I'm not very crafty, but I made Christmas ornaments this year: half cinnamon, half applesauce; mix and bake. They smell so good!
The friend who told me about this recipe gave me star and angel cookie cutters (because last year I was limited to making Christmas whale and rooster cookies). So for the first time, most of my creations looked fairly normal.
But then I decided to get creative. I made an NHL puck for G's gym teacher, a soccer ball for a Brazilian co-worker, and a bike wheel (that looks like a lemon slice) for my year-round-biking editor.
For Gemma's music teacher, I made a trumpet. Only it looks like a rifle.
Nothing says "Peace on earth" like a Christmas rifle.
With all the brutal violence in the news this year (particularly Islamic State), the last thing I want to think about over the holidays is guns.
But then a friend told me, "A rifle on the Christmas tree makes perfect sense. It reminds me of Isaiah 2:4: "'They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.'
"If we'll someday beat swords into tools for growing food, why can't we bake our rifles into cookies?"
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Merry Christmas!
