Poetry & Prose ~~ 'Tis The Reason For The Season

In the hustle and bustle of the season,

             have you stopped to consider the reason?

Why do we toil so everything will be first rate,

             waiting until December 25^th just to celebrate?

Is your heart stirred by the good food,

             tree or gifts,

The music, cards, and parties,

             or the opening of ski-lifts?

Do you long to meet with family and friends

            that you all love so dearly,

To reminisce of times long ago

            that you still remember clearly?

Perhaps the passing of loved ones

             makes you feel lonely and sad,

It’s hard to get through this time

            because you’re just not very glad.

Millenniums ago, the prophet Isaiah foretold,

            that the virgin would bear a son,

Born in Bethlehem, and called Immanuel,

            His advent was a most humble one.

This baby boy, better known as Jesus,

            came to die on the cross for our sin.

Until we repent and accept Him as Savior,

            there’s no way we will ever win.

Is Jesus knocking on the door of your heart,

            or have you already let Him in?

Are you wearing your robe of righteousness,

            or are you still living in your sin?

So take a moment, amidst your frantic pace

            to commune with the King of Kings.

For no one else can deliver joy and peace;

            none other gives the life He brings!

This poem is featured along with twenty-nine others in Volume One of Poetry Time which is available on Amazon or in my Etsy shop, BooksbySheilaEismann.

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence, & Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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Sweet & Savory ~~ Red Velvet Candy Cane Cupcakes

If you're asked to bring the dessert to your Christmas family gathering, office party, or neighborhood caroling group, these super moist, ultra chocolaty cupcakes are sure to please!

STEP 1 INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• Combine and mix until light and fully
• Add 4 large eggs to mixture, one at a time

Add the following and mix on low setting of your mixer:

• 2 Tbsp. & 2 tsp. red food coloring
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. & 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

STEP 2 INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS:

While the above listed ingredients are being thoroughly blended on the low setting of your mixer, place the following dry ingredients inside a large bowl and gently whisk together before adding to the liquid mixture:

• 8 Tbsp. Dark Cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. salt, optional
• 2 2/3 cup cake flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder

STEP 3 INSTRUCTIONS:

• When mixture is thoroughly blended, fill paper baking cups 2/3 full.
• Bake in 350 oven for approximately 18 minutes if using a dark non-stick pan.  
• You may have to bake for 2-3 minutes longer if using an aluminum pan.
• Test the centers of the cupcakes with a toothpick to make certain they are cooked completely through.

STEP 4 INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cool to room temperature on cooling racks and frost with your choice of frosting.
• I prefer the cream cheese variety with these cupcakes as I deem it really enhances the flavor.

FROSTING RECIPE:

• Mix the following ingredients in mixer bowl on medium speed until thoroughly blended:
• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• Dash of salt, optional
• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 - 3 to 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• You may need to use a little hot water or additional lemon juice to achieve the desired spreading consistency of the frosting.
• Decorate with sprinkles, candy canes, or something else of your choice.
• Recipe yields approximately 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

The combination of the sweet & tangy in these luscious cupcakes and the frosting is scrumptious!  

Happy Baking & Desserting!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Inspirational Twelve Days of Christmas"

On the first day of Christmas                                        

My true Lord gave to me:                                               

Faith for any situation.                               

On the second day of Christmas,                                

My true Lord gave to me:                                               

Grace to stand in Him,                                                   

and faith for any situation.                                                

On the third day of Christmas,                                     

My true Lord gave to me:                                               

Ability to rejoice in sufferings,                                    

Grace to stand in Him,                                                   

and faith for any situation.   
                                         

On the fourth day of Christmas,                                 

My true Lord gave to me:                                                               

Plenty of perseverance,                                                  

Ability to rejoice in sufferings,

Grace to stand in Him,                                                    

and faith for any situation.                                           

                                                                                                 

On the fifth day of Christmas,                                      

My true Lord gave to me:                                               

Character built in the crucible!                                                        

Plenty of perseverance,                                                  

Ability to rejoice in sufferings,                                            

Grace to stand in Him,                                                    

and faith for any situation.   

