These are two songs I want played at my funeral (no, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon)...they haunt and reassure me at the same time...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Cookies & Cream Fudge
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
- 2/3 cup (5 ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 2 cups (12 ounce package) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels
- 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème
- 1/2 cup finely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 cup crumbled cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
- Line 9-inch-square baking pan with foil.
- Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in morsels, marshmallow crème, finely crushed cookies and vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumbled cookies on top. Gently swirl cookies into fudge using a knife without touching bottom of pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.
Makes 48 pieces.
Estimated Times: Preparation - 5 min | Cooking - 6 min | Cooling Time - 1 hr refrigerating |
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Repost with a few notes: How Many Roads To Heaven?
**This is from a post I wrote over a year ago, but with a few revisions and additions**
In today's fashionable, overly pc, let's make everyone feel good world we don't like strong statements. We don't like absolutes. And we don't like anything that might exclude anyone else, after all, someone's feelings might be hurt!
So we water down history, we water down (or ban) great books with controverisal themes, we water down our language, and most dangerously, we water down Christianity.
No longer do many preachers and believers hold fast to Christian truths. We do not teach what Christ commanded be taught, but instead teach a powder puff version of the faith. We don't want to offend an athiest, or hurt a Buddhist's feelings when we talk about our faith, so we soften it, and soften it some more, until it stands for nothing. Christianity in America (and Europe) is turning into nothing more a Hallmark card greeting.
"We believe in our way, but you can believe in your way, and we're all good and we'll all end up happy together in a sun-shiney, flower filled, puppy romping field of paradise. No one is wrong, everyone is right, let's all hold hands together."
The problem is, friends, Jesus said the exact opposite. Not everyone gets to Heaven. Most don't. Because most won't choose Him over the world and false gods (of money, vanity, or other faiths) and most won't live by the very simple (but firm) rules He set.
We don't want to have to repent of sin...repentance means you're sorry and will try your hardest to change. Who wants to change in today's society? I mean, really, shouldn't God just accept you as you are? I mean, you are an individual, right? And conformity sucks, man.
Grow up. Holding onto sinful habits destroys you slowly, and the sooner you can see that and drop those behaviors, the healthier your life, both physical and spiritual, will be. God wants you to abandon sin because He knows it's good for you.
The second thing is, God is exclusive, and jealous. (Remember, in the 10 Commandments, He calls Himself a Jealous God) He wants your devotion and love and does not want to share it with any other thing, especially a fake god. He decided you were important enough to Him to send His son to die for you, He expects your love and devotion in return if you want to be saved.
God will not let folks of other faiths into Heaven, with the exception of the Jewish people that will be redeemed in the end times. (Check out Daniel, Zechariah, Revelation for more on that) When you tell your New Age buddies that they're on their own path to God...you're letting them walk the path to Hell. In fact, you're giving them a push along the way. I have friends of other faiths, and friends who embrace athiesm, and I pray for them- for I know they are not saved. I share my faith as I can, but I never give false assurances. I will not help them down that road. I love them too much for that. Yes, love. If I did not love them I would happily agree with their beliefs or feel good messages. I would never want to offend them by stating an uncomfortable stance. I would rather keep my peace if I did not care, rather than risk hurting them, or angering them by telling them of what God's Word says. I get worked up by debates, and get physically ill. I hate, detest, loath confrontation, and only engage in it now if I feel it is truly important. And nothing is as important as where a person's soul is going to spent eternity.
If you say you are a believer in Christ, then you must believe Him all the way or not at all. You can't say He's one way to Heaven, when Christ in John 14:6 said He's the Only Way to the Father. You can't say you value His teachings but don't consider Him deity- for if He wasn't Divine, then He was either a liar or lunatic, to quote C.S. Lewis. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 that you are either with Him, or you are against Him. You either believe all the way, or don't even bother pretending. And wishy washy believers aren't saved, Rev 3:15-16 tells us those who aren't passionate dedicated followers of Jesus will not be saved.
And if you are a true believer, you accept Christ as Lord, His Word as the foundation of your life, then you should be anguished over your loved ones, friends and family members who aren't saved. For if you believe in Christ, you believe what He said about heaven and hell. They are real places. You should look at our country and sorrow at how far we have drifted from God, and how many of our people are not saved. And with the anguish and sorrow such knowledge gives, you should always be ready to tell people why you are a Christian (1 Pet 3:15) and why you have the hope and assurance of Heaven. You should love your friends and family enough not to water down your faith. You should love them enough to be bold about the truths of the Bible. More importantly, you should love God enough to stand for Him and His Word.
