Disappointments

I had the urge to bake this favorite cookie of mine, which recipe was shared by my best friend. After getting the ingredients I needed, I called my son and asked him if he wanted to join in, in baking a batch. He got excited and volunteered to apply the icing when the freshly-baked pistachio cookies came out of the oven! When he saw how delicate the cookies were, he got afraid of messing up in putting the icing. I told him, this batch was our cookies and that, he didn't need to be afraid as I wanted him to have fun instead, whether the icing would be looking nice or not, I guaranteed, the icing wouldn't change the taste. I saw a tremendous sigh of relief on his face and this was what he did the first time he applied the icing:

He goes, "Mom! It doesn't look nice! Sorry..." I said, "It's okay, just keep trying...To me, it looks nice for the first time you did it..." So the more he tried. After applying the white or milk chocolate icing on 5 0r 6 cookies, with 5 or 6 times getting disappointed, his skill got more adept, until I saw the frustration and disappointment vanished into thin air. Much to my surprise, he started enjoying his task and showed he was having a great time as he began applying the icing with a more precise pattern.

The best part was the tasting part. The cookies were so deliciously soft and the icing made it more appealing to be bitten. We decided to try to put them in my cellophane wrappers, before we ended up devouring everything. They looked so good that we both knew that we had made a special gift, to be given as "homemade gifts" to families and friends:

Our lives do not come in great looking packages such as these cookies. We all go through frustrations and disappointments also as we meet life's challenges. But God is always there encouraging us the whole time. He is always there going through all these trials with us. He is always coaching us, as we try to perfect our "icing techniques" on different cookies [trials] of life. We should never get tired trying and trying, doing good, no matter how many times we fail and get disappointed, with ourselves and with others. We should accept the risks of life but before we tackle each and every risk, let us put our trust first in God.

May you enjoy the sweet taste of success as you listen first to the One Who is the true Baker, the Encourager of this fragile life!

Psalm 34:2 - "I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are discouraged take heart."

Galatians 6:9 - "Don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time."

Galatians 6:4 -"Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else."

Psalm 55:22 -"Give your burdens to the Lord and He will take care of you."

Top Priority

With Christmas drawing near, there are so many things bombarding my brain; a "to-do-list" in my head. I was trying not to panic and not get overwhelmed with the thought of missing one errand after another. Though this special holiday is enjoyable, it can become stressful even when it comes to picking the right gifts for the ones we love, family or friends. Like a rabbit, I was hopping from one store to another today, to get more ideas in what to get for a particular person. I was making my way in and out of a cluttered freeway, thank God I didn't have any mishap. Like Santa, I was checking my list twice...

By the time I glanced at my watch, it was time to pick up my child at school. I picked up a coffee frappuccino to cool me off and finally, as I waited for him to come out of the school's gate, there I was slumped on the driver's seat, being energized by the caffeine-laden icy, cold drink!

It was supposed to be winter but the temperature was surely warm as I waited. I happened to look up and got fascinated staring at the clear, blue skies.

That was when something hit me! I had been busy with errands for today and actually didn't have a plan to set my priorities straight. The Lord spoke to my heart, "what should be your highest priority today, My child?"

I bowed my head and in prayer answered, "Lord, my highest priority should be You."

The top priority is to love and seek Him. The rest gets easier. No wonder, we get excited about December! It's because we think of our loved ones. But we forget sometimes the One Who had loved us first.

Not only this Christmas, but in every day that passes by, let us put Christ as our "top priority" in everything that we do.

Mark 12:30,31 -Jesus said,"And you must love the Lord, your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is this: you must love your neighbor as yourself."

Colossians 3:2 -"Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth."

Proverbs 3:5, 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths."

Luke 12:34 - "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."

Mary Did You Know - Mark Lowery