Tonight

After we read from The Book of Mormon tonight (in 3rd Nephi when Jesus is in America, after his resurrection, and he's teaching the people to pray) Margaret, Cole and I had a great discussion. Cole started asking thoughtful questions, a particular talent of his. Well, questions are a talent, and observations as well.
When Jesus was on the earth, we weren't born yet. (-Cole in italics)
Nope, we weren't born yet.(-me in bold)
He had to come and create us, so we weren't born.
Well, he created Adam & Eve first, then they started having babies and it's gone on from there.
But Jesus didn't have a body?
Not until he was born. He was a Spirit.
A Spirit that lived up in heaven. Then how did everyone get here ever, even Mary?
From being born from their moms & dads.
Now Jesus has a spirit and lives up in heaven.
Well, now he is resurrected, so his body and spirit are together.
Can Jesus hear what we're saying right now?
Yes.
How can he do that?
Well, Jesus is all-powerful. He can even hear what we're thinking, even if we don't say it out loud. Like in the story he told the people to stop praying, but to pray in their hearts. That's because when you pray in your heart it's what you're thinking and hoping, even though you aren't saying it out loud.
He can hear us right now and he's so happy we're doing this and talking about him. (Margaret pipes in with a gem of wisdom.)
He has powers to lift up the whole earth?
He could if he needed to.
Can he hear everyone on the whole earth with his powers?
Yes.
At this point Cole is getting more and more excited about Jesus' powers. I'm starting to worry that we've moved out of meaningful discussion and now Jesus is becoming less like He is and more like Mr. Incredible in Cole's mind.
Margaret has been listening, putting in a comment here and there. Then she says the best thing of the night. The Spirit testifies that it's true right as she says it, "Cole, he has powers to do anything, but instead he uses his powers to take care of us."

There was also discussion of Satan tonight. Cole has decided it's okay to call Satan stupid. He busted out this for him during the Satan portion of our discussion, Satan, you're 100 stupids!
He also asked, Jesus won't let Satan be born unless he decides to try and be good and follow the commandments? I told him it's too late for that. Satan will never get a body. That's part of why he's so miserable and wants us to feel that way too.

Another great observation of the night once that tidbit started to sink in.
Sometimes you follow Satan when you get really mad. And sometimes I do (Margaret piped in here, "Like tonight when you sat on my head.") and sometimes Margaret does, and sometimes Dad does too.
Yes. That's true Cole. But, that's part of why Jesus' plan is so great. He knew we'd do that sometimes, so he made it so we can repent. Say we're sorry and try to do better.

Here comes another gem from Margaret, "His plan is so great, it just goes on forever and ever and ever. We can always keep trying to obey and follow him."

What a tender mercy to have these times with my children. The night ended with me telling them how grateful I am for the Savior's plan. I thought of Elder Bednar's recent words and counsel to speak with your children more frequently of Christ and to testify of him in casual settings. Nothing is more casual than all of us in our PJ's, the kids lying in their beds, surrounded by stuffed animals and blankets, the night light casting a soft glow around the messy room and their perfect beautiful faces. We're safe; we're listening to each other; we're feeling the spirit together; we're being fortified.

I blogged at Segullah this week; a great story about our prophet.

Cookies Again

I have blogged for Segullah without posting here a couple of different months. Sorry to those who are still here, wondering what the heck. Below is a story I wrote for our Relief Society meeting. They asked some of us to bring "A Sweet with a Story". I misunderstood that it should be short and "sweet" and wrote this. No one wanted to read that while standing in line to get dessert. But I thought a few of you might enjoy it here.

Corrigan Chocolate Chip Cookies

by: Heather (Corrigan) Herrick

Preheat oven to 375°

Cream together until almost fluffy

¾ c. white sugar

¾ c. lt. brown sugar

½ c. shortening

½ c. butter (room temperature)

Add

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together

2 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Turn mixer on low and gradually add flour. You may need to add more flour, a little at a time. You want the dough to cling to the mixer paddle, but not get too tough, so don’t add too much. But if you don’t have enough flour your cookies will be flat and break easily. If dough seems too stiff add a teaspoon of milk at a time until the right consistency.

