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​“…consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24

​It’s so easy to dwell on what’s not right, with ourselves, with others, with life.

​Right now, let’s consider what great things He has done for us.

* We are loved by God, not because of who we are or because of what we have or haven’t done, but because we are reconciled to God – we can approach Him as a friend, through His gift to us of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

* He has given His Spirit to be our guide.

* He has given us His Word to be our GPS…I know I‘d be lost without it.

As a part of the New Beginnings' program, we participate in family traditions including having a group meal over the holidays. Everyone brings a homemade dish to pass for the entire group - as we all know, WELS people love their potlucks! This provides an excellent opportunity for the mothers at New Beginnings to learn new cooking skills, as well as try new dishes. 

​We were so excited about the dishes made this year, that we would like to share them with you. 

Our Executive Director, Brianne Hansen, has made the turkey for our Thanksgiving Dinner for 2 years. I suppose it is tradition now. We usually have about 15 people at our Thanksgiving Dinner, and a 15 pound turkey is just about perfect!
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INGREDIENTS

• 2 sticks unsalted butter   
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 fresh turkey (15 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh thyme
• 1 whole lemon, halved
• 1 bag of shallots
• 2 heads garlic, halved crosswise

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INSTRUCTIONS​
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, shallots, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pieces of butter in the turkey cavity.

Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Take the turkey out of the oven and let rest for 20 minutes. 
Slice the turkey and serve.

Okay, so let's be honest. Thanksgiving isn't all about the turkey - it's about the bird's friends! Here are some outstanding recipes made by our staff and residents that will leave your guests wanting more. 

The terrific part about these recipes is that not only are they the traditional, and completely necessary sides for any Thanksgiving celebration, they are also HOMEMADE completely from scratch! Even the cream of mushroom soup in the green bean casserole was created - no need for canned soup here, people. 

Are you dying for the recipes? After tasting these dishes, I know I was! For your tasting pleasure, I have included them below:

Our Resident Supervisor, Eden Ehlers, created this green bean casserole recipe from scratch. Boy, was it worth it! 

INGREDIENTS
Baked "Fried" Onions

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup (62g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (45g) Panko
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk

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Green Bean Casserole

• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced into halves or quarters
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (180ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) half-and-half

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. For the onions: (while the onions bake, you can blanch the green beans-- next step.) Thinly slice the onion. Pour flour in one small bowl, Panko + salt + pepper into a medium bowl, and whisk the egg and milk together in another small bowl. To bread the onion slices, you'll want to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet. It helps things move a little quicker and easier. First, dip a few slices into the flour. Then into the egg mixture. And finally, give them a nice dunk into the Panko and coat them well. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the onions. Bake onions until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Flip them twice during this time. Set them aside. Reduce oven to 400°F.
3. Bring a gallon of water and 1 Tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately place into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
4. For the casserole: Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a large 10 - 12 inch ovenproof skillet. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give off some of their moisture-- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir until combined. The flour will soak up all the moisture. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Stirring occasionally, cook until the mixture is thick-- about 10 minutes or maybe more if you prefer a thicker sauce.
5. Remove from the heat and add 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Give it a nice stir, combining the sauce and beans. Top with remaining onions and bake until bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy! Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat as desired.

Our Program Manager, Karen O'Leary, made cranberry sauce this year. As we know, cranberry sauce is a hallmark Thanksgiving day side, and ....it is one of my favorites! 

INGREDIENTS

•  12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• ​1 cup orange juice​

INSTRUCTIONS
​In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools

When I say the best...ever, I mean it. This dressing is the best...EVER! Our Outreach Manager, Christina Pritzlaff, made a recipe for dressing that was passed down by her mother. Hopefully it was not meant to be a family secret because we have to spread this love around! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag cornbread stuffing mix (follow directions on bag but use less liquid/broth, see comments below)
• 6-8 cooked breakfast sausages chopped up - save the grease
• 1 pkg cooked bacon (after cooking, let cool and chop into fine pieces -save the grease)
• 1/2 stick of butter (melted), not margarine
• Chicken broth
• Onion, celery, mushrooms

INSTRUCTIONS
Follow the directions on the bag for preparing the stuffing.  Add the chicken broth to the bacon and sausage grease to make the full amount required for the stuffing mix.  We are just substituting some of the broth with the grease. Cook the fresh veggies in a pan with the butter and add it to the stuffing mixture.

