Christmas 11--Star of Bethlehem

January 4

Numbers 24:17 and Matthew 2:1 & 2

The Star of the East has generated discussion and speculation for millennia. Astrologers and historians have provided multiple scenarios that make sense if you need them. God could have used a natural phenomenon or God could have created a single source of that light. It really doesn’t matter. The light was there and the magi (gentiles) attributed it to the birth of the promised king of the Jews. The task of taking the message of Jesus to non-believers is now the task of the spiritual children of Abraham – today’s stars in a dark world.

“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” may not be familiar to you as either a Christmas or an Epiphany hymn, but it clearly reflects to response of the child of God yearning to follow the star lit path to the Savior. Sing it with joy as you kneel at the manger. “Hail, O Source of Every Blessing” sings of the fact that gentiles, now included in the spiritual family of Abraham, also live a life of witness and praise.

Hail, O Source of ev’ry blessing, Father of our human race!

Gentiles now, Your grace possessing, In Your courts obtain a place.

Grateful now, we fall before You, In Your Church rejoice to live,

See Your glory and adore You, Thankful for the grace You give.

Once far off but now invited, We approach Your sacred throne,

In Your covenant united, Reconciled, redeemed, made one.

Now revealed to eastern sages, See the Star of Mercy shine,

Myst’ry hid in former ages, Myst’ry great of love divine.

Hail, O all inviting Savior! Gentiles now their off’rings bring,

In Your temples seek Your favor, Jesus Christ our Lord and King.

May we, body, soul, and spirit, Live devoted to your Praise,

Glorious realms of bliss inherit, Grateful anthems ever raise.

For the Family:

On a dark oval place a star of Bethlehem (a 4 pointed star) with your name on it. Make one for each member of your family. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and ask God to guide you as you share the good news of salvation with others.

Bible Journaling:

Christmas 11-
Star of Bethlehem
Numbers 24:17
Bible Journaling 
Connie Denninger 

From the Kitchen:

Mom and Dad made candies throughout the year, but they were more apt to have it available in the winter time. They dipped pretzels in melted chocolate, made no bake cookies that were really closer to fudge than they were to cookies, and fixed peanut butter crunch sticks that had way too much cholesterol for anyone over 20. But my favorite, by far, is still praline crunch. 

PRALINE CRUNCH

 Dora Pfitzer Meyermann-Mother of Natalie Hartwig

¼ Cup butter

½ Cup sugar

1 Cup coarsely chopped pecan meats

• Melt butter in skillet. Stir in sugar. Add pecan meats.
• Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until sugar mixture begins to turn golden brown (about 3 minutes.)
• Remove from heat, turn out onto piece of foil.
• Cool. Crumble into small pieces.
• Makes 1 ½ cups.

Husband John’s favorite:

RUM BALLS

Fern Pfizer-Aunt of Natalie Hartwig

2 ½ Cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

2 TBS + 1 tsp cocoa

1 Cup confectioner’s sugar

1 Cup finely chopped walnuts (or walnuts and shredded coconut)

3 TBS corn syrup

¼ Cup bourbon (or rum)

Additional confectioner’s sugar

• Mix together: crumbs, cocoa, 1 cup sugar, and nuts
• Add corn syrup and bourbon or rum, mix well.
• Form into 1” balls, then roll in additional sugar.
• Store in covered container at least 2 days to ripen.
• Makes 3 ½ dozen

Tree of Promise Devotions

Natalie Hartwig

Christmas 10- Blossom of Peace

January 3

Hebrews 11:11 – 16; Luke 2:36 - 38

Anna, faithfully clinging to the promise of the Messiah, spoke of the promise kept in the infant Christ to the believers gathered in the temple on the day of Jesus’ presentation. We also share our joy in God’s faithfulness with fellow believers during worship.

“Let Our Gladness Have No End” and let the alleluias ring as you give thanks for the promise kept to heal the break between God and His creatures. 

Let our gladness have no end, alleluia! For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!

On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us;

 Christ, His Son, to save us.

Prophesied in days of old, alleluia! God has sent Him as foretold, alleluia!

On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us; 

Christ, His Son, to save us.

See, the loveliest blooming rose, alleluia! From the branch of Jesse grows, alleluia!

On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us; 

Christ, His Son, to save us.

Into flesh is made the Word, alleluia! He, our refuge and our Lord, alleluia!

On this day God gave us Christ, His Son, to save us; 

Christ, His Son, to save us.

For the Family:

A Christmas Rose is the long awaited blossom of peace on earth. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and give thanks. You can select a picture of a Christmas Rose from choices on line or a gardener’s catalogue and hang that on your tree or you can draw the 5 petal calligraphy rose and use that as your ornament.

Bible Journaling:

Christmas 10
The Christmas Rose
Bible Journaling
Hebrews 11:11-16
Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

An Italian restaurant in NY ends its service with simple cornmeal cookies. 

I am still looking for a recipe that comes closer to those cookies, but these are pretty good.

