Hi and welcome to the 4th Day of Christmas in our special series. If you are just joining us in our 12 Days of Giveaway goodies, click here to get caught up. You can enter to win the prizes on any of the posts until midnight EST on Sunday, December 13th.
Boy, is this getting fun! Love interviewing my P31 sistas, love introducing them to you and vice-versa, and LOVE seeing you comment and leave recipes and ideas and encouragement and all things Christmas-sy and Jesus-filled.
We may just have to hold a Christmas in July giveaway too!
Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to a very important person at Proverbs 31 Ministries. I first met her when I came on the P31 speaking team in 2007 and flew to Charlotte for the annual summer She Speaks Conference. Feeling a little like the new girl in the junior high lunchroom not sure where to sit, I was a tad nervous. Our president Lysa sent her assistant to the airport to pick me up. When she did, she flashed a contagious smile across her pretty face, made me feel oh-so-welcome and we became fast friends. Holly Good is a woman who loves her God and wholeheartedly embraces the ministry He has chosen for her. Now, you can meet her too!
Holly is a wife, mother, and sold out servant of Christ. On staff with Proverbs 31 Ministries, her executive assistant position for Lysa TerKeurst finds her ministering to women at conferences, writing radio shows and authoring heart-stirring devotions sent to more than 300,000 subscribers. She is also the author of “Holly-days” a much loved part of Lysa’s daily blog. She enjoys her early morning runs with Lysa and is overwhelmingly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve Him in this ministry in such an incredible way. If you’d like to take a peek at Holly’s writing, click here to read the Encouragement for Today devotion she currently has running at Proverbs 31. You can e-mail Holly@Proverbs31.org to connect with her. She also is on Facebook under Holly Good, on Twitter as HollyKGood and you can click here for her blogger profile.
Now for our Holly-Day :-) interview:
Holly, can you share a special tradition your family has enjoyed over the years?
For many years when we used to live in PA, each November we would go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down our own tree! It was so fun to walk around the beautiful country side and choose the perfect treasure we wanted to cut and bring home.
Most of us have favorite memories from our childhood, but what has been your most memorable Christmas as an adult?
I would have to say that last Christmas was my most memorable.
Each year before we open our gifts on Christmas morning, we will gather together and read the Christmas story in Luke. When the kids were little, they would climb in bed with us to hear the story with patient but eager anticipation of what awaited them under the tree. Now that they are older (18 & 14) we still gather and read. It’s become a natural part of our Christmas morning routine. We acknowledge the importance of the holiday, so as to fill our hearts and minds with the proper perspective for our day.
Last year was particularly memorable, because after we read the story, I felt led to take several minutes to focus on each of my children and tell them what I loved about them and why. I got a bit emotional as I further expressed our prayers and desires for their life. I then transitioned into a time of prayer over them. What started as an unplanned and unscripted moment ended up being a valuable time of bonding for us that Christmas morning.
What are some of your favorite Christmastime foods? Any recipe you might share with us?
For many years we have enjoyed making a very simple but very delicious salty and sweet chocolate pretzel treat. They are a fun and yummy gift that everyone always raves over! I promise that you will be the hit of every party with these! And the best part is that they are very easy to make.
Ingredients –
1 bag bite-sized round or waffle shaped pretzels
1 bag Hershey kisses
1 bag plain M&M’s (red & green preferred!)
Directions -
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Line the pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place unwrapped Hershey kisses on top of pretzels. Bake 3-4 minutes. Pull cookie sheet out of oven and press an M&M into each Hershey kiss. Place in fridge until hardened. Delicious! They make great gifts in a mug or decorative tin etc.
That recipe sounds like a wonderful holiday sweet and you are so sweet to be offering a giveaway today for one of the gals who leaves a comment. Tell us what it is.
For my gift, I’ll be giving someone two gift cards: a $10 one to Bath and Body Works and one to Starbucks for $5. That way she can treat herself to something sweet smelling and enjoy her favorite drink too!
Awesome!!! Thanks for taking time to visit with us Holly!
Now, to be entered in Holly’s great giveaway, leave a comment answering any of the questions I asked her above. Or as always, if time is tight, simply say, “I’m in!” The drawing is random so you’ll all have an equal chance. (Unless of course I put in a false name on this one and pick myself…..gotta love me some B&BW and Starbucks!!! Someone alert the hubster and kids, okay?)
Happy Holly-Days,
I can’t wait to try your recipe!! Sounds great. I loved the devotion for today. I plan on giving that same gift this Christmas. Merry Christmas!
I have tried the abouve recipe. Quick and easy. Something fun to do the kids!
Holly, Thanks for the recipe! I was trying to find some simple and yummy to make for my sons’ teachers this year and this sounds perfect!
Merry Christmas!
Dana
Thanks for the recipe Holly. I will make some this week-end.
Have a great day!
One of my fav Christmas recipes is my great-grandma’s cutout cookie recipe and homemade frosting! I’m looking forward to making Holly’s recipe.
Let’s see, my favorite christmastime food. Of course cookies are at the top of the list. However, at Christmas dinner my mom makes Yorkshire Pudding. It’s basically a pan size popover. It’s soooooo good sweet or with gravy. I think I’ll have to forgo the gravy and sugar this year right WLW girls?!?!
I love those pretzel treats! Thanks for the blog!
