Christmons

My Grandmother Cunningham has a beautiful singing voice. I would especially love to hear her sing "O Holy Night" at the Christmas Eve service every year. When I hear that song played during the holidays I always think of my sweet grandmother. She attends St. Luke Methodist Church in San Angelo, Texas. Every year St. Luke's has a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service. Besides my grandmother singing, my favorite part of attending Christmas Eve at St. Luke's is their beautiful Christmas tree decorated only in Christmons.

I have begged my grandmother for several years to please make me Christmons for my tree at home. She would always laugh and say it was impossible because of her arthritis and her old age. I quit asking for them the past couple of years realizing it wasn't meant to be.

A week or so ago a box arrived from Texas from my grandmother. Inside were tenderly created Christmons for my tree. Every single one was made from my grandmother. I just cried. Her Christmons are my favorite part of this year's Christmas. I could be given 2 carat earrings from John and my grandmother's lovingly made ornaments would still rank first.

Some of you might be wondering what Christmons are. Let me explain and thank you for letting me indulge in my History Teacher mode!

Chrismons are handmade Christmas tree ornaments with various symbols of Christianity. The name Chrismon comes from a combination of CHRISt and MONogram.

These monograms and other symbols, such as the sign of the fish, were in use early in the church as secret symbols of Christianity. However, they became popular in the fourth century AD when the Roman emperor Constantine, after his conversion to Christianity, adapted the Chi-Rho monogram as his military ensign.

The chrismons are often white and gold--white to represent Jesus' purity, gold to represent his sovereignty.

Examples:

Anchor Cross - Jesus Christ, our anchor. A symbol of hope "sure and steadfast" (Heb. 6:19)

Circle - Represents eternal life with no discernable beginning nor ending.

Triangle - A figure constructed of three equal sides; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three equal parts of God's nature.

Crown - Jesus as Lord and King, his victory over sin and death, and his place of honor at the right hand of God the Father.

Chi Rho - The oldest monogram for Christ, they are the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. Constantine the Great put this on the banners of his army. (Constantine was the first royal convert to Christianity)

Jerusalem Cross - also know as the five-fold cross and the crusaders cross. Originally used to represent the five wounds of Christ; later used by the crusaders.

Three Entwined Circles - The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with no apparent beginning or end.

Butterfly - Our Lord's resurrection: Resurrection of those who die in Christ. (I Cor, 15:20-23)

There are others such a the Crown and Manger. They are all unqique symbols of Christ.

My grandmother has always been a blessing since I was born. Now she has given me handmade Christmons that will continue to symbolize our shared faith long after she is gone.

Ahhh...Christmas Cookies

One of my favorite things to eat during the holidays growing up were the homemade Christmas cookies. NOT the sugar cookies from Pillsbury cut out to 'resemble' real Christmas cookies. I loved them! Yes, past tense. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I can no longer eat my beloved homemade Christmas cookies. Well, I can, but boy would I pay for it in spades!

Thankfully there are ways to still bake when you have Celiac by using various gluten free flours. The recipe I have for Christmas cookies comes from my favorite allergy free magazine, "Living Without". Just look at the cookies. They look 'normal' and they taste pretty darn good! Just ask Liam....

RECIPE
¼ cup butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
¾ cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
3 tablespoons potato starch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons water or more

In a food processor, combine the butter, honey, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel and process for one minute.

Add the flours, potato starch, tapioca flour/starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and baking soda, blending until mixture forms large clumps. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula and blend until the mixture forms into a ball. (If needed, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.)

Remove dough and shape it into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. (I left my dough in overnight.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with baking spray or line it with parchment paper or non-stick baking liners.

Using half the dough at a time, roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness between sheets of floured waxed paper or plastic wrap. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. (VERY important to follow this step!)

Cut rolled dough into desired shapes and place cookies on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Switch pan position half-way through baking for even heat distribution. Remove cookies from oven and wait two minutes before transferring to rack to cool.

When cool, decorate cookies with your favorite gluten-free icing and colored sprinkles.

Variation
For Spice Cookies, add ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Bake as directed.

Tennis Anyone?

UPDATE: YIPPEE!!! Davis Cup is headed to Birmingham!

Most of you that know me are aware that I love tennis. I used to play it competitively in school. I love to go to professional tennis matches and even play with my boys. If you follow tennis or even are a sports fan in general, then you know about the Davis Cup. It is like the Ryder Cup in golf (more or less) or the World Cup in soccer. It is a competition between tennis teams representing their home countries. It is a VERY big deal.

There is a strong possibility the USA vs. Switzerland match in March of '09 will be played in Birmingham, AL. A mere 2 hour drive from Nashville. Woo Hoo!

My favorite radio program, "Rick and Bubba" is doing its best to bring it to Birmingham since Bubba is a huge tennis fan and they are based in Birmingham as well. If you go to this website: Bubba's Christmas Wish you will be able to show your support for the Davis Cup to be in AL. by supplying your email address. I would greatly appreciate your support. Even if you don't care for tennis or live far away from Birmingham, please sign up with the link provided. I would love to be able to take Jonathan and see Roger Federer and Andy Roddick play. GO USA!

