Healthy No-Bake Cookies - Jenna's Favorites

If you need something sweet to snack on, but don’t want to consume a bunch of empty calories or massive amounts of sugar, these cookies are the way to go! They’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients, and taste absolutely delicious. Plus they’re super easy and quick to whip up. You don’t even need to heat up the oven!

You can customize these cookies by making them more or less sweet, more or less chocolatey, and by adding whatever mix-ins you enjoy the best. I prefer a mix of unsweetened crispy rice and oats, but you can use different cereals, nuts, or even espresso beans if you want them to pack a little jolt.

Fair warning, though - they will melt all over your fingers as you eat them, so be prepared for some finger-licking… or keep a napkin handy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Coconut Oil

• 2 cups Peanut Butter or Other Nut Butter

• 1 cup Pure Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave

• 4 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 12 Tbsp cocoa

• 4 cups Mix-Ins (crispy rice, oats, nuts, etc.)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat.

2. Add peanut butter or other nut butter and melt together until smooth, then stir in the maple syrup or other sweetener (start with 1/2 cup and increase to taste if you don’t like things that are too sweet, or add a little extra if you want them super sweet).

3. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

4. Start adding the cocoa powder, stirring in a couple of tablespoons at a time. If you want them less rich, use less cocoa. If you like your chocolate super dark, add a few extra tablespoons.

5. Once everything is smooth, remove from heat and add your mix-ins.

6. Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use a large spoon to drop clumps of the mix onto the sheet, spaced apart an inch or so.

7. Place baking sheet(s) in the refrigerator or freezer until the cookies solidify.

8. Once cookies are solid, you can remove them from the sheet and enjoy, or you can put them away.

These cookies should be stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them, or they will melt and make a mess… but that’s really just part of the fun!

God Be With You - Marc's Music Notables

In 1880, Dr. Jeremiah Rankin, Pastor of First Congregational Church in Washington, D.C., was looking for a farewell hymn to close the worship service. “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” was a possibility, but he wanted something less formal - more engaging.

Not finding the hymn he was looking for, he set out to write it. He took a dictionary from his bookshelf, and began looking at words such as “farewell” and “goodbye” to see if they would spark his imagination. The definition that he found for “goodbye” included the words “God be with you” - and so a hymn was born.

Dr. Rankin wrote a verse and chorus for his new hymn, and sent them to two people asking for a tune. He chose the tune written by William Tomer, a part-time church musician, and was so enthusiastic that he sat down and wrote seven more verses.

Ira Sankey, the music director for Dwight L. Moody, learned of the hymn and began using it as a closing hymn in Moody’s evangelistic services, popularizing it worldwide.

“God Be With You” is a simple hymn that uses a good deal of repetition throughout. Perhaps that is part of its charm. It is like a simple prayer - words from the heart - expressing again and again the lovely sentiment, “God be with you till we meet again.”

The Priesthood of All Believers - Reece's Peace's

The concept of the priesthood of all believers is fundamental to our practices at Hurstbourne Christian Church. However, while it's ingrained in what we do, not everyone may grasp its meaning right away. Recently, I had a conversation with someone who was puzzled by our belief that we are all part of this priesthood. They were particularly confused because we don't refer to anyone as a priest, although we do have ordained and commissioned ministers. This confusion often stems from the difference between priests and ministers in various Christian traditions.

In churches like the Catholic or Orthodox Church, priests serve as intermediaries between individuals and Jesus, facilitating connections through sacraments like confession. On the other hand, in the Disciples of Christ tradition, ministers view their role differently. We don't see ourselves as intercessors between you and Jesus. Rather, we see it as our responsibility to guide and support you in developing your personal relationship with Him. This distinction lies at the heart of why we perceive ministry differently from priesthood.

The priesthood of all believers, for us, means that everyone has the capacity to connect directly with Jesus without needing an intermediary. It's not about everyone becoming a formal minister or preacher, but rather recognizing that each of us can communicate with our Lord on a personal level. We all share in this ability equally. There's no hierarchy or privileged access when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.

So, when I speak about the priesthood of all believers, I'm not suggesting that everyone should pursue formal ministry roles. Instead, I'm emphasizing the importance of nurturing our individual connections with Jesus, understanding the profound privilege it is to communicate with our Creator regardless of our roles or titles. This is the essence of the empowering gift we have as Christians and as members of the holy priesthood of Christ.

Why Allergies? - Reece's Peace's

Spring has officially arrived, bringing with it allergy season to the Ohio Valley. Tissue boxes are flying off the shelves, and yellow pollen is settling on car hoods, patio chairs, and anything else left outside. Despite Spring’s beauty, few of us here in Kentucky are immune to the discomfort that allergies bring.

This leads me to question, why would God make so many of us allergic to His very creation? Why does my nose begin to run the moment I step outside during the very season when all I desire is to escape from my winter hibernation and soak up the sun?

When facing our seasonal adversary, allergies, we might question the goodness of God. However, our understanding of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is often limited and influenced by our immediate comfort and convenience.

Consider allergies from a different perspective. In many ways, they are a testament to the incredible nature of our bodies, designed to protect us from potential harm. Our sneezes and watery eyes, despite their inconvenience, are our body’s way of expelling foreign particles. It is our immune system at work, tirelessly laboring to keep us healthy.

Challenging times, like the allergy season, can bring about growth and resilience in us. They remind us of our shared human experience, fostering empathy and community as we all navigate these ‘sneezing’ days together. They teach us patience, resilience, and the ability to find joy even in times of discomfort.

Why would a good God allow something like allergies? Perhaps it’s His way of reminding us of the strength He has given us, both in our bodies and our spirits.

As we step into the vibrant outdoors this Spring, let’s carry our tissues with gratitude and resilience. For we know that this too shall pass, and we will be left stronger and more appreciative of the ‘sneeze-free’ days. Even in the yellow haze of spring, we can see the goodness of God, not despite the challenges, but within them.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today - Marc's Music Notables

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1739, less than a year after his Aldersgate conversion. It was first sung in the Foundry Meeting House, an old iron foundry in London that Wesley converted to religious purposes.

Wesley’s original version had eleven stanzas, but did not have the Alleluias that distinguish it today. Some hymns perfectly capture the spirit of their season, which is true of this hymn. Both hymn tunes associated with this hymn (“Easter Hymn” and “Llanfair”) have solid and driving rhythms that make us want to “raise the rafters” with joyful singing. The first line, “Christ the Lord is risen today,” sets the tone and tells us what we are celebrating. “Raise your joys and triumphs high” suggests how to celebrate. The Alleluias soar.

The hymn portrays both the resurrection and the crucifixion. It tells us, "Love’s redeeming work is done, fought the fight, the battle won.” It says, “Death in vain forbids him rise.” But the resurrection is the dominant theme, as we would expect in an Easter hymn.

However, the hymn we have today differs from the one that Charles Wesley wrote. The original hymn had no Alleluias. It seems as if the hand of God directed what came next. Someone whose name has been lost in time decided to set the words to the tune that we now use, a tune by a composer whose name has also been lost in time. But the words didn’t fit the tune, so he added the Alleluias to make it fit.

The perfect Easter hymn came into being through the work of three different people who probably never met. It is unlikely that any of the three had any idea how much their hymn would add to our celebration of Easter.

While this hymn is primarily reserved for Easter Sunday morning worship, it remains a reminder throughout the year that “made like Him, like Him, we rise, ours the cross, the grave, the skies!”