than Elohim (the one true God). The teacher said she completely understood and that she thought it was wonderful...but mentioned that the other parents did look a little concerned. I told her I would talk to Nicole about it tomorrow morning and maybe next time she could use the term curtsy instead of bow...just a suggestion!

I can only pray that her little fire keeps burning with passion for YHVH (the Lord)! You tell 'em, Nic!

Preparation Day

I have long heard it said that...

A Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail

I experienced that last Sabbath. Let's just say, it wasn't pretty like the others. Why, you ask? I wasn't prepared!

So here is how it works...the Sabbath officially begins at Sunset on Friday evening. Friday day is known as "Preparation Day." As my friend so wisely instructed me...you clean your house and prepare everything as if you are having very important company for dinner. Your company is Jesus. On top of the house cleaning, you prepare your dinner and challah (bread) ahead so that you are not scrambling at the last minute. And since the Sabbath lasts through sun-down on Saturday...you prepare everything you will need for Saturday as well. That is a lot of preparation! But the reward...lots of rest! I have said since the very first Sabbath we celebrated ~ I will gladly put in the extra work Sun - Fri if it means that I get a day of real rest on Saturday. The problem comes when you don't get the work done.

Last week was weird...Joshua had a severe allergic reaction on Tuesday when we were in the city. I spent the rest of the week in some sort of "funk" as a result. I let the circumstances get to me. I was physically and emotionally tired and I excused my own laziness. As the Sabbath approached, I told myself I would do as much as I could but not stress over it...after all...it isn't a legalistic thing. I would still take my "rest" on Friday eve and Saturday...even though I hadn't prepared for it. Sadly, the result was anything but restful.

One major complicating factor is that...before I became convicted to keep the Sabbath...I committed to a sign language class for the kids...in the city (90 miles away) on Friday afternoon. Knowing what I know now...I won't do that again! Our class puts us home about 4pm which is plenty of time to finish last minute preparations...but hardly enough time to do it all. I now know that I need to move our preparation day to Thursday, preparing as much as I can so that Friday is not so hectic. Today we are cleaning and I am prepping my food as much as I can. I am making chicken cacciatore and homemade french bread for dinner tonight (Thursday). I will also cook my beef tonight for beef with mushrooms for our Sabbath meal. I can cook my rice ahead as well so that I just have to reheat it tomorrow night (when we get home from class). We will have leftover challah for breakfast on Saturday and egg salad on toast for lunch. We boiled eggs and made the egg salad yesterday. For dinner, on Saturday night, we are having a crcokpot dinner that includes ground beef and vegetables. I will cook the beef for that today and assemble the vegetables in the crockpot tomorrow morning before we leave for class. That way, all I have to do is plug in the crockpot Saturday morning and all of our meals are ready.

I know that may sound ridiculous to some of you...but the result is so worth it. Do you know what I do on the Sabbath? I rest. A mom of three little ones...resting and playing with her kids. Enjoying fellowship with them for the glory of Elohim (God). I do not do dishes or chores. We each rinse our own plate and put it in the dishwasher. Dishes that need to be washed by hand go into the sink to soak until after the Sabbath. On Saturday, we usually eat on paper towels for breakfast and lunch if we can. I do not do laundry or clean (unless there is a spill or something, ya know). And you know what...nobody dies because mom rests! I spend the day reading the Word with the kids, playing Bible games, watching Bible movies (ok, that is translated Veggie Tales, but thats ok), and enjoying Yahweh's glorious creation (hiking, etc...which will be a lot easier when it is spring/ summer). Oh yeah, and naps! We ALL take naps.

Last week, I failed to be prepared and I failed to rest as a result. I was grumpy and unsettled because I hadn't finished my work. My husband came home from work to a disaster and and a frazzled mom. Not a good witness to my observing the Sabbath! This week, I will work hard to be prepared for my rest. And it will be glorious!

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the YHWH's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in YHWH,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.
Isaiah 58:13-14

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:9-10

When She is Sad...

I have the most precious 6 year old (almost 7, yikes) daughter in the world. She is beautiful, smart, funny, talented, very helpful and has more love for Jesus than I could ever imagine having. She longs to ride her bike up and down the streets of our small town, telling people about Jesus. You have no idea how much I love this precious little girl.

