Remember When........

My Mother is still alive and doing well; however, I remember when we were young, she cooked and baked often. Along with her five children, she always cooked in excess on many occasions; because she was and still does think about those around her who are in need. 

At Christmas time, was the most vivid memories I have of her baking for days (or so it seemed like it to me). She would bake at least five different types of home-made cookies, peppermint, cinnamon, and clove flavored hard rock candy, bourbon balls, fruit cakes, peanut butter and chocolate fudge, top and bottom layer cake (which is a chewy caramel like top over a cake like crust); pecan pies, and me my sister would always do our cookies as well. My sister baked what was called Christmas wreath cookies and I baked what was called Christmas Tree cookies in addition to what our Mother would bake. There is much more, but I'll stop!

Every year she would make up at least ten Christmas tens full of all those delicious treats and have us kids deliver them to neighbors, elderly people who lived alone, as well as family members were family we often didn't see during the Holidays! We never thought anything about delivering them either, because we enjoyed the praise we would get by doing so and the smiles they had on their faces! Many of them would say, "Your Mother is such a blessing and so thoughtful!" Which would bring a smile to our faces. 

In addition to all of the wonderful goodies she baked, there was more than enough for us and family and friends who visited us to enjoy ~ and Christmas Dinner too!

Is loving our neighbors a thing of the past? Or~have we truly forgotten what caring is about?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 NIV