Cookies – Page 2 – Encouraging Treats

Disappointing Crinkles :)

“Anytime we look for fulfillment or happiness in anyone or anything other than God, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.” –Nancy Leigh deMoss

This principle has so much truth in it, it hurts. It hurts because I know that many times, I’ve fallen into the trap of seeking satisfaction, joy, attention, love, fulfillment, and what not from others than God.

Yesterday, I tried experimenting in the kitchen and made chocolate crinkles from scratch. I carefully followed the recipe, prepared the batter, and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours (as suggested in the recipe). However, after baking the first batch, the chocolate crinkles looked… weird.

My first disappointment that night: The powdered sugar didn’t coat the baked crinkle properly.

So, I tried to do different techniques in order to perfect the look of the chocolate crinkles. I made round and flat ones; chilled the dough more; and I even tried coating some pieces of dough once, and the others twice. Nonetheless, nothing worked. After baking a few more, the chocolate crinkles didn’t have that signature crinkle look that I was looking for.

My second disappointment that night: Earth-like chocolate crinkles with huge clumps of powdered sugar.

At that moment, I was tempted not to finish the batch of crinkles because I assumed that it would only be a waste of time and effort. I paused for a while and prayed to God. I asked Him if I was doing something wrong in the process. I didn’t hear an answer immediately, but because I didn’t want to waste the chocolate batter, I decided to finish what I started.

I took a break and asked my older brother (who was observing me from the start) to pray for me and my chocolates crinkles. By God’s grace, I read in the internet that it is advisable to freeze the crinkle dough before coating it with powdered sugar. So, I froze scoops of the chocolate crinkle dough for an hour and gave it another shot. However, when I opened the freezer door, the lock and lock container that I used for the dough fell on the floor and had a huge crack! (Sorry, mom. :( )

My third disappointment that night: Mom’s broken Lock and Lock container.

I felt bad and was again discouraged. But somehow, God kept on encouraging me to bake some more. I coated the frozen balls of crinkle dough with powdered sugar before baking them in the oven. With much anticipation and hope, I baked a batch of the chilled crinkles. And to my surprise, they came out looking worse! Hahaha.

My fourth disappointment that night: The Smurf-like crinkle and other weird-looking crinkles. Haha.

Instead of getting frustrated with the crinkles and with myself, I somehow found that moment funny. I was smiling and laughing by myself in the kitchen as I was telling God: “Lord, Kayo talaga o. Nakakatawa ito. Hahaha.” I realized that God was making me smile and was encouraging me in the midst of the disappointments that I was encountering that night. He was reminding me that He still was in control and that I didn’t need to fret about the disappointing crinkles.

I remembered Psalm 105:4, where it says: “Look to the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always.”

That night, I did have four disappointments while I was baking. But, God replaced them with four valuable lessons too:

Disappointments humble us and help us see our weaknesses.
Disappointments are opportunities for us to trust and depend on God more.
Disappointments help us find joy and strength in Christ.
Disappointments may cause us pain, but God uses them for our good and for His glory.

One of the reasons why we easily get discouraged when we have disappointments in life is because what we wanted to happen didn’t happen. And we forget that even if they didn’t happen, God still remains to be the same faithful, true, gracious, sovereign, and loving God.

Clearly, life is not about us. It’s all about God. And because His ways are definitely better than our ways, there really is no reason for us to stay disappointed.

It says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18,

“In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I decided to try one last time. Instead of making rounded scoops of frozen crinkles, I flattened the dough, coated it with powdered sugar, and baked them for a few minutes. By the grace of God, I was finally able to make chocolate crinkles that looked like chocolate crinkles!!! :) Woohoo!!

I realized that God could have let me bake the crinkles with ease. He is God. He can do anything. But, He chose not to, and I’m glad that He did. :)

The unique thing about the ‘crinkle look’ is that the powdered sugar cracks all around the crinkle and it shows us what’s inside the cookie (fudgy chocolate)! I found it interesting because it had a similarity to what I learned that night: The ‘sugar cracks’ reminded me of disappointments in life. And just like how the fudgy chocolate cookie is revealed when the sugar cracks, these disappointments help show what’s inside of our hearts too.

What is inside of our hearts?

How do we react when we get disappointed with something or someone?

I pray that Christ would always be at the center of our hearts. :)

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…” (An example of God’s sovereignty in the midst of disappointments.)

