Christmas 7--Journey Home- Year's End

December 31

Genesis 1:14, Hebrew 8:12

Time, days, seasons, and the patterns of years are all gifts of God. In the Old Testament we also find specific instructions for festivals to mark the passing of seasons and commemoration God’s mighty acts. Marking the years, recalling not only our sins but also God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and abundant blessings is a good discipline. 

Take time for reflection before the year turns and we can again sing how “Every morning mercies new, fall as fresh as morning dew.”

Across the sky the shades of night This New Year’s Eve are fleeting.

We deck Your altar Lord, with light, In solemn worship meeting;

And as the year’s last hours go by, We raise to You our earnest cry, 

Once more Your love entreating.

Before the cross subdues we bow, To You our prayer addressing.

Recounting all Your mercies now, And all our sins confessing;

Beseeching You this coming year To keep us in Your faith and fear 

And crown us with your blessing.

We gather up in this brief hour The mem’ry of Your mercies:

Your wondrous goodness, love, and pow’r Our grateful song rehearses;

For You have been our strength and stay In many a dark and dreary day 

Of sorrow and reverses.

Then, gracious God, in years to come, We pray Your hand may guide us,

And, onward through our journey home, Your mercy walk beside us 

Until at last our ransomed life Is safe from peril, toil and strife 

When heav’n itself shall hide us.

For the Family:

Take the last page of a desk calendar and mark across the year “Hebrews 8:12.” Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and give thanks that God remembers your sins no more.

Bible Journaling:

Dec 31
Bible Journaling 
Journey Home- Year's End
Hebrew 8:12
Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

Every baker has a recipe for banana bread for those times that we purchased more bananas than we had use for before they got too soft. I remember well Dad’s comment on his 90^th birthday. He said, “seems like buying green bananas is not a good investment anymore.”

If you have a good banana bread recipe and use it, that statement might not be true for you. Here’s Mom’s recipe:

Banana Nut Bread

Dora Pfitzer Meyermann- Mother of  Natalie Hartwig

1/3 C butter

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ C flour

pinch salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 ripe bananas, crushed

½ C chopped nuts

• Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and beat well.
• Sift dry ingredients together twice. 
• Add to liquid mixture.
• Add banana and nuts.
• Bake in loaf pan at 350 for 50 -60 minutes.

Works well in mini loaf pans. Keeps well for up to 2 days. Freezes well.

I read a hint the other day: frozen chunks of banana help to chill a smoothie and keep you from diluting your smoothie with ice cubes. 

Tree of Promise Devotions
Natalie Hartwig