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We were created to be in community with others. Whether it’s friends, co workers, aquaintances, family, etc., we weren’t meant to do this life alone.  I think that is why we get that ache of feeling like we are missing something when we are alone, when we are trying to fight battles on our own, or when we isolate ourselves from the people around us. We have a real and genuine need and desire to be surrounded by people. People encourage you, people challenge you, people love you, people accept you, and people even sometimes rub you the wrong way.  …

With the theme of commitment this month, I wanted to remind our readers of a post I wrote a few months ago. So here it is again! Are you ready to commit?

How many different things do you say yes to? What are those things? What things do you say no to? How do those every day little decisions end up affecting your whole life?

We make yes and no decisions all day long, every day. Life is all about choices. Will you say no to getting out of bed and hit snooze one more time, will you say yes to driving the speed limit, will you say yes to another cup of coffee, will you say no to watching just one more show… Some decisions are methodically thought out over time, others are quick and hasty. Some have instant feedback, others have slow results. Some affect only you, others affect numerous people.  But regardless, our lives are filled with decision after decision that determine our steps, actions, and ultimately lives.

But don’t be overwhelmed by this seemingly endless cycle of choices… I can think of a pretty amazing way to make it less of a swamped feeling. God has called us to say yes to Him. Saying yes to Christ, yes to following Him, yes to love, yes to His truth. And the rest of the decisions can just flow all determined by the one overall decision. It’s not always an easy process, but it is a simple solution. And it is not just one way, it is THE way. Yes to Christ is the most important part of any decision. It is the thing we have to remember and cling to. It isn’t about saying no to the other things. It is about saying yes to pursuing Christ, …

Do you feel inadequate? Do you feel unloved? Do you wonder where you belong?….

These are questions that many people struggle with, but few people admit. Our world screams at us that we are never enough, that we never have enough, and we will never be enough. So we get stuck. We get stuck in the in between of trying to be content with what we have and doing away with the noise that is telling us we need more. We hide our past hurts, struggles, and feelings and fill our time with stuff to cover it all up. Then there is a never ending cycle of feeling inadequate, insignificant, and out of place.

But there is one place where we always fit in.  There is one place where we are unconditionally loved. And there is one place where our significance always trumps any definition of success. That place is in the arms of our Father and Lord.…

The story continues…..
We left off with the first version of the cookbook being printed and distributed in 1979, as a surprise Christmas gift for our family. They all loved the gift and asked if we had more copies to give to their friends….fast forward from 1979 to 1990…”Several moves later, when the Weisser family returned to California from Guam, Kerry decided to expand the earlier version of the cookbook.”

With the help of my brother, Rad, and his original Mac computer that used floppy disks, I began to type up more of our family favorite recipes. With the help of my mom, sister and aunt Nancy, we collected more recipes and tested each one to make sure it would make the cut before it was added to the cookbook. My Uncle Yogi and cousin Kurt owned a printing company in Redwood city and they published the first edition of Baby Bear Stew: A Family Heritage Cookbook. Helping illustrate the cookbook were the oldest three of my four daughters-at the time Rachel was 9, Jessica was 7, Bethany was 4 and Bekah was 18 months old. Bekah did get her handprint made into a turkey for one of the illustrations and she was my sweet baby buddy who sat and played on a blanket near me while I typed every day. Each chapter begins with a drawing and a saying like “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving”.

The 1990 newspaper article explains…”All the recipes are “tried and true”. Most are relatively simple or “easy gourmet” but there are a few elegant ones like Nancy’s Flaming Veal and Gram’s Orange Tarragon Chicken with Grapes. Most of the salad recipes have been adapted to use plain yogurt instead of sour cream for health conscious people …

This week’s Passion Perspective features one of our very own……….the story began many, many years ago, in the fall of 1990…..when a bay area newspaper featured an article titled
The Roselyn Family Shares the Joy of Cooking“

The article began with a bit of history…
“Cooking is a joy in the Roselyn family which now spans 4 generations. Friends remember special times and wonderful food enjoyed over the years at Myrna and Leo Roselyn’s former home in Atherton, their condo in Menlo Park and at the home of their daughters, Roz Wagner and Nan Jorgensen. To the Roselyn family, food means a gathering of family and friends, sharing, nurturing, an act of love. Now their granddaughter, Kerry Wagner Weisser, has taken the next step. She’s gathered the BEST of the BEST into Baby Bear Stew: A Family Heritage Cookbook.”
And now 25 years later, Kerry’s 4 daughters are married to 4 awesome guys who love to eat and there are 7 grandchildren so far who have all benefitted from this great heritage of family food, fun and fellowship. Over 1,000 copies of the Baby Bear Stew Cookbook have been sold and many have been given as wedding presents. The family heritage of great cooks now spans 5 generations and we hope our passion for healthy eating will continue for years to come.…

Here is a fun and easy craft for bringing some creativity to your Thanksgiving Holiday season.
All that you need is
Glue gun
Scissors
Ribbon
⅝ inch polka dot or plain brown and yellow
¼ inch polka dot or plain orange and red
Wiggle googley eyes
Stretchy headband

Cut one strip of brown ribbon 2 inches long, fold wrong sides together and glue ends together.
Cut three strips of brown ribbon-one 4 inches, one 4 ½ inches and one 5 inches-glue by placing a drop of glue on the right side of each ribbon and fold over creating 3 separate loops.

Place first 2 inch folded ribbon inside smallest loop and glue together. Place the second and third loop one inside the other to form the body of the turkey.

Cut one more brown piece of ribbon 3 inches and make one more loop for the head. Attach the head to the top of the body.

Create the feathers by cutting 3 yellow ribbons 5 ½ inches long, 2 red and 2 orange ribbons 5 ½ inches long. Glue feathers by forming loops. Attach feathers to the back of the turkey, arranging them in any order that suits you.

Glue a small triangle of yellow ribbon onto the Turkey for a beak. Glue on two wiggle googley eyes.

Glue your turkey onto a stretchy headband and wear for your Thanksgiving celebration.

What fun Thanksgiving craft idea have you tried?

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