Kookie Cut-Outs by Rachel Britz

Delivering cookies and good news.

The Great Cookie Giveaway: Season Finale

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I am giving away 1 dozen of my specially iced, cut-out cookies.

Entering is easy!
All you have to do is SHARE this blog post with your Facebook friends and family. Viola! Your entered to win these cookies. 
Drawing held @ 8am on Thursday
This is it folks. The season finale of my great cookie giveaway. I want to say THANK YOU to every faithful sweet tooth who has shared my blog with your friends. If only I had a bigger butter budget I would be baking cookies for all of you! 
Muwah and Merry Christmas!

Empty

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My life is full. Abundant. I have a full house filled with food and goodies, it’s warm with clean water, my children are healthy, and I have a husband to hold. 

Why then do I feel so empty? An aching that overcomes me and washes in like the tide at sea. This is supposed to be the season of joy and gladness. Good tidings {news} and cheer.

These conflicting emotions have left me scratching my head. Full vs. Empty. A declaration of warfare has been waged over this Christmas soul. 

I ask God, why? The pain, the hurt. Death and destruction knocking at every door. The grenade of Evil has exploded and ripples across this great land. We feel broken. Hopeless. Helpless.

I cry, Abba, Abba, Abba! 

So, how do I combat the emptiness? I pray for hope. I pray for help. I pray for healing. I pray revive! 

God says, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

So, I come and stand bare before Him. I lift my hands and cry. 

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephania 3:17 

In that quiet place, He comes to me. He rejoices over me with singing and I realize something…is He revealing a secret to me? A weapon to combat the emptiness. The gift of praise. Singing. Prostrate before Him, my lips praise the Father above, and I am worship-ful. 

What if we, all God’s people, chose to lift our voices to Heaven in praise. Imagine the sound. Evil would flee. Hand in hand, we would unite. We worship to defend our emptiness. We praise to ignite the fireworks. We rejoice because only He is might to save.

Let us join together in singing. Here are three worship-ful songs for this day unto Him.

1. 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

2. I Lift My Hands by Chris Tomlin 

3. Steady My Heart by Kari Jobe   

The Great Cookie Giveaway: Week 6

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We’re counting down the days ’till Christmas, the season of giving. For the next 2 weeks, I am giving away 1 dozen of my specially iced, cut-out cookies.

Entering is easy!
All you have to do is SHARE this blog post with your Facebook friends and family. Viola! Your entered to win these cookies.
Melted Snowman Cookies
Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Pinterest (or as my husband calls it pinter-interest…no lie, he seriously called it that. Ha!). They are melted snowman cookies and super-duper easy to make. Head over to my Kookies Board and you can check them out! ‘Tis the season of cookies and giving.

Here’s to wishing you and yours a joyful Christmas!

My Better Half

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This is my husband. Isn’t he handsome!

Last night while driving to some friends for a Christmas gathering I told him that I needed some inspiration for my blog. His advice was, “write about me!”

Really? This is the man who is so private that even the best hacker wouldn’t be able to crack his code. He prefers to stay out of the lime light and if you want to connect with him socially your odds are better off winning a million dollars on that Powerball ticket.

So what can I tell you about the man I’ve been with for nearly 13 years? I suppose I could make a list of all his virtues. Tell you that he is the most quietly determined, focused person I know. I could use big, articulate words to describe his impressive resume’ in financial planning. Should I spell out his character? That he has loved me at my W.O.R.S.T. and yet, still loves me today! I could paint a picture of unrealistic perfection (but we all know that truly does not exist).

The Purpose of this Post: To Honor My Better Half TODAY!

Many of you know that over the past several years we (my husband and I) have invested ourselves into the lives of working with women who have gone through a loss (primarily young widows). It has been heart wrenching at times but oh-so-rewarding to be able to touch and listen and be there for so many in their season of need.

This year as the holiday’s approached, I began to have a feeling of gratitude come over me. It was different than just being in a good mood or thankful for one particular thing. It was a deep seeded sensation. More like a reflection. I think a lot about the widows who have impacted my life. I consider their counsel to live for today. Their message rings loud and clear like the kettle bells on this December day.

To honor your better half is one thing….

…but to make the most of today, while he is still tethered to your side is another.

Today, I want to say thank you Aaron John Britz for being my beloved husband. Thank you for working your fingers to the bone each and every day. Sacrificing much, so that we can have much. Thank you for your example to our children. Yours is a legacy that I am honored to be tied to.

I’ll end with a quote from our good friend Jennifer Silvera, “BE HERE NOW, Live the Importance of Today!” 

So go on chicas (and fellas), go out and tell the world just how great your better half really is!

The Great Cookie Giveaway: Week 5

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We’re counting down the days ’till Christmas, the season of giving. For the next 3 weeks, I am giving away 1 dozen of my specially iced, cut-out cookies.

Entering is easy!
All you have to do is SHARE this blog post with your Facebook friends and family or RE-TWEET #GreatCookieGiveaway. Viola! Your entered to win these cookies.
For the past nine years I’ve been baking cut-out cookies. It began as an idea to do what I love (bake) and make a few extra dollar$ to contribute to the family. If you want to know the whole story you can read it here. 
What about you? Do you have a favorite cookie or Christmas treat? Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite is. And if you dare, share the recipe with all of us!