Encourage yourself one treat at a time. :)

Baking on my Knees

“I don’t want to bake. It just hurts so much.” These were some of the words that I told God yesterday just before my scheduled time of baking. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to bake because I had terrible muscle pains. I wasn’t able to warm up before bowling last Friday and since my officemates and I bowled for three hours straight, I guess my muscles just gave up on me. But, after hearing God whisper to me “You can do it.”, I decided to still give it a try. As requested by one of my officemates, I attempted to make my first batch of mint chocolate chip cookies.

Personally, I prefer eating chocolate without mint, so making this kind of cookie was a challenge for me. But, I guess since some people enjoy it, it was worth giving a try. As usual, I enjoyed seeing the raw ingredients transform into a lovely, sticky, cookie dough. (Especially this one, since it was green. Haha.) I then placed tablespoons of the green cookie dough on the baking sheet while waiting for the oven to heat up.

After a few minutes, it was time for me to bake the cookies. I slowly knelt down in front of the oven, opened its door, and immediately placed the sheet inside. Man, was it extremely painful! I couldn’t bend down properly. It was awful. I can’t really put into words what I felt that night each time I bent over; knelt down; stretched my legs; or even sat on a chair. It hurt so bad I didn’t want to move anymore.

When I experienced pain again and again, I wanted to give up and not finish what I was doing. I then talked to God: “Lord, You know that I would bake tonight and You also know that I would feel this kind of pain. I wonder why You’re allowing this to happen. I wonder what it is that you want me to learn from this.”

As I knelt down, opened the oven door, and baked my last batch of cookies, God spoke to me. He allowed me to realize that in order for me to bake the cookies properly and in the best way possible, I had to bend and kneel down to constantly check on them in the oven, even if I was experiencing intense pain in my legs.

In the same way, He reminded me that when I experience other kinds of pain (those caused by failures, wrongdoings of others, death of loved ones, sickness, heartbreaks, sin, and many more), I have to learn to constantly bend and kneel down before God, even if I am experiencing pain.

“A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me.” –Philip Yancey

I realized that even if I am in pain, I have to humble myself before Him; surrender my weaknesses and brokenness; and acknowledge that He is still God in spite of the hurt and that He definitely knows what He is doing. Also, I am reminded that He is aware of what we’re going through and how we’re feeling. It’s such a relief to trust in God knowing that He understands us completely. We just have to constantly seek Him through His word and in prayer so we could know Him more; His will for us; and His purpose for the pain we feel.

“But this gives me comfort even though I suffer much pain because I have not turned away from the words of the Holy One.” –Job 6:10

After baking the last batch, I let them cool on a wire rack and eventually assembled them on a plate. In order for me to take photos of the cookies at a preferred angle, I had to once again kneel down and experience pain. But, this time, God gave me more strength to do so and comfort as I took shots of the cookies.

By God’s grace, today, I went to the office and persevered in spite of the muscle pains. I was also able to share the mint chocolate chip cookies to my officemates! :)

On my way home, I was thanking the Lord for His goodness and grace, even if I still had muscle pains. But, because every step I took was still painful, I decided to drop by a drugstore and bought myself a pack of Salonpas. I opened the pack and placed the medicated sheets on some parts of my legs and interestingly, I smelled a familiar scent. I smelled Mint.

It made me smile because I felt like it was one of God’s ways to reassure me that He is with me even when I am in pain. Also, He made me realize that just like how Mint (menthol) helps soothe and heal body aches and pain, He is also able to soothe and heal our aching hearts. He is able to remove the pain and replace it with His comforting love for us.

It wasn’t an accident that…

…my officemate requested mint chocolate chip cookies;

…I have muscle pains because of bowling last Friday;

…God still allowed me to bake the cookies;

…I bought Salonpas to relieve the pain I was feeling;

…He created you and me;

…sometimes, He allows us to experience pain so we can experience His grace and love even more.

Definitely, God is in control even in painful situations. :)

“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,  you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” –Psalm 71:20-21

“’Cause I’ve learned in laughter or in pain, how to survive: I get on my knees. And there I am before the Love that changes me.” –Jaci Velasquez

A little encouragement the next time we feel pain: We get on our knees. :)

Encourage yourself one treat at a time. :)

Relax with Milk & Oreo Stuffed Cookies

One of the best midnight snacks I’ve had recently was freshly baked, Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies with a cold glass of milk. Mmm… DELICIOUS! :) Yes, yes. I know that I’ve already posted two different entries in this blog about chocolate chip cookies. But, what can I say? Cookies are delightful treats! :)

Last Tuesday morning, when work unexpectedly got suspended, I had an idea of treating the family with some baked goodies. Before going home, I passed by the supermarket to get more ingredients. I wanted to experiment with a new treat/recipe. However, since I didn’t have access to the internet at that time, I decided to use the only recipe that I knew by heart: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I was about to pay for the ingredients already when I suddenly thought of baking Oreo stuffed Chocolate Chip cookies. Early this year, I was able to see different photos of that particular type of cookie in the internet and it intrigued me. I immediately ran to the cookie section at the supermarket and got myself a pack of Oreo cookies. I eagerly paid for my groceries and went home as soon as possible.