Chickens, Pigs and Goats OH MY!

It is that time of year again. It is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As Americans we have been blessed to live in a land of abundance and wealth. You may not feel wealthy especially in today's economy, but compared to the rest of the world, we are living the 'high life' in the USA. As Christians we also take for granted the ability to worship as we believe and without fear of persecution. Again, not every other citizen of the world is so lucky.

Believe it or not, there are still people in the world who have never heard of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is still an urgent and real call. Not all of us can go on mission trips and perhaps that is not what we are all supposed to do. We all have different gifts but we are all called to spread the word and love of Jesus Christ.

Christmas 2008 is going to be a bit different for Jonathan and Liam. Certainly the recession has impacted our ability to give them gifts as abundantly as we have in the past. John and I decided that we will start new traditions for the boys and even though the economy prompted us to act-we still feel the boys will be blessed by the changes.

First-we wanted the boys to think outside of themselves and their comfortable upper middle class world in Nashville, TN. Sure, we have the Nashville Rescue Mission and shelters that we all give our time and money to. But what about outside of the USA? John heard about an organization on the radio program , "Focus on the Family." The organization is called Gospel for Asia. They work with missionaries and the low-caste or Dalit (“Untouchable”) families. http://www.gfa.org/

On their website there is a page called "Gifts from the Stable". You are given the option to purchase livestock (goats, water buffalo, chickens, lambs etc.) for a Dalit family. For example, you can purchase a lamb: Lambs are an eternal symbol of God's love for us in the gift of His Son. What better way to share the message of this redemptive love with a poor family than through a lamb that can grow to provide wool for income and milk to drink? A pair of sheep can produce lambs that can be sold at market, and they are also a source of meat. You can share these living symbols of God's love for $65 each or $130 for a pair.

You can donate the livestock in the name of a loved one. Jonathan had 2 pigs purchased in his name that will be given to a needy family. Liam picked out a pair of Chickens and a goat that will be given to a Dalit family in his name. The kids were excited about this and it made them think beyond themselves-which for a teenager and toddler is often difficult to do!



The second big change this year is based on an idea that my sister, Melanie shared with me. The boys will only receive three presents from us this year. THAT in itself will be a shock to their ole systems Christmas morning. However, one of my memories from Christmas 2007 is Liam crying because he was TIRED of opening presents and didn't want to open anymore. Liam literally had about 7 or 8 presents left to open when he had a meltdown from exhaustion. John and I looked at each other and thought, "My gosh. This is not good. We have gone overboard. Never again."

The three gifts will be Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Not literally of course. The Gold gift will represent a gift that they really, really wanted for Christmas. The Frankincense gift will be something that they need. Finally, the Myrrh gift will be something that will benefit them spiritually. Don't feel too badly for them-they will still receive gifts from other family members!

We felt that by focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, limiting their gifts, giving gifts with a purpose and also giving to others in need, the boys will appreciate Christmas even more.

OK, I will wrap up this long blog by asking a question. Has the economy forced you to change up Christmas this year? OR what traditions does your family have that put the focus of the season where it should be-Jesus Christ? Please email or leave comments...

Nothing But The Facts

Some of these numbers are pretty shocking regarding Celiac Disease.

Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.

97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.

CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.

Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.

30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.

2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.

There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.

CD affects more people in the US than Crohn's Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined.

People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.

It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.

The US Department of Agriculture projects that the GF industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010.

GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.

The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?

12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.

6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.

Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.

There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.

Hummus=Comfort Food

One of the first dishes my husband ever cooked for me when we were dating was hummus. I had heard of the dish before but due to the way it sounded-I wanted no part of it. However, when you are in the early stages of dating and on your best behavior, you eat whatever your boyfriend/girlfriend makes for you and you eat it with a smile on your face! So, with a smile plastered on my face and my hand in a fist (literally) I took a bite.

Hmmm...this isn't so bad I thought. Another bite. Hmmm...this is actually pretty good. Another bite...my hands were no longer clenched and the smile was genuine. I was hooked on hummus from that moment on. John likes to eat hummus with pita bread and since I am now gluten free I eat mine with either gluten free crackers or simply with a spoon.

The recipe I included is from the magazine "Living Without" which caters to us with food allergies. There are different ways to prepare hummus but the key ingredients remain the same; garbanzo beans and olive oil. Give it a shot-you will probably fall in love with it as I have!

RECIPE

16 ounce can of garbanzo beans, undrained (Or cook your own!)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 TBs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill weed (I actually use rosemary because I prefer the taste over dill weed.)
2 TBs fresh parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (Leave it out if you are not into spicy.)


1. Place all ingredients in food processor
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Scrape down sides of bowl often.
4. If mixture is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.