Christmas, Cold Weather, and "Coincidences" - Friday's Fave Five

It's been a busy week!  But other than sometimes feeling overwhelmed by my to-do list, I've had a good week!  Thank you for stopping by to read my Friday's Fave Five list.  If you'd like to participate, click the logo at left to visit our lovely FFF hostess, Susanne.

1. Favorite Christmas treats:  This week I baked Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars (one of our family favorite Christmas cookies) and Tammy's Pumpkin Roll (a new recipe for me).  Both were delicious, and I was happy for the chance to share them with some of my friends from church.
2. Cold-weather comforts:  Hot coffee with a lot of milk and a little vanilla sugar ... Flannel pajamas ... A rediscovered balm for dry skin ... A new-to-me lip balm ...  All of these help make the cold, dry weather a little more bearable!
3. Coincidences: I don't believe these are random coincidences, but it's been remarkable.  Mooseman and I have been working through a book study of The Screwtape Letters, which is cool in itself.  But the tie-ins with recent sermons, recent Bible lessons, and current events have been so frequent and so relevant that it's been stunning at times.  Here's an example:  Today we finished a Bible lesson and moved on to the book study.  One of the passages that the study guide refers to was one that we had just read in the Bible lesson (from John 15).
4. A fresh view:  I think it's so neat when a familiar Bible verse strikes me as if I'd never read it before.  That happened this week when I read Hebrews 1:3 -- "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."
5. Looking back--and looking forward:  In Touch Ministries sent a questionnaire, of sorts, that encourages readers to recall God's provision in our lives in 2010.  (I cannot find the set of questions online, but email me if you'd like to see them.)  I haven't written a word on it yet, but I have been thinking about it.  A lot.  I don't think I can answer "Ways the Father worked through the trials I experienced to teach me to follow Him more closely" in just four lines. :)  I've also been working--at the recommendation of a wise friend--on a list of personal goals for the upcoming year.  Again, I haven't committed anything to paper yet, but it's been on my mind and in my prayers.

This will be my last FFF for the year, because I'll be busy with family for the next two weeks.  I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and I'll be back to FFF in January!