Life Is Short

The Bible says that life is but a vapor and that's the truth.  As a young girl, it seemed that this life was it. Death and the end of this life seemed out there so far that I didn't even think about it.  Now I know that on a time line that extends to Eternity(no end), our days on earth can barely be seen when compared to how much life we have in Eternity----Eternity is forever and forever.  Yet, what decisions we make in this brief life about Who Jesus is effects our whole Eternity.  God paid a huge price to redeem us. Our part is to believe in Him, accept what He did for us, and walk in the freedom He brings us.  In this short life, that choice will effect our destiny for Eternity and the destiny of possibly thousands.  He chose me and I've answered, "Yes."  He chose you too before the foundation of the world. Have you called on His name to forgive you of your sins and be your God?  He loves you and died for you, too.  Say "yes." to Him, if you haven't already.

Lessons Learned Along The Way

1. Life is short. Nothing is forever so embrace today.
2. Jesus Christ is the only One Who is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. He will never change and neither will His Word.
3. Life may not seem fair, but it is still good. Praise Him no matter what.
4. ‘Do the next thing’, no matter how simple that next step is.
5. Keep moving forward and choose to let go of the pain of the past.
6. Your spiritual gifting will bring energy and joy - Learn what energizes you then use those gifts daily.
7. Grief should only be for a season, don’t get stuck.
8. Don’t let anyone push you to do something that doesn’t feel right in your heart....No Peace, don’t do it. It’s not right for you.
9. God loves you...PERIOD. He won’t love you less when you fail or more when you think you’ve done it right.
10. Painful things are stepping stones to growth and will make you better if you don’t allow them to make you bitter. He can use it all but you must give Him the broken pieces of your life.
11. BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING! Anxiety will rob you of your health, your joy, and ultimately your life.
12. You’re never too old to change and grow - Let the Holy Spirit direct your path out of pain and darkness. It's an attitude.

My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe

This is my signature dish, I guess I would say.  I almost always have dough in my ref so I can bake up a batch.  They're so easy and they always get rave reviews.

Mimi's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar(I use C&H)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
21/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 16 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips

I make these in my food processor.  I toss in the sugars and butter first.  (soften the butter by placing it on a plate and microwaving for about 25 seconds.....just enough to soften it a little unless you are organized and plan ahead and let it soften first)  I cube the butter up and toss it with the sugars.  I process and toss in two eggs and the rest of the ingredients, except of course the chocolate chips. Make certain all the butter is mixed in.  Stir in the chocolate chips after you're done processing.   NOW VERY IMPORTANT!.....they will not be nearly as good if you cook them now.  I always put the dough in the refrigerator and let it get good and cold.  It will harden up when the butter is cold again and will bake up much chewier.  If I'm really wanting cookies, I'll put the dough in the freezer for awhile.  Then when I'm ready to cook the cookies, I roll them into ping pong ball sized rolls(don't press them down) and place them on the cookie sheet...I use an insulated cookie sheet.  I place them in a 350 degree oven and bake til the edges start to brown a little....the middle will still be soft looking and light.   this part you'll have to learn on your own.  I've had four different ovens in the years that I've baked these....some were done in 111/2 minutes but the oven I use now, it takes 15 mins.  Why this oven takes so long, i'll never know....but once you learn what time it takes to make them perfect, set your timer each time you bake them and you'll have perfect soft cookies.  If you prefer a crunchy cookie, bake until it is brown in the middle.  Sometimes I double this recipe because my grandsons love to have these....they come over and it's easy to bake them fresh cookies. I'll keep this dough for a week or two and it's still good.  Sometimes I'll only bake five or six if it's just for me.   ENJOY!

God of This City

I moved from OKC after living in the area since my early twenties.  It was huge to leave my friends and start over in a new community.  A few Sundays after I'd gotten here, I sat in my kid's church wondering how long it would take me to settle in to a new life, new city, new church...etc.  I questioned if God could use me here.  As I sat in the service, they sang a song called "God of This City."   As the words pierced my heart, the tears flowed.  I tried to look very inconspicuous as the floodgate of emotion splashed down my face onto my Bible.  God's presence was sweet and His encouragement strong.  I knew He wasn't through with me yet.
    Today, a few months later, I sat in my new church.  The music minister told the story of the writing of "God of this City."  Again, I was blessed even more.  I came home and researched and found a link to the story on UTUBE.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw  You'll be blessed to if you watch this story and then listen to the whole thing.   Chris Tomlin has recorded it.  Thank you, Lord, for Your Mercy and Love.  Thank you for Your faithfulness.

