Ten-year-old Taylor woke up and stretched. Today was Saturday and besides not having school that meant one thing—homemade cinnamon rolls. Twenty minutes and two cinnamon rolls later, Taylor licked her fingers and pushed back from the table. Sigh. Cinnamon rolls tasted so good, but she couldn’t eat another bite. 

“Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”

For Taylor Saturday mornings meant one thing—cinnamon rolls.

Sometimes when you think of one word, another comes to mind. They’re connected like a pair of perfectly matched socks.

What word goes together with the ones below?
Peanut butter…
Macaroni…
Salt …
Dad…
Golden arches…
Swoosh…

When you think of the first word, the second word pops into your mind, right? 

Every morning!

The Bible pairs the word “morning” with another word too. See if you can figure out what it is: 

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Psalm 143:8

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

You know how your stomach aches when you’re hungry in the morning? The only thing that satisfies that ache is some good food–like a cinnamon roll.

Inside every one of us is another kind of ache–the need to be loved and to love back. And the only Person who can satisfy that ache is God. Just like you start every day day with breakfast, energy for the day and food to make you strong, God wants you to start every day knowing how deep and wide his love is.

God IS love. He can’t stop loving any more than he can stop being God.

1 John 4:8

Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Day Cinnamon Rolls

Make the heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cinnamon rolls below for Valentine’s Day breakfast. Then use these questions to discover more about God’s love. 

When do you feel God’s love the most? • What does “unfailing” love mean and why is that a big deal? • What’s one way God showed his love for you? (John 10:11) • What does it mean to “trust in or rely on [God’s] love”? (1 John 4:16)

1 box yellow cake mix
2-1/2 c. warm water
2 packages fast-acting yeast
2 T. sugar
4-1/4 c. flour
1 T. sugar
Brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to taste

(Not a baker? You can always use crescent roll dough and instead of dividing the dough into individual rolls, roll them out of the container into a long rectangle.)

Mix yeast, warm water, and 1 T. of the sugar until the yeast is dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the dry ingredients. Add to the yeast mixture and stir. (There’s no need to knead the dough.)

Cover and let rise for one hour in a warm place. 

Butter two round cake pans (round is what keeps the rolls heart-shaped. Divide the dough in half. Roll each piece into a rectangle onto a floured surface. Spread with butter then sprinkle with as much brown sugar as you’d like.

Roll up lengthwise into a long “log” until you reach the middle. Do the same with the opposite side. 

Cut the long roll into 1 inch “slices.” Use your thumb and finger to pinch one end into the tip of a heart. Place the tip toward the inside of the buttered pan.

Let rise until doubled (about an hour), then bake at 350º F for 15 min. Once cool, cover with a glaze of powdered sugar and milk. 

Enjoy!

*Thanks to Amy Haley for several of the pictures and her grandma’s yummy cinnamon roll recipe.

© Carol Garborg 2021