Idols

Claire: Hey, Mom, I know what idols are.
Me: Oh, really?
Claire: Yes. They're something you want to be a god.
Me: That's right.
Claire: In Alair's book, the people made a golden calf. They wanted it to be their god, so it was an idol.
Me: That's right. But it was a pretty crappy god, wasn't it?
Claire: Yup. You could hug it or sit on it or do anything you wanted to it, but it couldn't do anything for you. Idols are kind of dumb, aren't they?

Dumb, indeed.

Natalie's Question

Natalie is very afraid of the devil. This fear goes back to VBS this summer, when she heard the story of the temptation of Jesus. She asked Troy and me the other night if the devil was going to die. I asked Pastor Mumme his thoughts on how I should explain this to her.

 His response:

"The devil is a fallen angel, and angels (fallen or holy) do not and will not die.  Rather, on the Last Day they will be locked up forever in the prison house of hell, never to tempt or afflict the children of God ever again.  In Matthew 25:41, Jesus says to the unbelievers on Judgment Day, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."  This tells us that hell was not originally prepared for human beings, but for the fallen angels.  And since its fire is eternal, the devil and his angels (and all who die without faith in Christ) will eternally suffer there.  This is made explicit for the devil in Revelation 20:10: "And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

This is a hard conversation to have with a little girl!  I would just assure her at this point that when we die (and when we rise again in glory on the Last Day) we will be forever free from the devil.  He cannot harm us who believe and are baptized now, and he will not be able to harm us then either.  I hope this helps."

 

After I told this to Natalie, she thought about it and then said, "So Jesus makes it so the devil can't come to our house?" I told her, yes, that was pretty much true, that Jesus makes it so the devil can't hurt us. She was thrilled and said, "I'm going to tell my sister, and Grandma and..." I told her she could tell everyone she wanted about that.

Tonight's Supper

Claire absolutely loved this meal. She wants it again tomorrow night.

Sloppy Potatoes

4 large russet or sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. coriander
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato puree
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Prick potatoes with a fork all over. Bake the potatoes in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour, or cook in the microwave.

Cook the meat in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Add salt and pepper, cumin, coriander and chili powder. (*I did not have cumin, and do not like coriander, so I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning with the chili powder). Add onion (I used dehydrated) and garlic and cook until softened, about 2-4 minutes. Add brown sugar, vinegar (I used red wine vinegar), Worcestershire sauce, and puree (I used a can of tomato sauce). Simmer over low heat to develop the flavor.

Open the potatoes and spoon meat mixture on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and serve.

Serves 4