Consider Your Kingdom today on Day #10 of our 30 Days to an Unstuck Christmas!

Good Morning Sweet Friend!

This is our 10th Day together and our FIRST 30 Day Giveaway Weekend.

I am giving a FREE “something or other this weekend to some lucky lady who has interacted, shared ideas, and just let me know you are OUT THERE and being blessed by this 30 Day Journey! Watch the Facebook page for more information.

Thank you for sharing on Facebook and saying hello on Twitter!!

I love getting to know you better, seeing your fun comments and gentle support of one another.

I am going to spend some time today wrapping some Life Unstuck Gift packages with my personal prayer and love tucked inside. Please let me know if someone on your list might be blessed by a 2017 LIFE UNSTUCK!!

Have a wonderful Saturday and don’t forget to stop and smell the evergreen!

Hugs,
Pat

PS–For those of you who don’t have Facebook, I get it! No worries, we all have to choose our social media outlets and guard our time. I will give one gift at the end of the journey chosen from those who could not be in that group. Love you!!

DAY 10
….and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:33 (NIV)

Whoot! Whoot! His Kingdom will NEVER end!

This is actually a busy weekend for me–a family precious wedding will rule and reign over our weekend 🙂

Next weekend is cookie baking time with my little G-girls and a few of their friends (recipe below!). As sweet as it is, my devotion for today mixed me up a bit as I tried to get really honest with myself, letting God speak some tough truth to me through His word. My self truth expeditions always result in growth and hope. My Mamma used to say to us 4 girls “every girl needs a good cry now and then-we always feel better when it’s over.” She was right!

The truth is, I have a “kingdom.”

My kingdom starts on my front porch and ends with my ears, eyes and brain, wherever they are.

My kingdom is all about me and mine.
My ministry-My success-My failures-My kids-My church-My Grandkids (note above :-)-My money-My clothes-My needs-My wants….You get it!

I’m hoping I’m not talking to myself here. THAT would be embarrassing.

I am confessing that, way too often, I am far more focused on MY kingdom than God’s Kingdom. My kingdom-thinking is short sighted, self centered and small.

Jesus came to redirect and relocate us, to change our KINGDOM, both inside and outside. He teaches us in Matthew 6:33 that only HIS KINGDOM really matters and must be first. Jesus came as “little” to show us “big.” He teaches us that “nothing” is “much” and that “natural” must yield to “supernatural.”

The good news is, we are doing it ladies!

We are hanging on to God’s word in a fresh-KINGDOM-kind-of-way over this 30 days together. We are committed to God’s Kingdom for some “quiet time, reflective response and an intentional journey to the manger.”

Prayer: Thank you for reminding us that YOU ALONE are King and your Kingdom is what really matters. Help me to focus on what you are doing around me, where you are working and how you are speaking. Use your Word Lord during this special season to teach, correct and grow me. I want to learn. I am your servant and you are my Lord. Amen.
Speaking of cookies… SIMPLE SUGAR COOKIES sound good right about now. I found this on aspicyperspective.com

There’s nothing more comforting than a good cry and baking cookies!!

Click on the yummy cookies for a printable version!

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour, measured then sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar + extra for rolling
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer.
Cream the butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. (Don’t skimp on the time here.) Then turn the mixer on low and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl.
3. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds.
4. Pour some extra sugar into a bowl to coat the cookies. Scoop the dough out and roll into 1 inch balls. The dough should be soft and delicate – Don’t over-handle. Shake each ball in the sugar bowl to coat, then place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press down on each ball, until it’s 1/3 – 1/2 inch thick.
5. Bake each sheet of sugar cookies for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden and the centers are just barely set. Cool completely on the cookie sheets.
BOURBON GLAZE: Once the cookies are cool, whisk 1 tablespoon of cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon bourbon together. Then whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Dip the face of each cookie into the glaze. Allow the excess to dip off, then place them back on the parchment paper to dry.

This next Harvest idea is a bit more rich in time, so it will not work for everyone, but it’s a great investment in your spirit if you can pull it off!

In our cozy, front-porch adorned neighborhood, every Christmas season, someone hosts a cookie exchange. It doesn’t take a financial windfall, just a bit of time to send out the community email, organize “who’s bringing what,” and passion for the task at hand. It’s an awesome way to bring neighbors together that you would not ordinarily talk to and a quiet calm in the holiday storm to catch up with friends.

Here’s a “Cookie Exchange Roadmap” that I viewed on MarthaStewart.com. Obviously, this one is going to be a “fancy schmansy” version, but it’s a nice guide to the planning process. It certainly doesn’t have to be grand. The Cookie Exchange is just a way to bring friends and neighbors together in a fun way AND eat some great food.

PLEASE SHARE your thoughts on my FACEBOOK page.

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Lastly, If anyone would like to submit a “Harvest” idea that I can share in future e-mails, please email me patlayton@mac.com! Hearing from my friends makes my heart sing and I am writing these posts as we go so any new ideas are welcome!