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true Lord gave to me:
Hope as my soul's anchor,
Character built in the crucible!
Plenty of perseverance,
Ability to rejoice in sufferings,
Grace to stand in Him,
and faith for any situation.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true Lord gave to me.
Abundant love when needed,
Hope as my soul's anchor,
Character built in the crucible!
Plenty of perseverance,
Ability to rejoice in sufferings,
Grace to stand in Him,
and faith for any situation.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true Lord gave to me:
Joy to spread to others,
Abundant love when needed,
Hope as my soul's anchor,
Character built in the crucible!
Plenty of perseverance,
Ability to rejoice in sufferings,
Grace to stand in Him,
and faith for any situation.                                

On the ninth day of Christmas,  
My true Lord gave to me:                                                                          

Truth to speak in love,                                                    

Joy to spread to others,                                                   

Abundant love when needed,                                     

Hope as my soul’s anchor,                                            

Character built in the crucible!                                   

Plenty of perseverance,                                                  

Ability to rejoice in sufferings,                                    

Grace to stand in Him,                                                    

and faith for any situation.                                            

                                                                                                 

On the tenth day of Christmas,                                    

My true Lord gave to me:

Understanding of His word,                                        

Truth to speak in love,                                                   

Joy to spread to others,                                                   

Abundant love when needed,                                     

Hope as my soul’s anchor,                                            

Character built in the crucible!                                    

Plenty of perseverance,                                                  

Ability to rejoice in sufferings,                                    

Grace to stand in Him,                                                    

and faith for any situation.   

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true Lord gave to me:
The gift of discernment,
Understanding of His word,
Truth to speak in love,
Joy to spread to others,
Abundant love when needed,
Hope as my soul's anchor,
Character built in the crucible!
Plenty of perseverance,
Ability to rejoice in sufferings,
Grace to stand in Him,
and faith for any situation.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true Lord gave to me:
Peace that passes understanding,
The gift of discernment,
Understanding of His word,
Truth to speak in love,
Joy to spread to others,
Abundant love when needed,
Hope as my soul's anchor,
Character built in the crucible!
Plenty of perseverance,
Ability to rejoice in sufferings,
Grace to stand in Him,
and faith for any situation.                                     

Isaiah 9:6 ~~ “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is nothing like the life He brings!   By Him, In Him, and Through Him we have our faith, grace, abilities, perseverance, character, hope, love, joy, truth, understanding, discernment and peace. 

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Heaven's Delight"

                                            

Sounds and sights of Christmas are everywhere,

          While an array of joyous songs fill the air.

There are decorated cookies and delicious candy canes,

          As Christmas lights twinkle in frosted window panes.

Artfully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree,

          Await Christmas morning for children filled with glee.

The aroma of Christmas dinner fills the air with the fixings to enjoy,

          Our grateful hearts overflow with many reasons to rejoice.

Family, friends and loved ones all gather around,

          Sharing smiles and laughter as love abounds.

Christmas carols and holy Nativity scenes,

          Cause us to remember a Baby born, a Humble King.

Angels gave Glory to God, announcing the Savior’s birth,

          And shepherds heard their joyful praises filling the earth.

Wise men searched for the King following Bethlehem’s Star,

          Bearing gifts, bowing down in worship with all their hearts.

We may not know the exact day that our Savior was born,

          But that does not diminish the truth that He is our Lord.

God's love for all of us was placed on display,

          The Glory of God revealed to us on the first Christmas Day.

Heaven's Gift of Love came to dwell in our midst,

          We open wide our hearts and receive His precious gift.

He fills our hearts with His presence, glory and light,

          Emmanuel, God with us, Heaven’s delight.

Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures.    