And yet, she is sad. Grandma has been in a coma for 7 months now. In case you missed it, my in-laws were in a terrible plane crash back in July of last year. They were flying from Colorado back home to San Diego via New Mexico. They had weather difficulties in New Mexico and crashed. My father-in-law sustained serious injuries but was released from the hospital a few days later. My mother-in-law was in a coma and on a ventilator in New Mexico for several weeks. They were able to transfer her to a rehab facility in San Diego and eventually back to her home where she is receiving in-home care. To date, she is breathing completely on her own. She opens her left eye and even tries to speak. She eats some pureed foods by mouth but otherwise has a g-tube for feeding. There is great debate over whether or not she is actually in a coma...but that is what we say to keep it simple.

We went to visit the beginning of November and it was very hard on Nicole. Well, it was very hard on all of us. This precious woman who is so lively and constantly moving...was bound to a chair and unable to move. She would occasionally, when holding your hand, not let go. There was a day when she tried so hard to speak that it broke my heart. I liken it to being trapped in a prison. The kids sang for her and drew her pictures and Nicole would go with Wolfie just to sit with her and care for her. While we were there, Nicole had dreams that Grandma woke up and spoke to her. I secretly prayed for them to be prophetic. They were not.

And so, 7 months later...we are still waiting. We are praying for a miracle. That she will "wake up" and be restored to her old self. This would take a full-on miracle and we KNOW that God is capable. What we don't know is if that is His plan. And it is hard to wait.

Nicole has been struggling again lately. She is having dreams again - dreams that Grandma wakes up and that they go to church together. That they are hiking together in the mountains. Sometimes, when we are driving in the car she will start to cry - because (God) Elohim's creation is so beautiful and she is not sure that Grandma will ever be able to see it again. She tells me that her heart is sad and that she just doesn't know what to do to make it happy again. She says it will never be the same without Grandma to share it with. We hold her, distract her, and cry with her...but beyond that I just don't know what to say. I encourage her to pray, which she does...but I am afraid that (what seems to her) unanswered prays will shake her unshakable faith.

This morning, Josh and Nicole had a discussion about Grandma. Josh confidently stated that he thinks Jesus is going to take her to heaven. Soon. Nicole cried. Josh said, "but Nicole...in heaven her brain will be healed and she will be like the old Grandma you liked to play with." This is coming for a 5 year old who KNOWS without a doubt that his speech and his food allergies will be HEALED when he gets to heaven. If he had it his way, I think he'd be there today.

There is something about the in-between that makes it really hard to grieve. She is not dead, she is not in heaven...rejoicing with YHWH. She is suffering. And it isn't fair. And yet YHWH remains faithful in our suffering.

Will you please pray for my little girl, that somehow Elohim (God) would comfort her in her suffering? That He would make her faith stronger through this and not let her doubt? And for us...that we will know how to meet her needs and comfort her when she is sad? Thank you, dear friends.

Shalom,
Leah

PS: you can follow my mother-in-law's recovery here http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/barbarakaiser2010

Will you be His Valentine?

A true gentleman may open the car door for you...
but Jesus opens the door to heaven for you.

A true gentleman may hold your hand in public...
but Jesus holds your soul in the palm of His hand.

A true gentleman may ask your father for his blessing...
but Jesus gives His blessing to the Father on your behalf.

The love of your life may take you on a restful vacation,
but Jesus gives you rest for your soul.

The love of your life may give you beautiful jewelry,
but Jesus has a crown waiting for you in heaven.

The love of your life may promise you the sun, moon and stars,
but Jesus made the sun, moon, and stars for you before you were even born.

The love of your life may promise to love you forever,
but only Jesus really will.

The love of your life may even promise to never leave you,
but only Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.

The love of your life may say that he would die for you,
but Jesus died on the cross for your sins.

The love of your life may, sadly, one day break your heart,
but Jesus is the healer of broken hearts.

When you are professing your love to "the love of your life" today, do not forget the lover of your soul. He wants to know if you will be His Valentine...forever? Give your heart to Jesus today!

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"For God so LOVED the world that He gave His one and only begotten son, that whoever believes in His should not perish but have everlasting life. "
John 3:16

The Simple Woman's Daybook

February Daybook

Outside my window...

Snow, Snow, and more SNOW!!! We are having one lovely winter storm today and the snow is so beautiful!

I am thinking...
that my coffee cup needs refilling. I'll be back :)

I am thankful for...

staying inside on a snowy day. I am very also very thankful for friends far away that I can connect with via internet...friends who teach me, guide me, and encourage me in my journey!

From the learning rooms...

