ABC, Easy as 1-2-3!

S'mores Pancakes


1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp cooking oil

1 Chocolate Bar, broken into small pieces
Graham Crackers, broken into large chunks
1/8 cup marshmallows

Combine dry ingredients and create a well.  Mix milk, egg, and oil in separate bowl and pour in the well.  Combine all ingredients.  Batter will be lumpy.  Add chocolate bar, marshmallows, and marshmallows and mix well.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.  When top is bubbly and sides are dry, flip until brown.

**Base recipe taken from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook**


Romans 10:9-10 "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."


One of the first things my two-year-old daughter has learned is how to count to three and the beginning of her ABC's.  The alphabet and counting are a very important foundation for life.  We wouldn't get very far if we couldn't count, much less do simple math, or if we did not know the letters of the alphabet.  Just as easy as it is to say your ABC's and count to 10, it's very simple to accept Christ into your life.  Take a moment to sing the ABC song (if you have young children) and count to 10.  Have a race (for a little older children) to see who can say their ABC's and count to 10 the quickest.  You can take turns if a judge is needed.


Accepting Christ has three main components; just as S'mores have three main ingredients.  The graham cracker (which is generally on the top and bottom) is the first step.  A) First you must admit that you are a sinner.  It is important that we admit to God that we aren't perfect and that we make mistakes.  The chocolate bar is the next step. B) Next, we must believe that Jesus is God's son, which died on the cross for our sins and rose again. This is a pivotal part of becoming a Christian.  Christ dying for us is the reason that we are able to be in God's family.  He took all of our sins upon Himself so we could take part in Heaven! The ooey-gooey marshmallow, the part that helps it stick together, is the final step.  C) Confess to God and Christ that you want Jesus to be in your heart and that you want to be a part of His family. This is the most important step.  This is the glue that makes your life stick together. Discuss with your family how these steps allow God to change your life.


Things to discuss this week:

• Is Jesus in my heart?
• Do my friends and family have Jesus in their hearts?
• What happens if I have Jesus in my heart and I still sin?
• How can I show Jesus' love to everyone around me (even people I don't like)?

Mission: Impossible...Really?

Rocky Road Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 Chocolate Bar, broken into small pieces
1/8 cup mini marshmallows
1/8 cup walnuts (chunk, fine, or whole)

Combine dry ingredients and create a well.  Mix milk, egg, and oil in separate bowl and pour in the well.  Combine all ingredients.  Batter will be lumpy.  Add chocolate bar, marshmallows, and walnuts and mix well.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.  When top is bubbly and sides are dry, flip until brown.

**Base recipe taken from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook**


Romans 5:8 " But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

Imagine, if you will, standing on one side of the Grand Canyon all by yourself.  No one is with you; not even your family or closest friend.  Your mission is to cross this canyon without touching any of the rocks in the revene (the part between the two edges) below.  You cannot use anything to help you (no helicopters, logs to build bridges, etc.).  How would you cross?  You could run and jump, but would you make it?  You could pretend that there was a bridge, but would it help?  Discuss with your family how you would feel about crossing this great space and what you might think of to try to cross it.

God is perfect and our sins (knowing the right thing to do and then not doing it) create a Grand Canyon between us and God.  There is no way to cross the canyon between us on our own.  So the question remains, how can we cross this huge canyon?  The answer is very simple.  Jesus is our bridge.  When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we were still sinners.  He willingly gave His life to save ours. (Rom 5:9)  God gave His Son to the world so the world could cross the canyon.  Discuss with your family what this means and why it is so important.

Things to think about and discuss this week:

• Can I cross the canyon?
• How can I make sure others know how to cross the canyon?
• Am I trying to cross the canyon by myself?
• How can I be sure that I can cross the revene that was created by my sin?

No Strings Attached

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

2 tbsp cooking oil

Combine dry ingredients and make a well.  Combine beaten egg with oil and milk.  Pour in well.  Mix ingredients until batter is well-moistened (it will be lumpy).  Pour about ¼ cup of batter into skillet or griddle.  Once sides are dry and top is bubbly, flip. 

**Recipe taken from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook**

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Christmas has just ended and most people in our society have been showered with gifts.  Some of these gifts are free, but some are not.  Some people give expecting you to return the act with a gift of your own.  Others give because they truly want to and expect absolutely nothing in return.  The best example of the second case is a parent giving presents to their child.  As a parent myself, nothing made me happier than to watch my 21 month-old daughter opening her presents and seeing the pleasure on her face when she discovered what was inside the package.  I had no desire for her to return my gift with a gift of her own (and that wasn’t just because she’s too young to understand). 

