Being #Blessed and Empty Gold // The Sunday Paper

It's Sunday, and I'm happily in sweatpants and a thick sweater and drinking hot chocolate on the pull out couch (which is a lot more comfortable that it sounds) - I hope this finds you in a similar situation.  Assuming that you are, you have a second to talk about some of my favorite / most thought-provoking / yummiest internet finds this week, right?  Let's do it.  

Something to think about:

"There are about 50 words and phrases I'd like to banish from the vocabulary of the North American Church forever and ever - 'missions/missional/missionary' and 'it's a God thing' among them - but way up there at the top of my list is the term “blessed” . . . We've created a culture in which we measure God's “blessings” in terms of dollars and cents, comfort and pleasure, wealth and well-being."

JAIME, "#BLESSED"

"Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you could meet a nice girl that shares your values and settle down." 

                                                                                  BRIAN KAMMERZELT, "THE MOST ELIGIBLE CHRISTIAN BACHELOR"

"Fatal diagnoses. They're suffering in themselves. The choices, the conversations, the preparing one's self. It's terrifying, it's humbling, it's real life shit. So why, in our self-righteousness, must we add our opinions to the mix?" 

AMBER THOMAS, "OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES: EVERY BODY'S GOT ONE"

Something to listen to:

You may already know electro-pop's freshest face, Halsey, from her singles "Ghost," and "Hurricane."  She recently released her debut EP, Room 93, and I can't stop thanking her for it!  I mean, we don't really talk, but if we did our conversations would definitely be mostly me praising her profusely for her newly-released five song collection.  It's got her first two singles plus three more simple, powerful tracks that have the music world holding its breath to listen.  Here, check it out - this one's my personal favorite!

Someone you should meet:

Everyone from Delight, which is my new favorite internet place to be.  I mean, look at them.  They all just hang around wearing stylish coordinating outfits and laughing together and being creative and blogging about God, so if I can't be them, I am definitely forcing my friendship on one and all.  Their space is dedicated to God and the creative arts, and it is just lovely.  

Peter Kassig, also known as the guy who was helping bring aid to Syria over a year ago when he was taken by Islamic terror group Isis.  We've heard about his parents' efforts to bring him home, the implications of doing so.  We don't really know him, though - if you haven't yet, read these words  written by one of Kassig's friends overseas.   

(image from here)

A one-step plan to breaking your diet:

Candy corn in a cookie.  Ohh, my gosh, do you need this in your life.  The recipe comes from here originally, but I made a couple small changes and it's all right here so you can spend less time clicking and more time making and eating candy corn cookies. 

YIELD: About 20 cookies PREP: 10 minutes IN THE OVEN: 8 minutes TOTAL: 3 hours, because chilling

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, soften

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg                                                                                                                                                  1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract                                                                    

2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt, optional and to taste

1 1/2 cups candy corn (1o to 11 ounces)

1 cup white chocolate chips (or salted peanuts)                                                         

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, peanut butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until it's all light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through optional salt), and mix on low with the mixer or use a wooden spoon until just combined, or about 1 minute.  Don't overmix it!
3. Add the candy corn, white chocolate chips (or peanuts), and mix until just incorporated.
4. Form dough into 20 ish heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. Important note - make sure the candy corn is on the top or middle of the cookie.  Otherwise, it will melt and stick to the pan or burn.  It might be best to place the candy corn on top of each cookie after placing them on the cookie sheet instead of mixing it into the dough.  
5. Preheat oven to 350F, grease a cookie sheet. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Cookies will become firmer as they cool, so take them out when they look just a little too soft.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet  for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack so that they can finish cooking.