Gluten Free Orange Cornmeal Cookies

On Line

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cups cornmeal

1 ¼ cup corn flour

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp xanthan gum

1 ½ sticks butter, melted

1 TBS concentrated orange juice

Zest of 1 orange, very finely minced

• Whirl eggs and sugar in the bowl of the food processor. Slowly add the rest of the ingredients, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl.
• Don’t over process. When the dough comes together, remove from the food processor and place in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll dough into small balls (about half the size of a walnut), place on cookie sheet and flatten. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Depending on size of cookie makes from 3 to 6 dozen.
• Can add currants, raisins, or dried cranberries.

Not very sweet, but that is fine with me. Might like it with a dark chocolate coatin on half of the cookie.

Slice the orange that is now minus the zest and put the slices in a pitcher of ice water. Because the orange has been zested the essential oils are released and the water picks up the flavoring very rapidly.

Tree of Promise Devotions
Natalie Hartwig

Christmas 9-- Gift of Faith

January 2

Luke 2:21 – 35; Hebrews 11:1

Simeon was the recipient of a personal promise, the promise that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah. I wonder how many people tried to stay close to him so that they too would get to see the Messiah. His trust in the personal promise was not unlike the trust that mature Christians have in the salvation promised to all believers.

Sing the Nunc Dimittis according to the setting that is your preference. The liturgy quotes verses 29 – 32 of Luke chapter 2 directly. Or, if you have a copy of one of the hymn books listed below, you may select Luther’s versification of the Nunc. 

Lord, now You let Your servant go in peace;

Your word has been fulfilled

My own eyes have seen the salvation which

 You have prepared in the sight of ev’ry people:

A light to reveal You to the nations and the glory of Your people Israel.

For the Family:

The dove, a symbol of peace-(can be placed on a cross) shows the confident vision of faith. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and give thanks for the gift of faith.

Bible Journaling:

Gift of Faith
 Hebrews 11:1
Bible Journaling
Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

The first time I made these cookies I was in Home Ec class at Lutheran High School Central, St. Louis, MO. That school no longer exists, the Crusaders now call Lutheran North home. Snickerdoodles, however, have flourished and can now be found in most grocery stores. Mom liked them so much that she added them to her ‘must have’ list. We used colored sugar for dipping the cookies and the glass jar of those cookies looked like a jar of jewels.

Snickerdoodles

LHSC Home Ec Class

1 C shortening

1 ½ C sugar

2 eggs

2 ¾ C flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

½ tsp salt

• Mix in usual order. Chill dough
• Roll into walnut sized balls
• Dip in sugar/cinnamon mixture

• Bake at 400 for 8 – 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet

Tree of Promise Devotions

Natalie Grace Hartwig

Christmas 8- -Holy Name of Jesus

January 1

 Holy Name of Jesus

Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31; Philippians 2:10, Acts 2:21

Immanuel! God is with us, and we call His name Jesus!

There are many praise songs built around the holy name of Jesus, but I don’t know any that echo the scriptures as repeatedly and intensely as the hymn listed below. I gave you some of the passages related to it, see if you can find the rest. 

Jesus! Name of wondrous love, 

Name all other names above,

Unto which must ev’ry knee 

Bow in deep humility.

Jesus! Name decreed of old, 

To the maiden mother told,

Kneeling in her lowly cell, 

By the angel Gabriel.

Jesus! Name of priceless worth 

To the fallen of the earth

For the promise that it gave, 

“Jesus shall His people save.”

Jesus! Name of mercy mild,

 Given to the holy Child

When the cup of human woe 

First He tasted here below.

Jesus! Only name that’s giv’n 

Under all the mighty heav’n

Whereby those to sin enslaved

 Burst their fetters and are saved.

Jesus! Name of wondrous love, 

Human name of God above;

Pleading only this, we flee Helpless,

 O our God, to Thee.

                                                                                                         Goggle image

For the Family:

There are many lovely ornaments featuring the holy name, JESUS. If you already have a favorite, use it. If not, make one that makes a cross out of the name itself. Hang this symbol on your Tree of Promise and pray, in the name of Jesus, for God to guide and keep you in this new year.

Bible Journaling:

Jan 1

 Holy Name of Jesus

Bible Journaling
Connie Denninger

From the Kitchen:

For the new year, here is an older recipe that is new to me. For cousins Jean, Joan, Jack, and Jil -  some memories for you.

Orange Cardamom Cookies

Fern Seitz Pfitzer

1 1/4 C granulated sugar

1 C butter

1 egg

1/4 C light corn syrup 

1 TB freshly grated orange peel

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange extract

3 C flour

1 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

• Combine sugar and butter in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg, syrup, orange peel, vanilla, and orange extract.  Beat until well blended and fluffy. 
• Combine flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add gradually to creamed mixture at low speed.  Mix until well blended.  
• Divide dough in half.  Roll each half into a 12 inch long log  Wrap and chill 4 hours or until firm.  
• Heat oven to 375. Grease baking sheets with butter. (Parchment paper?)  
• Cut rolls in 1/4 inch slices.  Place 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.  
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Do not over bake. 
• Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet.  Remove to rack and cool completely.   Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

Joan Pfitzer Loesch sent this recipe to me when I was looking for orange flavored cookies.

Tree of Promise Devotions
Natalie Grace Hartwig