For he is good...

Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 106:1

According to this verse, we are to thank the Lord because he is good.  Ok, good is the opposite of bad.  True.  But, what does it mean that God is good?  Oh, you're going to love this!

Strong's Concordance defines good as favorable, festive, delightful, pleasant, right, best.  Wow!  That's a little more than the opposite of bad!  I've thought of God as right.  He's our righteous judge.  He's obviously the best God - no competition there.  He is favorable; he is partial to his children and affirms his love to us.  He is pleasant and delightful - something I easily see through his word.  But, I have to tell you, I've never thought of him as festive.  Hmmm...

Wait a minute!  He is the one who established the Jewish feasts and festivals and spread them out through the year.  He knows we need holidays to break up the monotony of time.  Every one of the Jewish feasts and festivals are wonderful reminders of the great things God has done for his people.  And these holy days are marked by traditions and story telling and people gathering together to worship God, to repent from sin, to eat, to sing and dance.  The Lord is festive!  

So, as we head into the holiday season of 2011, think and pray about ways you can tell others, especially the children, about God's goodness.

Today's Recipe - Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip

This dip is easy and amazingly delicious!  Think about it...caramel apples and cheesecake together.  Yum!  And, yes, I got this recipe off of Pinterest.  I served this last night at a planning meeting for a Pinterest party in December and forgot to take a picture before we dug in.  So, this is what was left, but I think you get the idea.

Caramel:

1 cup sugar

8 Tbsp butter, sliced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

sea salt

Place sugar, butter and cream in a small heavy saucepan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt, but let it sit for 10 minutes before stirring.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Refrigerate any leftover caramel.  Simply warm it in the microwave to serve after refrigeration.  

Cheesecake:

12 oz cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

mini chocolate chips

toffee pieces 

(option - you can replace the chocolate chips and toffee pieces with Heath bar bits, which are available in the baking section)

Mix first four ingredients using a mixer.  Line a small bowl with plastic wrap.  Spread half of the cheesecake on the bottom.  Spoon on a layer of caramel.  Sprinkle with a layer of chocolate chips and toffee pieces.  Top with the rest of the cheesecake mix.  Fold over the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

To serve:  invert onto a serving plate.  Spoon caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle more chocolate chips and toffee pieces over the dip.  Arrange Granny Smith apple slices around the cheesecake.