Advent Day 6: Stir Up!

Stirring things up has a long history throughout the Bible, being mentioned 61 times!  Now, it's about evenly divided as to whether things being stirred up is a good thing or a bad thing - having crowds stirred up against you - bad; having the Holy Spirit stirred up in your heart as you proclaim the Lord - good.

Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints,  for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.  (2 Corinthians 9:1-2)

Here, Paul is exhorting the believers in Corinth to help out the believers in Jerusalem, to take up a collection to help their fellow Christians.  Not a bad idea.  Can you think of something that could use a little help this holiday season?  A good cause that could use a good stir?

So in today's recipe, we're told to combine, add, mix and fold - but really, all of those things mean, let's stir things up.  Get your whole family involved, and each person take a turn at stirring things up, continuing until they have a plan on how to allow the Holy Spirit to be stirred up in their workplace, their home, their school, their club or meeting.  It doesn't have to be big - just big enough to make people think.  Then the next person gets a turn to stir. 

Sugar Plum Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1 tsp. soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cooked unpitted plums*
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. each ground nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and salt

Directions

1. *Cooked plums: Dried plums or prunes, add water and cook in saucepan until plumped up. Measure AFTER cooking. You can cut them in half.
2. Combine sugar, eggs, oil, and buttermilk. 
3. Add dry ingredients gradually and mix well. 
4. Fold in nuts and plums. 
5. Pour into tube pan. 
6. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
7. Cool in wire rack. 
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or add glaze.

Glaze (optional)

• 1/4 cup cold milk
• 1/2 powdered sugar

1. Mix and pour on cooled cake.
2. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe from Jennifer Gregory Miller.