Making the cookies that day was a relaxing moment for me. Although it was raining hard, I somehow still enjoyed preparing and baking them. I’ve baked chocolate chip cookies a lot of times already; however, I still get nervous every time I would put them in the oven.

The tricky part about baking cookies is that you really have to keep your eye on them while they’re baking. Otherwise, if you let them bake a few seconds/minutes longer than they should, you’d end up with harder and darker cookies. (I prefer the soft, chewy, light colored ones. :P)

It was sort of a struggle to stuff the sticky cookie dough with Oreo cookies. However, after chilling the dough for a while, I was finally able to nicely shape the cookies. I sat in front of the oven while they were baking and carefully watched over them as they slightly puffed up. When the time was right, I got them out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

After about 2 hours of preparing and baking the cookies, it was time to taste them! :) I couldn’t believe it. They were actually really good!

OREO INSIDE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES + COLD MILK = THE BEST!

Of course, it was all by God’s grace that I was able to make them. Thank You, Lord! :)

I really appreciate being able to try out new treats every now and then. But what I appreciate more is being encouraged by God through them. Interestingly, while I was munching on my cookie treats, God spoke to my heart. :)

He made me remember the times when I sat down in front of the oven and carefully observed the cookies. Syempre! I didn’t want to over bake the cookies. I wanted them to become the best that they could be. :)

In the same way, God reminded me that He also carefully watches over me. He watches over us every single day. It was such a comfort to know that, because it allows us to relax more and not worry about what we’re going through or even about the future.

It was actually a very timely reminder that day too. The Philippines was experiencing struggles because of the bad weather and it would have been so easy for the Filipinos to just complain and rant all day long about the terrible situation. But, I was blessed to see the Filipinos still have peace and hopeful hearts despite the heavy rain and flood. Moreover, it was nice to witness a lot of people really exert effort in helping out each other, especially those who were affected by the flood.

It says in Psalm 121:3, 5-8

He who watches over you will not sleep;

⁵The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all harm —
he will watch over your life;
⁸the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Indeed, making those cookies that day was a relaxing moment for me… not only because of the sound of the rain and the fact that I was baking, but also, because I was reminded of the comfort and security that we have in God, knowing that He will continue to watch over us. :)

Encourage yourself one treat at a time! :)

S’more Cookies and Sticky Situations

Last Thursday, I decided to bake cookies for the Friday Night Light (FNL young singles) team in Laguna. I wanted to give it a twist and because I felt like we were going on a road trip/camping trip, I made S’more Cookies.

I had the opportunity to talk to God while I was baking. “Thanks again, Lord, for this privilege. :) Weee. By Your grace, I will not over bake the cookies. Haha. But, Lord. Wait a minute. I just realized that since I’ll be going to Laguna this weekend, I won’t have time to bake something else for my blog post this Monday! :o I can’t blog about the chocolate chip cookies again. What should I do?”

At that time, God just encouraged me to keep on making the S’more Cookies and not worry about my next blog post. “Okay, Lord. Anyway, if it’s Your will for me to blog this Monday, I know you’ll make a way. Thank you. :)”

(Fast forward to the FNL teambuilding)

Three words to describe it… WHAT A TRIP! Hahaha. But, really, I’d like to emphasize these three words more: BY GOD’S GRACE! :)

Here’s a little recap of the adventure that we had:

Situation #1: The coaster ran out of gas. Our trip got delayed.

Situation #2: The coaster didn’t have aircon. It felt like we were in a Sauna.

Situation #3: During our stopover, we found out that the coaster had two flat tires. Minor repairs were done.

Situation #4: On the road, there was a problem with the gears of the coaster. We were moving slowly. We decided to have another stopover.

Situation #5: By the time we reached the border of Rizal, Laguna, we experienced another problem involving the transmission of the coaster. In God’s perfect timing, we saw a nearby parking lot that had a P5.00 parking fee. Thus, we decided to park the coaster for the mean time.

Situation #6: After a few minutes of making calls, praying, and thinking about our situation, we decided to rent a jeep so we could go to our destination: Tree Farm, Laguna. After a 30/40 minute jeep ride, we finally got there, by God’s grace.

HAHAHA! Talk about a crazy adventure!

