"With God's Grace Our Worst Past
Becomes Our Best Future"
Becomes Our Best Future"
I pulled out my recipe for snickerdoodles, an old-time favorite for the holidays. I pulled out the required ingredients and read the first step in the recipe after greasing the cookie sheet. Cream the shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamy. My mind flashed back to when I first learned how to bake, back in the day when cake mixes were a novelty or used for last-minute church suppers.
The kitchen was my mother’s paradise, and her instructions were gospel. To deter meant banishment from the stove.
First: “Wash your hands. No good cook comes to the kitchen with dirty hands.”
Next: “Now read the recipe, and put all the ingredients on the shelf.”
The third step, to my mother the most crucial in the whole process—“cream the shortening, butter, eggs, and sugars.”
I stuck in the rotary beaters, set the mixer on high and splashed wet globs from one end of the kitchen to the other. “Done,” I said.
Mother knew better--knew I was always in a hurry to get to the end of a project. “Nope. It’s too grainy. Set the beater on low, scrape the sides frequently, fold the batter, and repeat. Let time and the ingredients do their magic.”
Reluctantly, I started again, following her directions and, all the while, blowing out my frustration. “This takes too long.”
“Creaming is the most important step in the whole process,” Mother said. “If you hurry the creaming, the cookies will come out crumbly. Creaming is what makes them chewy and delectable. Don’t rush the creaming. It takes time but the result is worth it.”
I slowed down and watched with wonder as the goo gradually melded into a creamy, light texture, the ingredients transforming before my eyes.
As I carefully creamed for the snickerdoodles, Mother’s words took on new meaning for me.
I thought about our instant society, how we crave immediate results, the growing tendency to hurry through life in the fastest checkout line. In our haste we blunder through the mix of it all, leaving globs of broken dreams in the muck of our speed.
I thought how the creaming principle is true in all the rooms of our lives, not just the kitchen. We tend to rush for pleasure without enduring the process.
God has given us the recipe for a rich, textured life. If we take the time to cream our lives, not be satisfied with grainy goo or toss an experience aside because of its unpleasantness—if we repeatedly scrape, fold, and beat for as long as it takes, the grimy gook of our shattered hopes will become that creamed foundation that awakens the flavor of our human experience.
ABOUT I PRAYED FOR PATIENCE GOD GAVE ME CHILDREN
God indeed has a sense of humor. He chose children to teach us too-smart adults what being his child means, the very special relationship the believer enjoys with our Heavenly Father. We adults experience the same chaos, misadventure, and heartaches as our charges. Through a child’s example, we learn how God nurtures us with his infinitesimal patience. This easy to read, often hilarious narrative, uses cartoons, witticisms, anecdotes, quotes, and Scripture study to bring home these truths. A veteran social worker, Rondeau draws upon her many experiences in working with families as well as her personal experiences as a mom. You will want to keep this book close at hand for those moments of weakness and pass the story along to your friends.
ABOUT LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
Multi-published and award-winning author, Linda Wood Rondeau is a veteran social worker, her books examine the complexities of human relationships. Her blog, Snark and Sensibility, hosts writers of various genres. She manages a Facebook page, Having the Prime of My Life, a positive look at aging issues. Linda resides in Hagerstown with her husband of forty-plus years. Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com. Contact the author on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS ATE
12/28/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JUNE FOSTER
CATHEDRAL STATE PARK, WEST VIRGINIA
12/21/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JOHN BARRINGER
PRIME OF MY LIFE
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FULL CIRCLE
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GREEN STUFF AND HUBS
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NOEL: THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS
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GREEN STUFF MAGIC
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WHEN GRANDMA FORGETS
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HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BLUE ZONES?
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FIVE WAYS SENIORS CAN BOOST THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS
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IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM JOIN 'EM
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WALKING IN A WRITER'S WONDERLAND
9/7/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
CREAMING
8/31/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
8/24/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
QUITTING MY DAY JOB
8/17/2020 1:00:00 AM by: DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
ADAPT OR DIE
7/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS IN BLUE
7/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE SWEET COUPLE HOLDING HANDS
7/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MELISSA HENDERSON
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
7/6/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FROM FICTION TO NON-FICTION AND BACK AGAIN
6/29/2020 1:00:00 AM by: GAIL KITTLESON
WHO SAID GROWING OLD IS FUN?