Unbelief Unveiled

Colossians 2:13-15 (The Message)

 ^11-15Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you're already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it's an initiation ritual you're after, you've already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

Stronghold of Unbelief

The enemy of my soul crafted many strongholds for me to be snared by in my fifty-some years.  One that I'm just recognizing is the stronghold of unbelief.   I've lived in self condemnation over past mistakes most of my life.  Ex. I wasn't patient enough with my son when he was growing up. I spanked him far too much.  I failed in numerous areas as a wife. I made mistakes as a widow that I wish I could undo.  Hind site is excellent. Oh yes, I see a multitude of areas that I wish I'd done differenly or that I'm ashamed of.  BUT I'm realizing that I'm walking in unbelief by not trusting God's Word and nailing those things permanently to the cross and leaving them there.  My self-condemnation doesn't honor God, it only holds me captive.  God promised to forgive me of my sins if I repented.  He's not the one keeping the record, I'm the one, with some help from the enemy of my soul. The great deceiver reminds me of my failures and I've bought his propaganda for years.  Praise God, that He has forgiven me and all that garbage that has entered my life through the years, He's cleaned out and thrown it as far as the East is from the West.  I'm the one that keeps opening up the trash can of my soul and examining it and looking at the stinky layers. He's the one that's saying, "MY child, don't you know I forgave you at Calvary?  Don't you know I knew you'd fail?  Don't you know I want to work all that trash to your good? Sweet child, leave it at the cross and watch me use it as compost to grow something new and beautiful.  I can't do that as long as you keep dredging it up and pulling it out of the compost heap to lament over how it reeks of failure.  Let it go!  Let me use it.  Take a deep breath and Praise Me for it and for what I did on the Cross.  Don't focus on your mistakes. Focus on Me and My redemption.  Focus on my Victory. I CAME TO SET YOU FREE.  Walk in it! Embrace it and bathe in my Peace. BELIEVE ME!!!  Believe my Word. TRUST ME!  REST IN ME!"

Fifty-five plus Trenches of life

I'm learning a lot in this season of life.  How about you?  I've learned that I can't really see my face unless I use a five-times magnifying mirror.  I look much younger in the regular mirror (only to me of course) but when I use the five-times mirror...things come into focus that I didn't even know were there....like chin hairs and whiskers and trenches in my smile line and the eyes.. we'll just call them creases.  But it's the little hairs I can do something about. I've even bought a little electric thingy that will shave inside my nose!  Who would have ever thought????  I've never had my eyebrows waxed but I give them a regular tweezing. Then there's the coiffure....where did those grey hairs come from? There's a few wiry little guys that love to prance on top of my head.  I've found some delightful hair products that make my mane look thick and tame the corkscrews.  AND my beautician has found a process that highlights the color I still have. 

It's rough staying presentable in this fifty-five plus stage of life but it's worth it.  My five year old commented with concern to his mom the other day as they passed thru a restaurant drive thru ..."that lady looks like she is going to die soon."  She was older than me and very wrinkled....since I don't want my grandkids thinking that about me yet, I'll keep sprucing up what I can.  

Any tips you have to share, I'd appreciate!

Easter Hug From God

On Tuesday, April 14th, I'll move to Owasso, OK.  I have almost everything I own packed in boxes and in the process, I've sorted through it all, trying to decide what to get rid of and what to keep. 

Yesterday, I found an old cardboard file box in the garage that had very little in it. I started to just toss it but decided I'd better sort through it.  In one file labeled 'writings' I found a yellowed five page story that had been typed on a type writer.  It was entitled "God Gave the Song." There was no author's name but I"d kept the story years ago for some reason.  I took a break from my work, sat down on the concrete steps, and started to read it.  By the second page, I knew it was a resurrection story and a good one.  By the last page, tears splashed down my cheeks as I read of the Resurrection Day and saw the authors signature at the end.  It was signed and dated: Lynda Ann Basye,  March 30, 1983.  

 Lynda, my only sister, died March 24, 2001.  I had chills as I thought of the odds that I'd find her story, let alone find it on Easter weekend.  I couldn't wait to scan a copy to her daughter....my niece.  It would be equally as special for her.  She would have been only six when my sister wrote it so I doubted that she's seen it.  It confirmed to me how important writing is.  Eight years after my sister's death, her writing written twenty-six years earlier, blessed me mightily.