We are God’s children and He wants nothing more than to see the pleasure on our faces when we discover that we have a free gift.  God doesn’t give us dolls, puzzles, video games, or anything else temporal (that means that it doesn’t last forever).  So then what is the free gift that He gives us?  Take a few minutes to discuss what the verse above says is a free gift and what it means.

Over the past week, you have been discussing what sin “looks like”.  Sin is when you know what the right thing is and then not doing the right thing.  The first part of this verse is saying that when we sin, our wage (or what we receive) is death.  I don’t know about you, but I’m very glad that the verse doesn’t end there!  The second part of this verse talks about God’s free gift, Jesus.  God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to live on earth (John 3:16).  He lived a perfect life, died, and then rose again (came back to life).  Because of God and Jesus’ sacrifice, we are able to accept His gift of eternal life.  In order to receive the eternal life that God offers, we must first accept it.  At Christmas, you have the option to not open your presents.  You could leave them lying under the tree or throw them away; you are not forced to open them.  The same is true for the free gift that God gives.  He allows you to choose whether or not you will accept it.  Discuss with your family why you would want to accept God’s gift and why.

Things to discuss and think about this week:

·        Why is the result of sin death?

·        Do I want to accept the free gift God offers?

·        Do my friends and other family members know about God’s free gift?

·        How can I be sure that I’m ready to accept God’s gift?

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...A Very Good Place to Start

Plain Old Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp cooking oil

Combine dry ingredients and create a well.  Mix milk, egg, and oil in separate bowl and pour in the well.  Combine all ingredients.  Batter will be lumpy.  Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.  When top is bubbly and sides are dry, flip until brown.

**Recipe was taken from Better Homes and Gardens**

Romans 3:23- For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorius standard.

When teaching my sixth grade girls Sunday School class, I almost always ask the same question after reading any scripture: "So what in the world does that mean?!"  They then start to discuss with the class what they think it means.  So I ask the same question about this verse....what in the world does it mean?  Take a few minutes to discuss with your family what this means.

This week, while you're eating your "plain old pancakes" discuss with your family different things that might make your pancakes taste better.  The beauty of regular, plain pancakes is that you can always add things to make them taste different or better.  Without God in our life, we are plain old pancakes.  Just as we can add to pancakes to make them better, God adds Himself to our lives to make a change and make us better. 

When we are plain old pancakes, we are separated from God.  God has created us and He loves us, but we can not be a part of His eternal family because we have not been changed for the better by Him. 

Things to discuss and think about this week:

• What does sin look like?
• How can I make sure that God changes me for the better?
• Do I want God to change me for the better?
• If God has already changed me for the better, how can I help others to be changed?

Pancakes with the Prince of Peace? What's that all about?

I've always had difficulty doing a quiet time. When I was in college, a friend told me that she had “breakfast with Jesus”.  From then on, I had my breakfast at my desk with my Bible open and talked to an empty room.  At first, I felt a little silly because no one was physically in the room with me.  But after a while, it became a spiritually intimate time. 

Brad and I have completed several devotions as well as studied together.  However, after having our children, it seemed even more important that we consistently study God’s word together and model how to have a quiet time for them. In our hectic lives, it is sometimes difficult to find a time to not only sit down for a meal with our families, but also to read God's word and discuss it.

Since our second child has come, we have had some financial hardship and have had to be penny pincher's in every category, including food.  One of the most cost effective dishes for us to have for any meal is pancakes.  Due our diet’s increase in these, I began to be creative in the recipe; regular pancakes bloomed into many varieties.  I have compiled those varieties plus others given by family, friends, and found in cookbooks.

I will post a pancake recipe and a short devotion once a week for a year.  My challenge to you is to set aside one day a week to make pancakes (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and sit down with your family for a time of good food, devotion, and conversation.  Our family has chosen a "fun" place to have our pancakes.  We eat ours on our bed and enjoy each others' company.

I hope that you enjoy the pancakes as well as the devotions!  I'm very excited about this blog and the possibilities that it holds!  New recipes and devotions to accompany will be posted on a Thursday or Friday.  Any suggestions for variations are always welcome and can be emailed to me directly at ladybugcoleman@yahoo.com.