I go to a church that has a wonderful women’s ministry. Every year they have a Christmas fellowship for the women of the church. Last year, Mom went with me and we had a wonderful time together. I was always so proud to introduce Mom to others, and she loved meeting and fellowshipping with other Christian women.

This year they had another Christmas party planned, and I knew I could not go by myself. I knew I would be flooded with memories of my mom and I sitting together in the sanctuary. I almost didn’t go at all.

But my sweet sister said she would go with me, and I am so glad she did. We had a wonderful time together. What would I do without her?

The theme for the night was “The Peace of Christmas”.

We ate all the goodies that each of us brought and then gathered in the sanctuary to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Our women’s ministry leader, Judy, opened the service with this verse…

“My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you, let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” John 14:27

Of ALL the verses in the bible, I couldn’t believe this was the one I was hearing! That verse had been Mom’s “life verse”, and it was definitely the verse that she clung to during her death. I have never known a peace like I saw in my mom’s life as she faced death. It’s a peace that I long for and pray for each day.

As I heard Judy read that verse, I almost smiled. If was as if I could hear Mom saying, “Traci, are you listening? Don’t be afraid, sweetie, don’t be troubled, God is with you. Trust Him.”

And I felt His peace wash over me as I was reminded that He will take care of me.

Our women’s ministry also creates a Devotional Guide for Women that includes a collection of devotionals to help prepare our hearts for Christmas. It is written by the ladies of our church, and I love reading it each year.

This year, Judy asked me to write one of the devotionals for the book, and I said “yes”.

Of course I wrote it about my mom, and I wanted to share it with you. It was titled…

A Midnight Clear Moment

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them…” Luke 2:8,9

Have you ever thought about what it would have been like to be a shepherd on that clear moonlit night? It was a night like any other night. The shepherds were tending to their sheep as usual.

Then something sudden and unexpected happened. Angels appeared announcing the good news of Christ’s birth. Not only were the shepherd terrified; they probably were confused too. They may have wondered why God chose to reveal his amazing plan to them. Shouldn’t He have chosen a group of people more important and influential? It just didn’t make sense.

But then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” The shepherds didn’t need to fear this unexpected news, for it would result in great joy for all people. They heard the good news, trusted God, and traveled to Bethlehem to experience something far greater than they could have ever imagined….the birth of Jesus!

Our lives can be a lot like that of the shepherds. We go about our daily routines doing what we always do, when something totally unexpected happens. And a lot of times it just doesn’t make sense. That’s how I felt when I found out my mom had terminal cancer. Just like the shepherds, I was terrified. Have you ever been there?

But during her illness, Mom told me something that I will never forget. She said, “I may not understand God, but I trust Him.” She was not afraid of dying because she knew the “good news of great joy that will be for all people.” She knew that because of Jesus she would have life everlasting, and she was able to experience a “peace that passes all understanding” even in the darkest of nights.

Dear Jesus, when things happen to us that we don’t expect or understand, I pray that you would help us to trust you—knowing that you will bless our lives in ways that we could never have imagined. Thank you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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To all of my sweet blogging friends, if something unexpected or difficult has come into your life, I pray that you would know that God loves you, He knows what you are going through, and you can trust Him.

Have a blessed day,

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Last week I shared with you my favorite Christmas tradition as a child…putting up Mom and Dad’s Nativity scene.

I loved reading about your family traditions in the comments. Thank you for sharing them with me!

Now I’m going to share with you my second favorite Christmas tradition…

BUCKEYES!

Every Christmas that I can remember as a child, my mom made buckeyes.

Mom wrote about the story behind our “buckeye tradition” in the same article that I shared last week. She wrote it in 1991 for her weekly food column in our local newspaper. Here is what she wrote…”

“On a cold, winter day before Christmas, when Traci (now 21) was seven years old, she came bursting in the house clutching a margarine tub in both hands. Through her happy smile she exclaimed, “Mom, look what Michelle’s mother gave us!” We opened it up and inside were buckeyes (candy). They were so cold and tasty that I asked Traci to go back to Michelle’s house and get the recipe. She did, and these buckeyes have become another family tradition in our family. All the children help make them. Last week, my 4 year old grandson, Cory, and my 5 year old granddaughter, Courtney, helped. (That was an experience – but we had a ball!)”

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Well, now ya’ll know how old I am! :)

Yes…I have been making these buckeyes EVERY single year for 32 years!!! And I hope I can make them for 32 more!

My boys absolutely love making buckeyes. When I started making them the other night, they were smiling from ear to ear, and my son, Luke, said, “Aw, Mom….it really IS Christmas!”

So I am very excited to share this recipe with you!

It is so simple!

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup of peanut butter

1 stick of butter (margarine works best)

1 box of confectioner’s sugar

Put the above ingredients in a large bowl.

It works best to mix them together by hand. (My boys LOVE this part! And it was my favorite part when I was a kid too.)

Mix the ingredients together until they form a ball.

Then roll the dough into small “buckeye-sized” balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

Place a toothpick in each ball and then place in the freezer for them to harden.

Here is what you need to make the chocolate coating:

1 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 stick of paraffin wax (Gulf Wax)

Melt the bag of chocolate chips and paraffin wax together in the top of a double broiler. (If you don’t have a double-boiler, use a smaller pan in a larger pan that’s half-way filled with water. That’s what I do.)

Mix together
well.

Take the peanut butter balls out of the freezer and dip in chocolate mixture.

Be sure to leave the top open to resemble a buckeye.

Place the dipped “buckeye” back on the cookie tray.

Remove the toothpicks…

Let them sit for a few minutes so the peanut butter will soften, then use your fingers to close the (toothpick) hole.

And like magic, they look like buckeyes!

And boy are they delicious!!!!!

My friends and family are always asking me to make these. And believe me…they won’t last long!

But if you have a few left over, store them in the refrigerator. I think they are best when they are cold.

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I am linking this post to Creating Christmas Blog Fest at The Girl Creative, and

Foodie Friday.

As a side note, I want to thank all of you who continue to pray for me and my family during this holiday season. Your comments and words of encouragement have meant so much to me. It is still hard to believe that Mom is gone. Though I am happy to share this recipe with you, my heart aches that Mom won’t be making buckeyes for us this year. She always made Christmas so special. There is not a day ( or hour) that goes by that I do not think of her and long to see her again. Though not having her here makes this Christmas sad for me, I am trying my best to celebrate Christmas for my children the way Mom would want me too. I can hear her saying, “Traci, stop crying over me. You take care of those boys and make Christmas special for them.” She would want me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and be filled with God’s love and peace.

I’m trying, Mom… I promise.

I pray God’s love and peace for each of you as well!

Blessings,

(This is a weekly post that I am doing to honor my wonderful mother, Wanda, who passed away on September 22, 2009. It is a place for me to share precious memories of her…for myself, for you, and most importantly, for my children.)

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