And in case you think this is just my viewpoint, here are two quotes, one from Christ and one from Paul about this....
From Matthew 7:13-"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way."
And from 1 Timothy 2:5- For there is but one God and one way humans can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus.
In today's fashionable, overly pc, let's make everyone feel good world we don't like strong statements. We don't like absolutes. And we don't like anything that might exclude anyone else, after all, someone's feelings might be hurt!
So we water down history, we water down (or ban) great books with controverisal themes, we water down our language, and most dangerously, we water down Christianity.
No longer do many preachers and believers hold fast to Christian truths. We do not teach what Christ commanded be taught, but instead teach a powder puff version of the faith. We don't want to offend an athiest, or hurt a Buddhist's feelings when we talk about our faith, so we soften it, and soften it some more, until it stands for nothing. Christianity in America (and Europe) is turning into nothing more a Hallmark card greeting.
"We believe in our way, but you can believe in your way, and we're all good and we'll all end up happy together in a sun-shiney, flower filled, puppy romping field of paradise. No one is wrong, everyone is right, let's all hold hands together."
The problem is, friends, Jesus said the exact opposite. Not everyone gets to Heaven. Most don't. Because most won't choose Him over the world and false gods (of money, vanity, or other faiths) and most won't live by the very simple (but firm) rules He set.
We don't want to have to repent of sin...repentance means you're sorry and will try your hardest to change. Who wants to change in today's society? I mean, really, shouldn't God just accept you as you are? I mean, you are an individual, right? And conformity sucks, man.
Grow up. Holding onto sinful habits destroys you slowly, and the sooner you can see that and drop those behaviors, the healthier your life, both physical and spiritual, will be. God wants you to abandon sin because He knows it's good for you.
The second thing is, God is exclusive, and jealous. (Remember, in the 10 Commandments, He calls Himself a Jealous God) He wants your devotion and love and does not want to share it with any other thing, especially a fake god. He decided you were important enough to Him to send His son to die for you, He expects your love and devotion in return if you want to be saved.
God will not let folks of other faiths into Heaven, with the exception of the Jewish people that will be redeemed in the end times. (Check out Daniel, Zechariah, Revelation for more on that) When you tell your New Age buddies that they're on their own path to God...you're letting them walk the path to Hell. In fact, you're giving them a push along the way. I have friends of other faiths, and friends who embrace athiesm, and I pray for them- for I know they are not saved. I share my faith as I can, but I never give false assurances. I will not help them down that road. I love them too much for that. Yes, love. If I did not love them I would happily agree with their beliefs or feel good messages. I would never want to offend them by stating an uncomfortable stance. I would rather keep my peace if I did not care, rather than risk hurting them, or angering them by telling them of what God's Word says. I get worked up by debates, and get physically ill. I hate, detest, loath confrontation, and only engage in it now if I feel it is truly important. And nothing is as important as where a person's soul is going to spent eternity.
If you say you are a believer in Christ, then you must believe Him all the way or not at all. You can't say He's one way to Heaven, when Christ in John 14:6 said He's the Only Way to the Father. You can't say you value His teachings but don't consider Him deity- for if He wasn't Divine, then He was either a liar or lunatic, to quote C.S. Lewis. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 that you are either with Him, or you are against Him. You either believe all the way, or don't even bother pretending. And wishy washy believers aren't saved, Rev 3:15-16 tells us those who aren't passionate dedicated followers of Jesus will not be saved.
And if you are a true believer, you accept Christ as Lord, His Word as the foundation of your life, then you should be anguished over your loved ones, friends and family members who aren't saved. For if you believe in Christ, you believe what He said about heaven and hell. They are real places. You should look at our country and sorrow at how far we have drifted from God, and how many of our people are not saved. And with the anguish and sorrow such knowledge gives, you should always be ready to tell people why you are a Christian (1 Pet 3:15) and why you have the hope and assurance of Heaven. You should love your friends and family enough not to water down your faith. You should love them enough to be bold about the truths of the Bible. More importantly, you should love God enough to stand for Him and His Word.
And in case you think this is just my viewpoint, here are two quotes, one from Christ and one from Paul about this....
From Matthew 7:13-"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way."
And from 1 Timothy 2:5- For there is but one God and one way humans can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus.
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