School is progressing nicely, tho slow at times. We have recently begun studying Biblical Holidays and we are all enjoying it very much. Our curriculum challenged us to observe a traditional "Sabbath" and it has started us on a journey of learning and growth in the Lord. I am really looking forward to learning more about Passover and the Messianic symbolism as we approach the Spring Holidays.

From the kitchen...

planning monthly menus and experimenting with new recipes. Learning how to cook ahead (in order to observe a day of rest each week) and experimenting with gluten free Challah...lots going on! Check out Joshua's Blog for some yummy Gluten Free Dairy Free Recipes.

From the garden...

visions of springtime and plants growing are dancing in my head. Before we know it ~ it will be time to start some plants indoors!

I am creating...

skirts from old blue jeans. It has become a fun hobby and I hope to get some more good sewing time this month so I can finish up a few I have started.

I am going...

to the city once a week right now for sign language classes. It is a long drive but so worth it for the kids to be able to sign with other kids. They are learning a lot and having fun!

I am reading...

Through the Bible ( I found a new Bible Reading Plan that I really enjoy), Liberated through Submission by P.B. Wilson, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Whitney, and A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce.

I am hoping...

that my Mother-in-Law will wake up...soon. I have a very sad little girl on my hands who misses her Grandma very much. I would also very much like to have conversation with her about all that Yahweh is teaching me right now. I would love to share it with her and get her feedback. I miss her very much!

I am hearing...

My husband preparing to paint the Living Room...and I am very excited for the outcome!

Around the house...

We painted the kitchen and dining room a few weeks ago and are very happy with the results. It is amazing how a coat of new paint can make a house feel like home. I am also working very hard to stay on top of the housework so that I can fully enjoy our Shabbat (Sabbath) each Saturday. It is amazing how much more I am willing to do during the week when I know I will have a day off on the 7th day.

One of my favorite things...

Watching the snow fall.

A few plans for the rest of the month...

We have 2 more weeks of swimming lessons and 7 more weeks of American Sign Language Class (ASL) is the city...that means lots of driving time! I hope to get out and do some snow shoeing this month since we just got this amazing fresh snow! We will be celebrating a birthday later this week and going to Awanas and starting piano lessons and...wow, we have lots to do!

Nicole:

Lots of drama over loose teeth. Daddy pulled out one of her front teeth about a week ago and as soon as he was done ~ she was the toughest girl in the world. She was gonna pull out all of her teeth all by herself from now on...but now that she has another one ready to go...we are back to the tears and terror over losing the tooth. She refuses to eat with the front tooth and despite the fact that it is literally hanging out of her gums...the tooth remains in her mouth. Other than that she remains mom's little helper and all- around good girl. She longs to ride her bike around town and tell everyone she see's about Jesus. Future Missionary? Maybe.

Joshua:

My big boy is about to finish Sparks Book #1 for Awanas...even faster than Nicole did. He has such a heart for the Lord and I cannot believe how quickly he is growing! He is also doing very well in Speech and in swimming lessons. His favorite food is still Pizza and whenever I make it he pretends he is eating at Pizza Hut...even tho he has never been there and will probably never go :/

Abigail:

My baby is turning 3 this week. I have no words other than...
Wow!
The days go by way too fast.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Check out the original Simple Woman's Daybook for more great stuff!

Our First Shabbat

I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I have been challenged to a new level of obedience in my walk. Radical obedience. I will give you a glimpse of what this looks like...

The kids and I celebrated our first Shabbat (Sabbath). This is something that has been on my heart and mind for quite some time. I have a tried to implement a few "things" to put my heart at ease...but it wasn't working. I began researching and praying and talking to a few wise friends. Then...the answer came. I was flipping ahead in Nicole's school book and saw that next week we are supposed to observe a traditional Sabbath. The very thing I had been praying about and researching was placed in front of me as a school assignment. Coincidence? No. Confirmation? Maybe.

OK, so you have written me off as crazy. That's ok. But if you are curious about my craziness you are welcome to continue reading.

On Tuesday of last week I pretty much decided that we would be celebrating the Sabbath starting Friday evening. As soon as the decision was made - the attacks started in. I immediately began to doubt...that I could even be ready to "rest" by Friday....that I was qualified to participate in such a tradition...that I was legitimately crazy (that one is still out to jury). I emailed my friend in a panic Thursday and said I just simply didn't know what to do for our Sabbath. She responded with sweet encouragement. She told me..."On Friday, clean and prepare your home as if you were having company for dinner. Your company will be Jesus. Prepare a nice meal for dinner early in the day and set the table nicely. When the sun sets...your work is done. Enjoy your meal with your family and follow it up with time enjoying your family. Saturday, rest and remember what the Lord has done for you. Try to avoid "work."

