Really Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today the sale of my little 1000 square foot house in the country will be final. Nick and I have moved our stuff into a small apartment while we wait for our new home in a planned community (uh… neighbors within hollering distance) to be built.

Today a stranger will move into the house that we called home for ten years. Nick went from elementary school to high school in that house. We have enjoyed many holiday gatherings with friends in that house. And we have prayed over that house.

I do not know if the police officer who will be moving into the house is a believer. I don’t know anything about him. But I have prayed for him, too.

He doesn’t know that the subfloor was completely covered with God’s promises before the floor was replaced in the kitchen. He doesn’t know that there is scripture in every window and over every door. And… he doesn’t know that the cross that hangs on the wall was not hung with nails, but with liquid nails so he can’t remove it without tearing up the wall. Hehehehehe! He will, however, know all of these things when he uses his key for the first time today.

As Christians, it is our responsibility (and our privilege) to share the hope of Jesus with everyone God places within our sphere of influence. A stranger moving into my house presents me with an opportunity to reach out and share the Gospel using the gift that God has given to me… hospitality. I won’t actually be preaching the Gospel. My gift isn’t teaching or evangelism. It’s hospitality.

So, I wrote a letter to the stranger who will move into our little house and left it with a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies wrapped up in a pretty gift bag. In the letter I shared the details about the house and the neighborhood. And… I shared that I am praying for him. I told him about the scripture under the floor and let him know that every time he is in the kitchen he will be standing on the Word of God. I told him that I didn’t know if he knew Jesus but that I would be praying that His presence will be felt and that it would fill him with peace.

My sweet friends, what opportunity has God placed within your path recently? Pray about ways that you can use the gifts God has given you to share His message with the hurting and the lost. How about baking a batch of these decadent cookies and sharing them with someone who needs some extra TLC? It will fill you in the most amazing ways

Really Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature (I know… 4 sticks)
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2  11.5 – 12 ounce packages chocolate chips (I like to mix them – use some dark and some semi-sweet chunks – it’s entirely up to you)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together with a hand beater until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs and the vanilla and continue to beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until flour is incorporated. Stir in the chips and the nuts.

Drop large spoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies) until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for five minutes to set up. Eat one immediately. Enjoy the ooey gooey chocolate! Now remove the rest of the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Now share some with family and friends or give them all away! It will make you feel good. And… your hips will be grateful

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn