From Just Batter To A Blessing

Ladies, my weakness is sweets - especially chocolate! I enjoy cooking but I really enjoy those warm delicious desserts--those hot turtle fudge cakes; those mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies; and the ultimate chocolate covered cherry cookies!

When I begin to make a turtle fudge cake, I start out with a box of devil's food cake mix. Now that mix by itself is dry and bitter. What happens when I begin to add the eggs, the water, and oil? The dry and bitter mix becomes tasty--so much so you want to lick the remaining out of the mixing bowl AFTER you pour the batter into the baking dish. Then comes the waiting period--25-30 minutes. The timer makes the grand triumphant sound and out comes the cake. The cake as it is would be good--but just wait till you pour the melted chocolate chips and caramel over the cake. Then you sprinkle pecans on top of the warm topping. Then you drizzle MORE caramel ice cream topping on top of the nuts---WOW! You talking about a delicious dessert (I accidently typed in 'walking' instead of talking at first--you'll definitely need to walk after devouring this dessert :-) )

To get to the delicious layered turtle fudge cake, there were steps to take. Let's take a look at the steps of this dessert and see how this may be applied to our life.

1. Dry and Bitter Ingredients

Ladies, I am not too eager to dip my fingers into that dry and bitter cake mix, are you? In life, we are going to be faced with times where everything coming our way is dry and bitter. We certainly wish we weren't having to 'taste' this step of life, but just wait--there awaits a blessing for us in the end.

2. Mixing All The Ingredients For The Batter

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28

As I sit on Wednesday night and hear the many prayer request, I find myself asking, "Why, Lord?" It seems some have so many 'bad' things to come their way--but those 'bad' times are for our good. They are there to help mold and make us into what God wants us to be. Just like this cake, if you take all the ingredients separate:

- the cake mix - Who really desires to sit and eat dry, bitter cake mix?

- vegetable oil - Who desires to drink vegetable oil?

- water - well, most of us could probably drink more water I am sure

- eggs - we certainly don't want to eat just a plain old, cold, raw egg

But what happens when you mix all the ingredients together? The END result is a delicious dessert - a blessing!

3. Applying The Heat

"Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" I Peter 1:6-7

Even after we mix all the ingredients together, there is still more to do to get that final product--heat must be applied.

We look forward to putting that dessert in the oven because we know soon we'll be tasting that hot cake. Do we look forward to the times where the 'heat' is applied to our life? When the trials and testings come our way? No, because we don't focus on the end result-the blessing!

4. The End Result - From Just Batter, To A Blessing

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ"

As a Christian, our desire is to be Christ-like -- if we would only grasp our life as just the simple batter and every little 'ingredient' - the trials, testings, problems - is important because it's shaping us into what Christ would have us to be - a blessing!

Some things I've faced in my life, I didn't understand at the time but as I look back I can see how they are all working for my good in the end. I am able to help other ladies through problems and trials that I have faced--to try to be a blessing to others!

I'd like to conclude with a little saying I found:

If you are taking a beating, cheer up!

God is just stirring the batter

To bring you a blessing!

I am sure your mouth is just watering thinking about this dessert that has consumed this devotional so here's the recipe...ENJOY!!

Turtle Fudge Cake

1 pkg devils food cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake)

4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips

1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping, divided

1/2 c pecan halves, coarsely chopped

vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake mix according to pkg and bake in 9 x 13 pan. Place chocolate chips and 1/2 of caramel in microwave for 30-60 mionutes or until melted. Carefully spread over baked cake after cools for a few minutes. Sprinkle pecans over chocolate spread. Then drizzle extra caramel topping over cake. Serve with ice cream if desired!