When flour is combined, add 1 bag chocolate chips (approx. 2 ½ cups). Chopped walnuts optional (about 1/2 - 2/3 cup).

Spoon onto baking sheet, large golf ball sized mounds. Bake about 8-10 minutes, checking at the end. Do not overbake! They will be light on top. Allow to cool a few minutes on the pan, then remove to cool on wire rack.

Corrigan Chocolate Chip Cookies Story

My family is semi-famous for our chocolate chip cookies. I mean, we haven’t won any prizes, our recipe isn’t top-secret, no one’s paid us money to bake them in high numbers and sell them, to tell you the truth it may have just come from the back of a chocolate chip bag at some point, and yet we have a reputation for making good cookies. If there was a ward potluck and everyone was bringing desserts to share, people asked, “Which ones did the Corrigans bring?” And before you knew it, they were gone.

It seems silly really; I mean there’s not anything fancy about a chocolate chip cookie, and yet there are so many people who mess them up. I will allow for you to have differing opinions about what makes a great cookie. Some people like them crunchy, some like them cakey, some like them with only a few chips, some are all about the chocolate. Maybe the Corrigan cookie won’t meet your cookie requirements, it’s okay I won’t be offended. In my humble opinion the best kind is kind of chewy, a little crunch to the outside, warm with some milk.

We didn’t have a set “tradition” about when we made the cookies. But we all learned how and could whip out a batch by the time we were in jr. high. My mom let us help measure, sift the dry ingredients, crack the eggs, spoon them onto the cookie sheets and all that jazz from the time we were small. We have always had a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer and she still keeps our flour and sugar and chocolate chips within arms reach of the mixer. In fact, until I was a missionary I didn’t know you could make cookies without that mixer. I figured it out and whipped out some pretty awesome cookies, mixed by hand to do some of what the Elders in my mission called “Sister Pross” or “Cookie Pross”, always a hit with less-actives and new members.

We usually made a double batch when we did make cookies and the extras were kept in a Tupperware bowl in the treat cupboard. I still remember when my older brother was in high school and he and one of his friends brought a couple of dates back to our house to watch a basketball game. The boys plopped down in front of the TV, yelling and cheering, and the girls sat around the kitchen table eating Corrigan cookies. We had an entire, large Tupperware bowl of them when the night started, and they ate one after the other, laughing and giggling, probably glad the boys weren’t paying attention to them and how many cookies they were eating. Or maybe they didn’t care about that. The next morning when I was helping my mom pack lunches she stood slack-jawed after she opened the almost empty bowl. “Who ate all the cookies?” I told her it was the two girls that Doug and his friend had brought over. She looked at me suspiciously, “They couldn’t have eaten all of these.” Well, she could disbelieve me if she wanted, but I sat there and watched them do it. Maybe the cookies had special powers?

The recipe above is the one passed down from my mom. Now I usually just use all butter instead of half shortening, though it does change the consistency a bit and if I’m really going for the original I stick with the shortening. Also, my mom would NEVER use semi-sweet and that’s my preference. She said it just ruins the cookies if you use anything other than milk chocolate. I’m an adult and they are my calories to splurge on, so I always use semi-sweet (Jacques Torres if I can afford it, but otherwise, good ole Nestle toll-house.) Don’t tell my mom how many times I’ve ruined her recipe. On the other hand, I’ve made it so many times, I think it’s my recipe now. If you’re going to make them, for a good cookie, it’s not just about the ingredients, it’s about the process. One time my sister cried when she and her friend were making cookies and the friend didn’t sift the dry ingredients. I guess it was somehow pounded into us that every little step is important. Baking is a science, after all. So, follow the recipe, all of it, and make some good cookies yourself!