Friday morning I was in a frenzy cleaning. My house was in desperate need of cleaning. It was sad. But the thought of a day off....a day of real rest...motivated me to work hard. And I did. And the results were beautiful. My home felt cozy and inviting and I like it that way. I then prepared a nice casserole for dinner. When I was done preparing I washed and put away all the dishes except the casserole dish it was baking in. The kids set the table "fancy" and we made cupcakes for a special dessert. (Next week I will undertake making challah...a traditional sweet egg bread but I wasn't ready for that this week...) As the time drew closer to sundown I got more and more anxious....would I ever get everything done? But when the sun did set I was filled with an overwhelming peace. My husband came home from work and initiated a game of football with the kids. I actually got to SIT and watch them play. Next, we ate dinner...all together at the table. It was lovely. I rinsed the dishes after dinner and put them into the dishwasher. The casserole dish, I put in the sink and filled with soapy water. That's it. The kitchen was still clean from earlier in the day and I got to walk away from it and play a few games with the kids....something I never get to do in the evening. We read our New Testament Scriptures for the evening and then went to bed.

Saturday morning we slept in and then had left over muffins for breakfast - on paper towels that got thrown away when we were done. The kids and I settled in for some "Bible Study" together. They each followed along in their Bibles as I read the "Torah Portion" for the week. I found this here. It was great - the timing was perfect. We actually read about when Moses received the 10 Commandments and talked about WHY we were observing the Sabbath. Next, the kids colored some pictures of Moses receiving the commandments and Nicole did some copy work that I found on the Torah School site. Next, we wrote notes and drew pictures of encouragement to put in a care package for Uncle Dan (who is in Afghanistan) and Grandma (who is still in a coma). By that time we were ready for lunch...which was cold leftovers from the fridge w/ cut-up fruit. Plates in the dishwasher. Done. Then it was nap time :) I had some nice quiet Bible and prayer time then manages to squeeze in a nap as well! After nap we worked on our Catechism together, played a board game of the "Books of the Bible" and watched a Veggie Tales movie.

Dad came home from work and the sun went down. Shabbat was over. I have never been so bummed for the day to end! I went to the bedroom to pray awesome thanks to Yahweh as this was truly one of the best days I have had in years. I was so refreshed and blessed by our day of rest. It truly was a GIFT from Him...not a burden. Even now, on Monday...I am extra motivated to get our "work done" each day so that we can rest again next Sabbath. It is extremely motivating to know that there is an end - or at least a break - in sight.

I know this post is lengthy and I know that some of what I have expressed may be "controversial" in the church. Even our Catechism says that believers are not longer under the law of the Sabbath. Ok great, so that makes me FREE to celebrate the Sabbath with my family. I will be working on another post that details some of the things I have been learning as I studied the Sabbath. Leave me questions too - I would love to answer them in the next post!
Thanks for hanging in there and reading my LONG story!

Shalom,
Leah

Your encouragement for today...

"...acknowledge the God of your father,
and serve Him with wholehearted devotion
and with a willing mind,
for the Lord searches every heart
and understands every motive behind the thoughts.
If you seek Him, He will be found by you;
but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."
1 Chronicles 28:9

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to Him."
2 Chronicles 16:9

For the Nay-Sayers

I know you are out there....
I have encountered some of you, had conversations with some of you, and yet felt the strong sense of disapproval from others...
This post is for you.

The single-most important thing in my life is my relationship with my God and Father. He has extended grace to me in ways that I cannot even understand. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 I deserve death ~ and yet He has given me life. "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10. My life is full. I am blessed. I am content. And yet I strive to live in a way that pleases my Heavenly Father more and more each day. Not because my obedience will save me - only belief in Jesus Christ can do that - but because I love Him and I desire to live the way He has shown me. Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23 I am no longer satisfied to live a comfortable faith that the world tells me is right. The WORD tells me what is right and I am choosing to follow what it says. Not according to our culture or what is "popular Christianity" but radical obedience based on love. I have been challenged and I have accepted the challenge. I will mess up. I will fail. But I will try...because I love Him who has first loved me.

I am a wife and a mother and I count myself blessed for it. I am the keeper of my home and responsible (to my own humanly limitations) for guarding the hearts and minds of my children. I am responsible for educating them in God's way ~ not the ways of the world (or the government for that matter). These commands that I give you today are to be upon your heart. "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7.