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Sweet & Savory Thursday - Holiday Baked Spaghetti

This is a great entree to serve to your holiday guests.  You can prepare it ahead of time, freeze it, and heat and serve, if necessary.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, diced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bottle - 28 oz. to 30 oz. diced tomatoes, liquid included
• 1  - 4 oz. can sliced black olives
• 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. freshly ground salt, optional
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
• 12 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked in 1/2 tsp. olive oil, and drained
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 - 10.75 oz. can Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large skillet or saucepan, lightly saute onion and garlic in olive oil.
• Add ground beef and brown until meat is cooked thoroughly, drain, and return to skillet or saucepan.
• Add tomatoes, olives, oregano flakes, salt (optional) and pepper.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Place 1/2 of the cooked noodles in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
• Top with half of the ground beef and tomato mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
• Repeat the above three layers.
• Mix the soup and water until thoroughly blended and pour over the top of the casserole mixture.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.
• Garnish with sliced olives.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
• Serves 12.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Serve with green salad & garlic french bread.
• Follow up with your favorite dessert or browse my Sweet & Savory Blog Page for some great suggestions!

Happy Holiday Dining!

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Poetry & Prose ~~~ "Generations"

When my first generation began
           I have no clue,

Dwelling upon it now and then

            I certainly wish I knew.

Who married who

            and how did they become acquainted?

Was it love at first sight

            or a romance quite belated?

Where did they live

            and how did they get to the states?

Was it by air, land, or sea

            as they awaited their fates?

Were their life spans

            lengthy or short?

How many of their dreams

            did they have to abort?

Occupations, interests, and hobbies

            were probably quite varied.

If they were listed on a wall

            it probably couldn’t be carried.

God ultimately decided

            in which clan to place me.

My children and I would become

            part of my family tree.

Since He makes no mistakes,

            I’m exactly where I need to be.


~~ Excerpted from my newest book titled Poetry Time which is available on Amazon.com or in my Etsy shop.  Here is the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Time-Inspirational-Collection-Traditional-ebook/dp/B01G7J4SSC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#nav-subnav

Do you like the black and white bead work ensemble featured at the top of this blog post?  I certainly do!  It was handcrafted by my fellow author, Carol M. Green, who is also a spectacular social media coach.  Speaking of Carol, she designed my fabulous blog page.  In terms of giftings and talents working their way down through the generations, here's a glimpse of Carol's siblings and what they do in their spare time ~~

Kaye is a seamstress and painter.

Bonnie fashions fused glass necklaces, stained glass windows, and lamps.

Barbara crafts crafts.

Ted was a portrait photographer.

Claire is a seamstress.

Carol's daughter, Marie, is also a seamstress and makes the cutest bags.

Carol's granddaughter, Maggie, is an artist who has illustrated two children's books titled Gary Learns to Skate and Gary Learns to Fish both of which can be found on Amazon.
Carol's sister, Judy, makes gorgeous items from leather such as this handcrafted checkbook cover.

Are you a runner in real life?  Please check out Carol's blog page http://runninggrannygreen.blogspot.com/.  She also completes custom orders for her beadwork, designs websites, and writes books!

I would be remiss if I did not mention my youngest granddaughter, Ali, who has started authoring the first book in her children's mystery series titled The Cupcake Thief.  Imagine this if you will ~~ Ali sits to my left in my little office and dictates as I type on my keyboard!  She will be the fourth published author on both sides of my family.  It all started with my paternal great aunt, Dr. Effie Mona Mack, who wrote the state history for the Nevada public schools. Maternal aunt, Fern Hunt, penned beautiful poetry. Yours truly is just about ready to release her tenth book, and Miss Ali Faith is hot on the mystery trail. My oldest daughter, Cathie Richardson, is a freelance artist and graphic designer whose work is featured in such books as The Christmas Tin. This wonderfully illustrated book encourages young children to prepare a small gift for someone who is not expecting it in order to bless them.  It reinforces the timeless message of love is the greatest gift of all.  Cathie's designs are featured in Fine Art America  http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cathie-richardson.html

As you look back in your family tree what do you see?  There just might be some very pleasant surprises waiting there for you!  Inheritances are not always bank accounts, buildings, businesses or land.  Sometimes they manifest in the most amazing ways.  So, prepare to be amazed!

Happy Reading & Creating!

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