G A T H E R I N G S | Valentine Cookies
As I was loading all the supplies for this evening's class, I received some very sad news from a precious friend. So on the drive to this event, my heart was heavy. My mind wondering: just how much longer will it be before the Lord takes us to be with Him to that perfect place where we will be introduced to all the sweet babies that have gone on before us. Those of you that have ever experienced a miscarriage, or the loss of a child, you know what I mean. It is a pain that runs deep. A love that never goes away.
As I sat waiting for the light to turn green, I looked up the word "love" on my Bible app, and the first scripture that popped up was John 3:16 in The Message translation. My eyes watering. My heart continuing to ache. Our Father in Heaven knows what it is like to experience the pain of losing a child. And to the kind sir that was behind me at the red light, I am sorry I frustrated you. I got lost in the moment.
God's Ultimate Valentine, Jesus.
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." - John 3:16 - The Message
But as soon as I walked in the door at Cowboy's Kitchens, this gorgeous girl really picked me up with her beautiful smile and very charming and loving personality! Meet Mary Myers Mitt.
Mary Myers Mitts grew up in Vicksburg helping her mother in the kitchen. Sugar cookies was one of her favorite things to make as a little girl. She has now taken her love for baking and is sharing this gift with others. She was reminiscing of the first cookie order she ever received for a friend's baby christening, and how she has not stopped taking orders since. She shared her special "made from scratch" cookie recipe with us. A typical sugar cookie recipe that includes the basics – flour, butter, sugar, eggs and maybe a little something extra called Danncy Mexican Vanilla (which truly adds a splash of "special" to this sugar cookie recipe). Between she and her mother, Mary Myers has close to 200 cookie cutters, if not more, all different shapes. Since it was a Valentine's themed evening, we decorated XXOO, hearts, arrows, lips and most of us "wore" some of our icing home. In fact, I had it all over one of the sleeves of my cute new sweater. As my mama used to tell me "I can dress you up, Jill, but I can't take you out". However, I think that probably had to do more with my table manners than anything else!
SWEETHEARTS OF THE EVENING