One of our mothers, Shaneka, made a classic Southern macaroni and cheese dish! It was one of our favorites. Shaneka always does an outstanding job making dishes for group dinners! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Course salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9"x13" dish. Boil macaroni until tender (about 12 minutes) and drain. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, cheese, milk, and eggs. Add salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake until golden and bubbly, abut 30 minutes.  

One of our mothers, Kim, made crockpot garlic mashed potatoes! Who knew that you could make mashed potatoes in the crockpot? They tasted great!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds red potatoes, but into 1 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 head garlic
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Add potatoes, thyme, garlic, butter, and chicken broth. Cover and cook for 5 hours on high. Add heavy cream and use a hand mixer to blend the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we hope you did too! God has blessed New Beginnings so richly. All of our mothers, their babies, and the staff at New Beginnings wish you God's richest blessings this holiday season as well!

See below our chefs!

​What sets Christians apart from the world?  Why do we have the hope that we have?  We put so much of our faith and trust in God…but why?  In Peter’s letter to the church in Rome he writes:

​“But in your heats revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect,” - 1 Peter 3:15

The answer is right at our fingertips.  We have access to Bibles at home, church, and scripture on the internet.  Most of the time we can access God’s Word right on our smart phones.  It is amazing how quickly we can read what God promises to us and yet how little we view God’s Word on a daily basis.  Could you imagine scrolling through God’s Word and reading what He is saying to us as often as we scroll through our Facebook feed?  I am blessed in my job here at New Beginnings because I get the chance to read and teach God’s Word on a daily basis.  Here is what I found and why I put my hope in Him:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31

The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. – Psalm 121:7-8

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. –Matthew 11:28

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. - Romans 8:25

​I could go on and on about what the Lord promises to us.  There are definitely more in the Holy Scriptures that I could share with you.  As you can see, we are promised that He will take care of us.

​Why will God take care of us?  How do we know this is truth?  The answers are quite simple. God is love.  God loves us.  He always has.  We call Him “Father” and we are His children.  For those of you who are parents, you know the kind of love that you have for your own children and how fierce that love is.  Now imagine what kind of love our perfect Father has for us.  As parents, we pretty much think we know what is best for our children.  God always knows what is best for His children.  All of them.  All the time.

​Here at New Beginnings, some of the mothers are just learning about God’s (Agape) love for them and what His plans are for them and their babies.  Daily devotions, weekly Bible Studies and weekly church services are all ways in which we help our young moms grow to know God’s love for them and they slowly, through the Holy Spirit, learn to put their trust and hope in Him.

​Please use the comment section to share your own stories about how you have seen God’s hand in your life and why you put your hope in Him.

​Do you have a heart of service?  I think that at times, we are all guilty of passiveness or even avoidance of helping those around us.  We may have one excuse or another: we’re busy, we don’t have time, etc.  Maybe we tell ourselves that someone else will do the job or that someone else may be better suited to get the work done.  Maybe we sometimes don’t even consider participating in a service opportunity because the thought simply doesn’t cross our minds.

​However, we’re told in Scripture that God wants us to have a very different approach to serving our neighbors.  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  (1 Peter 4:10). God wants us to go out of our way to serve those around us even when we may not want to or when it isn’t the most convenient for us.  The Bible makes it clear that serving our neighbor should be a priority.  As Christians, we know that God’s expectations for us are perfect.  Imagine what this world would look like if everyone put aside their selfish desires and instead focused on leading lives of service.  What a harmonious and peaceful world that would be!

​The life of Christ is the ultimate example of a life of service.  The entire purpose of Jesus’ time here on earth was to serve humankind.  He took on human flesh and lived a perfect life through the struggles of this world all so that He could gift us with His perfect image.  He knowingly and willingly suffered, died, and defeated hell all so that we might gain entrance to eternity in heaven.  And in His glory, our Savior ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us there.  Consider how blessed we are by Jesus’ dedication to serving His people!

​You, too, have the power to bless those around you with the unique gifts you have been given by the Holy Spirit and there certainly are people who could benefit from those gifts.  New Beginnings has openings for a wide range of volunteer opportunities, from filling staff hours to working one-on-one with our moms to acting as a liaison for our ministry at your church.  Do you have the time and the talents to do any of these jobs?  If not, there are tons of opportunities out there within our local churches and our community as a whole.  Be proactive!  We all have a responsibility to serve our neighbor in any way that we can.  May God grant us all the hearts of service necessary to fulfill this responsibility.

Here we have a list of volunteer opportunities we have at New Beginnings:

​“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (Galations 5:13-14).
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“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  (Galations 6:10).