6/22/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTHA ROGERS
AND NOT TO YIELD
6/15/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY CULTURAL DISCONNECT
6/8/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
WHAT IS RETIREMENT
6/1/2020 1:00:00 AM by: JULIE COSGROVE
LOOKING UP OR LOOKING AWAY
5/25/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SEEKING GOD
5/11/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
HOW OLD ARE YOU
5/4/2020 1:00:00 AM by: Rachel J. Good
IT'S NOT OKAY
4/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
EMBRACING MY INNER BOOMER
4/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: BARBARA BRITTON
THE RACE FOR LILY
4/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: SHERRI STEWART
GRANNY ALICE
4/6/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LYNNE BASHAM TAGAWA
RESILIENCE
3/29/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIVING WITH CHANGE
3/9/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
WHEN THE GROCERY STORE CLERK HAS TO CHECK YOUR AGE
2/24/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MELISSA HENDERSON
THE IMPORTANCE OF CREAMING
2/17/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FRIENDS AT ANY AGE
2/3/2020 1:00:00 AM by: ERIN UNGER
IDENTITY CHECK
1/27/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
1/20/2020 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY POSSESSIONS MATURE ALONG WITH ME
1/13/2020 1:00:00 AM by: MARIE WATTS
EYES FRONT
1/6/2020 10:51:00 AM by: TERRI MAIN
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING'
12/30/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SANTA'S RELUCTANT HELPER
12/23/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH
12/16/2019 1:00:00 AM by: DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
VANQUISHING THE CHRISTMAS BLUES
12/9/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
GRANDMAS THEN VS GRANDMAS NOW
12/2/2019 3:41:00 PM by: GAIL SATTLER
TECHNO BLUES
11/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
ADAPT OR DIE
11/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
CREAMING
11/11/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
When our Get Up and Go Gets Up and Goes
11/4/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
10/28/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MY LIFE AS A BARCODE
10/21/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE QUEST FOR THIN
10/14/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE AMERICAN DREAM
10/7/2019 1:00:00 AM by: ANGELA BREIDENBACH
FROM GOLDEN YEARS TO GOLDEN BELLS
9/30/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE CHORDS THAT BIND MY MEMORIES
9/23/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
JUST BE STILL
9/16/2019 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
PRINCE CHARMING, SPIDERS, AND CHEMO
9/2/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
GRAY IS GRAND
8/26/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LOREE PEERY
A GOOD QUESTION
8/19/2019 1:00:00 AM by: GEORGE CARGILL
LOVING THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION
8/12/2019 1:00:00 AM by: ERIN UNGER
MAKING PRETTY THINGS
8/5/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHY MCKINSEY
ARE YOU TOO OLD TO BECOME AN AUTHOR
7/29/2019 1:00:00 AM by: HARRY WEGLEY
ENJOY THE MEAL
7/22/2019 1:00:00 AM by: MARTIN WILES
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME
7/15/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
KEEPING IT FRESH
7/8/2019 1:00:00 AM by: WANDA O. HOT
OVERFLOWING WITH BLESSINGS
7/1/2019 1:00:00 AM by: CLEO LAMPOS
HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE
6/24/2019 1:00:00 AM by: JO MASSARO
GOLDEN GIRL
6/17/2019 1:00:00 AM by: PAT JEANNE DAVIS
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW
6/10/2019 1:00:00 AM by: CLEO LAMPOS
Food, Families, and Fond Memories
6/3/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
FOR THOSE OVER FIFTY-FIVE
5/20/2019 1:00:00 AM by: JUNE FOSTER
NEXT GENERATION
5/13/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHLEEN NEELY
Mimi and Bop
5/6/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Melissa Henderson
NEVER TO OLD TO START OVER
4/29/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
THE WRITER'S CALLING
4/15/2019 1:00:00 AM by: SHERRI STEWART
PLAYING THROUGH THE FOG
4/8/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO TURN OFF THE GPS
4/1/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
DON’T CALL HER MA’AM
3/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
When Your Past Looms Longer than Your Future
3/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Debra Coleman Jeter
OUR MCDONALDS
3/11/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
BORN TOO LATE
3/4/2019 1:00:00 AM by: DIANNE BARKER
PERSPECTIVE
2/25/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LISA LICKEL
IS IT THE BEGINNING OR THE END
2/18/2019 1:00:00 AM by: KATHLEEN NEELY
MY TO-DO LIST
2/11/2019 2:16:00 PM by: SHERRI STEWART
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
2/3/2019 9:07:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
MAMA, I CAN'T TAKE A BATH THERE'S A FISH IN THE TUB
1/21/2019 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
EAT RIGHT NOW LIVE LONGER LATER
1/14/2019 1:00:00 AM by: Jude Urbanski
AM I STRESSED?
1/7/2019 1:57:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
SHOULD VS WANT
12/31/2018 3:58:00 PM by: LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
I'LL BE ALONE FOR CHRISTMAS ... YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
12/24/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Julie Cosgrove
THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
12/17/2018 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT
LIVING WITHOUT REGRET
12/10/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Grant Ferguson
GROWING UP CAN BE FUN SO IS GETTING OLDER
12/3/2018 1:00:00 AM by: ELLIE GUSTAFSON
SOARING WITH BROKEN WINGS
11/19/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
NEVER TOO LATE
11/5/2018 8:33:00 PM by: DIANE TATUM
The Not So Good Good Old Days
10/22/2018 1:05:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