My favorite Christmas tradition is baking a birthday cake for Jesus with my daughter on Christmas morning. She chooses the cake and frosting flavors and we spend part of Christmas morning baking (and frosting) the cake. This is something we both look forward to each year (this will be her 6th Christmas…4th birthday cake Christmas).
Something that my husband and I do with our two children every Christmas, is to take them to a drive through live nativity. A local Church puts this on every year. When you arrive they tell you to tune your radio to a certain station and as you are driving through you hear the the passage about the birth of Jesus. This is something that we look forward to every year.
My kids love that recipe too. Never made them for Christmas – less messy than sugar cookie decorating
I love the recipe. We get together with my sister and her family at my mom and dad’s and everyone makes cookies and decorates them. We all have fun and make a huge mess as well.
We make those pretzel treats every year too – only we use white chocolate. Very good treat for little ones to make with very little help. Thanks!
We do the 12 days of cookies around here – starting on the 12th through the 24th. We end up sharing with many people as that is quite a alot of cookies. This way everyone gets their favorite and we have a few new ones to try each year. Some make the cut for the next year some are not so lucky.
The pretzel treat sounds awesome! I’m going to try it with my kids. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe looks great. I am going to try it. I always make peppermint patties, but they do take a long time, but my family loves them. Thank you for sharing.
I’m in!
Thank you for the wonderful devotion on the gift of prayer.
Holly nice to meet you…I read the P31 Daily Devotion today and thought what a wonderful gift you received last Christmas from Melissa Taylor…a gift of prayer.
We are blessed to be a blessing
I agree. I read that devotion today too and was touched.
We also make the pretzel treats except I use a rolo in the middle so it’s chocolate and caramel.
Can’t wait to try your recipe. Keep up the good work with Lysa and P31 Ministries.
Merry Christmas,
Michele
I love the holidays for all of the homemade goodies people spend time making. I try to be good the rest of the year, but do indulge in December.
My recent Christmas memory is spending Christmas morning with my Mom after I was divorced. Just the two of us and we spoiled each other with little gifts, mostly handmade but each one lovingly wrapped and the childlike excitment of seeing the other unwrap and be surprised and joyous no matter what it contained.
My favorite Christmastime tradition is piling up in the van and going and looking at Christmas lights.
I enjoyed knowing more about Holly! And I think I will try the Christmas pretzels.
I have a 3 year old, and a 4 month old, so this year we are going to begin the tradition of reading the Christmas story before we open presents. I think I’ll probably have to wrap all the Santa stuff, though….
I’m so thankful to “meet” all you ladies. Thank you for sharing your hearts and lives and love for God!
I love these pretzel treats! I’m enjoying this 12 days of Christmas and hearing about all the traditions. Thank you Karen!
What a GREAT recipe! THANKS, HOLLY!
My favorite Christmas tradition is one we just began last year–reading from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve night. I just love sitting beside the fireplace reading this beloved scripture with my husband, two year old (hence the reason it just began last year), and now my 6 month old. We will be adding more Christmas and Advent traditions as the years go by. What a great Savior we serve!
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
I love that treat too. I’m IN!
Love that recipe. They are cute in treat bags. I’m in.
I’m in.
I’m in.
I’m in!!
Definitely going to have to try the Christmas pretzels idea! Yummy!
Our new Christmas tradition (started last year) is being at our church on Christmas Eve and at home on Christmas Day. No traveling! Just family time and our own schedule.
love the recipe! can’t wait to try them!
Those treats are ones we do at our house too, but we use rolo’s so there is carmel in them. The are a treat that the boys can help me do, because they will unwrap the candies and sneak a couple too!
I first met Holly in 2008 when she came to our church with Lysa for a ladies event. I will never forget how genuine she was and how she took time to really listen. She was interested in knowing me and made me feel so special. Her continued friendship and prayers have been such a blessing and encouragement.
Like Holly, our family begins every Christmas morning with my husband reading the story of Jesus birth from the book of Luke. We then sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.
The recipe looks great…and simple enough for even me!!!
Blessings,
Joy
Cant wait to try the recipe. Count me in
Oh! Can’t wait to try this recipe with my kids! They/We will love it!
Some of my favorite memories as a kid was when everyone would gather around the tree and the kids would take turn passing out the presents.
I’m in. I love the salty sweet combo
I LOVE that you, Holly, commited to pray for Melissa for that year as well. Count me in.
I really enjoyed Holly’s devotion and I shared it with many friends. I had one friend who asked me if I wanted to do this with her for the year. We’d pray for each other. I have to be honest my prayer life isn’t the best but perhaps doing something like this will strengthen it. I also love this recipe idea. I’m going to have to try it an take it to my family for Christmas.
We found this recipe this year and made it for Thanksgiving and they went fast! We also made some using rolo’s and pecans–they tasted just like a candy turtle!
Easy one from me…white almond mark melted, and crushed peppermints mixed in. Pour it out on waxed paper. When cool, break apart into small pieces. You can get fancy and put this over a layer of chocolate if you want.
I am going to make the pretzels! YUM!
I’m In!!!
My mom always made banana pudding for every holiday because it was one of my favorites. This will be our third Christmas without her and I miss that so much.
I really enjoyed Holly’s devotional today. What could be more wonderful than the gift of prayer?! Planning on trying the pretzel recipe with my 2 yr old grandson.
Hello Karen and Holly,
All i can say is I’M IN:) Thank you for these fun giveaways.
God bless you both.