Topeka Community Matters December 2017

Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor

The joy of Christmas

By Roger Cook, chaplain Topeka Presbyterian Manor

All our lives we have seen nativity scenes. They are placed on Christmas cards, billboards and some bold souls even present live nativity scenes during the Christmas season. Such scenes could become so familiar that we lose the impact of the symbolism.

To avoid such a mistake, let’s take a fresh look at this familiar Christmas scene, and in doing so, we can experience something the wise men experienced: great joy!

Let us notice some of the particulars that make up the nativity scene, details that many overlook. For example, think of the star above the stable. The star represents the joy of following divine guidance. Believe it or not, the Bible tells us that God commissioned a particular star to serve as a kind of travel guide for a group of men from the East who JOY, continued on page 3

December 2017

A taste of the holidays Cooking up something sweet

Enjoy something sweet by trying these recipes, submitted by Director of Sales and Marketing ChelseaWatgen.

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie Quick Facts: Prep Time: 5 minutes Bake Time: 60 to 70 minutes Cool Time: 2 hours Yield: 8 servings Ingredients: • 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup • 3 eggs • 1 cup sugar • 2 tablespoons butter, melted • 1 teaspoon Kentucky Bourbon (My family uses Weller’s) • 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans • 1 (9 i-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust TASTE, continued on page 2

TASTE, continued from page 1

Recipe Tips:

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2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly — it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust overbrowns, cover edges with foil.

•

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and bourbon using a spoon.

Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.

3. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving. **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.

Best sugar cookies for decorating (from allrecipes.com) Ingredients • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened • 2 cups white sugar • 4 eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions 1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Veterans Day Celebration

Heather Pilkinton, executive director Chelsea Watgen, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Chelsea Watgen, marketing director, at cwatgen@pmma.org.

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Community Matters December 2017

Lawrence Sims and his family – Air Force

Marion Seymour and her grandson

Dale and Margaret Sandberg - Navy

Harlan and Joanne Edmonds - Army Like us on Facebook

JOY, continued from page 1

had developed an interest in looking for the Christ child. Not only did that star lead these Easterners to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem, but Matthew 2:9 tells us that the star led the wise men to the exact location of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

And when they finally located him, the Bible says they fell to their knees and worshiped him and gave him costly gifts.

that God could have, but He made a deliberate choice not to do so. Why? The record reveals clearly that the God chose the stable for His Son to wise men greatly rejoiced over the be born in for a significant reason. fact that God had provided them You see, when God sent His only with a remarkably accurate travel Son to live on the earth, he made guide. Deep down they knew they a strategic decision not to shelter would have never found the Christ Him from the realities of this life. without the star. The Christmas God wanted His Son to experience star, God’s gift of direction, served the rude and crude realities of life as a travel guide to those who were on planet earth. Think about it, looking for the Savior. Today, it Jesus’ first breath of air burned with serves as a sign to us that God always the odor of animal urine. The first provides direction and guidance for sounds He heard were the grunts those who will earnestly seek Him. of livestock. The stable serves as a Throughout history, God has seen permanent symbol of this fact: God to it that those who diligently seek sent Jesus to live in the real world so after Christ will find him. that real people could know that we have a Savior who truly understands The second symbol found in the our struggles and our needs. nativity scene is the stable. The stable speaks of the joy of finding an There are many religions in the understanding Savior. I can assure world today, but only Christianity you the stable that Jesus was born can present a Savior who is both in was not as sanitized as the one on God and man. That is why we can most Christmas cards. It was like say today: no one understands like a thousand other stables, crowded Jesus. Do you feel tempted? He with smelly animals, dark, damp understands. Do you feel betrayed? and inhabited by at least one active He understands. Do you feel rodent. It was an all-around rotten abused? He understands. We can place to birth a baby. take joy in finding a Savior who understands.

A thinking person might ask: If God could commandeer a star to serve The third symbol found in the as a travel guide, why couldn’t He nativity scene was the manger. The arrange a suite at the Bethlehem manger speaks of the joy of finding Hilton or at least a private room God’s purpose for your life. Please in the local hospital? The answer is don’t think of the manger as a firstLike us on Facebook

century bassinet because it was a far cry from that. A manger was nothing more than a feed trough for cattle.

But because God placed his Son in a manger, look what happened to an ordinary piece of farm furniture. All of a sudden it had a new dignity. The ordinary became the extraordinary – a feed trough for cattle became the cradle for a king.

In a spiritual sense, the manger is a symbol of what happens to an ordinary person when Jesus resides inside. It is a symbol of what has happened to millions of people around the world, and to many of you. We are just ordinary, average, run of the mill people who stand guilty before God because of sin.

However, when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, Jesus comes and begins to live within us. Because of this, there is a complete transformation that takes place.

Our sins are forgiven, and we receive eternal life. We start a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and he gives a new joy and purpose for living. The joy that I am talking about is the “great joy” that only Christ can bring you. Will you allow Jesus to give you this kind of joy and purpose in life? He will take you as you are and make something beautiful out of your life.

Topeka Presbyterian Manor

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Topeka Presbyterian Manor 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 Return Service Requested

Tell about your activities We will feature our activity professionals in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. If you know an activity professional with a story to tell, or if you want to share how participating in activities at your campus keeps your mind sharp and your body well, or if you just want to tell the world what you love about living in your senior living community, we want to share the story.

Contact Chelsea Watgen, marketing director, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.

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Community Matters December 2017

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