There is no other job or thing in the whole world that is more important OR more rewarding than what I am doing now. I am not perfect and I do not do my job perfectly. I mess up. I fail. But I trust that my Heavenly Father will make up the difference.

I assure you, this is foreign territory for me. I was raised to be career oriented. I am well-educated and licensed as a Registered Nurse. I had a successful career as a military nurse and helped many women and families and families while I was there. I made my own money and spent it when and where I wanted to. And yet...I consider these things to be rubbish compared to the life I have been given. "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:7-8.

There is not a beloved person out there who needs my nursing skills or my compassion or my time more than my husband and children need me at home. There is not an understanding of self-worth or excellent career to be gained ("What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" Matthew 17:26) that can compare to knowing that my husband has full confidence in me (Proverbs 31:11) and my children are walking in the truth. "I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4

My words are not meant to be harsh, I speak them out of love. That you would understand who I am and what is important to me. That you would not worry for me or be disappointed that who I am is not who I used to be. I am a work in progress. "...that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

And for my sisters' in Christ who may understand where I am coming from...press on towards the goal. Your reward is waiting for you in Heaven ~ where we will rest and fellowship and be lavished in the Love of our Savior. It will be a glorious day!

"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. " 1 Peter 3:14-16

Shalom, Leah

GFDF Cinnamon Rolls

What I am up to these days...lots of gluten free baking! Check out Joshua's blog for more yummy recipes!















This is my version of a wonderful gluten-free cinnamon roll. The original recipe (which I have modified quite a bit) was posted here: I Am Gluten Free. I highly recommend doubling this recipe as it only makes one pan of cinnamon rolls. This BARELY fed my family of 5 as everyone wanted more! Even my hubby (who is not gluten-free) loved them! Please let me know if you try the recipe and have any suggestions...

Ingredients:
2/3 cup warm milk (we use almond milk)
1 packet active dry yeast

2 Tbsp dairy free margarine (we use Earth's Balance)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg (at room temperature)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose GF Flour (we use GF Mama's Almond Blend)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp xanthan gum

For filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
chopped nuts - optional

For glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
milk to desires thickness

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine warm milk and yeast (be sure all the yeast dissolves) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy.

In the bowl of stand mixer, combine margarine and sugar until smooth. Add proofed milk/ yeast to bowl. Add egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour and remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine then add to mixing bowl. Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Lay a piece of wax paper on the counter and sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp sugar over it. Scoop dough (which will be quite soft) on to wax paper. Cover this with another piece of wax paper and roll out into approximately 9x11 size rectangle. Remove top piece of wax paper and cover rectangle with filling. Use the bottom piece of wax paper to lift edge and start rolling dough into a long cylinder. Cut into 8 or 9 even size slices (about 1" wide). (Original poster suggested trimming off irregular ends but I just leave them on there). Place rolls into a greased pie plate or cake pan.

Bake approximately 20 minutes (or until the tops are golden brown). Top with glaze if desired.

And ENJOY....I know we did!

A Tale of Two Daughters

I have 2 daughters, one is 6 and the other is 2.

The older daughter is a gem - you couldn't ask for a better child. She is sweet and fun, silly, smart, and loves Jesus with all her heart. When she was a toddler she insisted on having well-dressed baby dolls. Each morning we would dress them from head to toe - only to redress them in the jammies when the sun went down. Each doll had multiple outfits and she loved to dress them up. Flash forward to today....Nicole is our "modesty police." She is grossly offended by immodesty. Even Dora the Explorer (with her belly-button showing top) isn't off the hook. She was horrified to learn that...a long time ago...her mommy was one of those "not modest" cheerleaders she sees on television. Yup, the modesty police....

The other daughter is, well...2 and taking full advantage of it for a few more months. Any and all baby dolls withing her reach MUST be NAKED. In fact, the first thing she does to a baby doll is strip them down. And now that I mention it...she likes best to be naked as well! A neighbor commented to me in the fall that Abigail was outside in her undies...I quickly pointed out her clothing which was strewn about the yard. I dress her ~ she undresses herself. What it a mom to do?

My husband and I were discussing the vast differences in the personalities of our daughters when he pointed out that....if Nicole's baby doll preferences led to her obsession with modesty...we'll be lucky if Abigail doesn't end up a stripper.

I'm not sayin' ...I'm just sayin'.