There was a moment in the jeepney ride where I was looking out the window, enjoying the breeze, and thanking God for His grace and travelling mercies for the team. I prayed: “WOW. Lord. What a trip! We’ve been experiencing hassles and problems on the way to Laguna, but by Your grace, the team has been grateful and joyful still! The team even prayed, helped and encouraged each other (including those who were already in the venue)!”

I thought to myself: “Those were definitely unexpected, crazy, sticky situations. But it’s pretty cool because God gave the team opportunities to bond together; to encourage and help each other; to come together in prayer; and to trust in Him.”

And in that moment, God spoke to my heart: “Exactly, Nic. Sticky situations. :) Sticky like the melted marshmallows in your S’more Cookies, right?”

“WHOA. Oo nga noh. Wow, Lord! Cool analogy. What an encouragement!” I said. It was amazing because two days before the teambuilding, I didn’t really know why God was encouraging me to make S’more Cookies. And there He was speaking to me and encouraging me in the jeep.

So, what’s with the S’more Cookie analogy? Before I share it to you, I’d like to show you how to make S’more Cookies first:

Bake the cookies. (You can go to this link to see the recipe: https://encouragingtreats.com/chocolate-chip-cookies/)
Place cookies upside down on a plate with a big marshmallow on each cookie. Heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds or until the marshmallow explodes (HAHA. Just kidding. Of course, until it expands or puffs).
Immediately place another cookie on top of each heated cookie with marshmallow and enjoy it’s gooeyness.

I know that the marshmallow had to go through the heat and hassle, but, it was really quite a view for me to see it puff and expand. God showed me that the marshmallow needed to be heated and expanded in order for the two cookies to stick together and be closer.

In the same way, I realized that sometimes, God allows us to go through the heat, hassles, and sticky situations in life, so that we could “puff/expand” and grow to be used by Him even more.

It was also cool to see the two cookies and a marshmallow become one S’more cookie! Similarly, God used the FNL team’s sticky situations to allow the members to closely bond together and be united. But, more importantly, I learned that God also uses sticky situations so that we could seek Him and depend on Him even more.

I was so blessed by the team because in spite of the problems we encountered, the team still chose to praise and trust God. I saw the men step up and initiate in trying to solve the coaster problems. Also, the people who were already in the venue really exerted a lot of effort in preparing the place, praying, and offering assistance.

Being able to witness all of these things touched my heart deeply. I know that everything that happened during the trip was only by God’s grace.

When I tasted the S’more Cookies at home before the teambuilding, I remember saying “mmm. It’s so gooey. But, this is good. Really good. Thank You, Lord! Only by Your grace.” Likewise, by His grace, I can say that the sticky situations we experienced were good. Really good. And I do want to thank God for allowing us to go through it as a team. :) It reminded me of Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him and those who are called according to His purpose.”

Maybe God gave us the sticky situations/rollercoaster ride to remind the FNL team that in the future as we serve Him in ministry, we may also encounter similar sticky situations and even sudden changes in our plans. However, I’m learning that sticky situations actually encourage us to focus on God’s grace, faithfulness and love. They are opportunities for us to seek Him more especially as we make decisions. Also, they help develop our hearts and character as we trust in His sovereignty.

This may be a memorable lesson for the FNL team, but I’d like to thank God for it because it is an encouragement for all of us too! Some of us may be experiencing sticky situations (difficulties in managing situations) now, but, at the end of the day, we are reminded that God is God. God is good. God is still in control of everything. And this is such a comfort because we experience indescribable peace and joy when we trust in God. (On our way back to Manila, we again experienced problems with the coaster but I saw the team still rejoice and thank God.)

Proverbs 19:21

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

During our free time in the teambuilding, I was able to read this passage in my quiet time:

“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” –Psalm 63:3-4

After reading it, I felt like crying because God was encouraging me to keep on seeking His love and to always have a grateful heart. Throughout the whole trip, I didn’t hear anyone complain and this blessed me. I also witnessed hearts that were willing to know God and serve Him more.

Indeed,

“All of my life, in every season, YOU ARE STILL GOD. I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship.” –Hillsong’s “Desert Song”

Did you know that the original name for “S’more” was “Some More”? This is because when the people tasted S’mores before, they constantly asked for more! Similarly, in our teambuilding experience, I realized that although we didn’t ask for more, God decided to give us some more problems and sticky situations for His good purposes. I’m glad He did! :)

Thank God for gooeyness. Thank God for sticky situations in life.

Encourage yourself one treat at a time.

Category: Cookies

Disappointing Crinkles :)

Baking on my Knees

Relax with Milk & Oreo Stuffed Cookies

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