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 so far away that I didn't give it much thought.  Now I know that on a timeline that extends thru Eternity(no end), our days on earth can barely be counted, compared to that endless life in Eternity----Eternity is forever and 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, nothing, nothing is forever: Embrace today & count your blessings.
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.  You can do this!
5. Keep moving forward and choose to let go of the pain.
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 only you can choose to 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!