Life's Recipes

I made a cake from scratch. The day I made it God spoke to me through the process. He showed me that my life needs to be lived like a recipe. When I live it each day right, at the end of the day, as I lay my head on my pillow, I should feel good about the day lived out. It should taste sweet or yummy, be filling, satisfying, and complete, with no main ingredients left out.

So Now I am asking God for the recipe, my recipe. I want to live each day on purpose, embracing each moment and be satisfied with each of the precious days he has given me.

"This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it."

At first I thought..."OK...I can do this...learn a recipe... memorize it and boddabing...fine living!" Then the duh... factor set in. The: nothing is that easy, came into play. 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' It is a fact that every day's recipe for my life will not, nor should it be, a cake recipe.

My life is a cookbook of recipes. Some of them have gone very wrong. Those batches of cookies, burnt and smelly get trashed, not stored as left overs to rehash on later days. No, rather they are days taken to the cross to be erased and forgiven. Some recipes are tangy with a dash of sweet. Some are days packed with the truth of God....salty, sour, yet some how so good, like a nice yummy dill pickle or a snack of lemons and salt. No sarcasm intended...I really do love both those things...mmm:) Some days are sooo very sweet, like a Chocolate Bavarian Cream pie or an all you can eat do-nut parade. These would be those kodak, precious moments with my kids and my hubby, or days spent with family and friends when just spending time together is the only agenda.

My Point in all this; What is my agenda? What is each days recipe to follow precisely? Imagine a chef in his kitchen, hard at work and play, as he designs with a purpose, with a pinch of this, a smidgen of that, and a few hand fulls of sweetener.... boddabing a master piece (or peace) is born.
This is how I want my days lived.

So how? Where do I begin? By realizing first and foremost that I am not the chef. By following the directions the Master Chef has written for me to know. I follow his lead and tune in my minds radio station on to his voice each morning, afternoon, all day long. Listening and following his directions is what will give each of my days a happy ending.

When I lay my head down on my pillow; on the lap of my Lord each night I want to be comfortable there. I don't want to be squirming like a restless child, nor do I want to be ashamed of the mess I made in his kitchen again. I don't want all those shoulda, coulda, but didn'ts, to haunt my minds peace. So, no matter what, knowing my hands are not his hands, and my ways are flawed no matter how hard I try, I end my day at the cross. I lay it down and no matter how my recipe turned out that day, each day My Lord, and Yours, He loves us. He loves us when we are bitter, sweet and sour, even burnt and smelly. He holds me and assures me he has a new recipe for me tomorrow. A new day to start fresh and clean. With a clean kitchen and fresh new ingredients to work with:) He has a new day for me to live tomorrow. And he has a new one for you too dear friend!

Lamentations 3:22-24

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Random Thoughts, Food for thought, A tid bit of wisdom

If you enter the rat race, even if you win you are still a Rat!
Live life on purpose, choosing not to give into winning the race of life no matter what it cost. Cause it'll cost ya! Finishing the race with integrity intact, is better than forcing our way into a winners circle undeserved.

Christ said the first will be last and the last will be first in the Kingdom of heaven.

He also said all have sinned and fallen short.. the only way to winning is to admit we do not have what it takes to win and accept HIM as our LORD and Savior!


Ok so after we got him we can still lead others to him and feel like winners.... right?


We do not lead people to Christ. He calls them unto himself.

We are living breathing letters, living breathing representatives read by all men seeking to know who Jesus is!

We are in other words living breathing proofs of failure to be perfects. We are proof that all need a savior. And we gladly point the way to the one with it all figured out, the one who has all life's answers. And we wouldn't think of taking credit or pat ourselves on the back cause it is not us who deserves praise but him who is ALL glorious, wonderful, loving, the Great almighty ALL in ALL, Christ Jesus!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (New International Version)

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, know and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

1 Peter 3:15 (New International Version)

¹⁵But in your hearts set apart 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,

Even if we claim Jesus as our Savior it is easy not to let him be Lord of our Life.

Transformation occurs when we see God moving and join Him there.

Functional Atheism

Mark 8:34
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Aligning our inner most being with God is not easy. Our words, our desires, our spontaneous reactions to situations, simply put, will collide with God's will and His ways. We, in our pursuit of him, following after him deliberately, are going to fall short. As Christians we must face our "Functional Atheism." What we say and what we believe often clash. Darkness seeps out and the light of faith remains hidden inside. We are meant to shine in this world needing HIM.

We believe God is in control. He works all things for the good of those who love him. So even in hard times we can praise him. Through every thing in our life we have hope because of him who is in us. We can do all things through Christ whom gives us strength. We, by his grace, can have strength to get through the hardest times, and through him we know neither heaven nor earth angels nor demons, nor any thing else can come between us and the love the Lord God has for each of us. We know, we know he always comes through for us.

Yet thoughts in our head come out our mouth in the form of functional atheism. "If that happens I will be soo mad." " If this happens I do not know what I will do!" "I will just roll over and die if that happens to me." " I don't know why people have to put High fructose corn syrup in everything... and Lactose... they say it has no milk then they slip in Lactose and my son gets sick.....oooooh I could just punch some one.... it makes me so mad!" "Health insurance is so expensive I just know soon I won't be able to afford it, I don't know what's to be done." "OH NO, I was around so and so and they were sick I am bound to be sick too."

We speak words of such anger, utter hopelessness. Why? Do we not truly believe God is with us always through thick and thin. Do we not trust in him with all our heart? We could speak words of encouragement, thinking on things above as it is written. We could be speaking life, instead we let slip out darkness and lost hope. I know that know no matter what, God is with me, and he will get me through the toughest times. I should be praising him for his faithfulness. I could be saying " God is faithful and I know no matter what I face he will get me through it."

So I take up my cross. I fall on my knees at it's heaviness and ask for forgiveness for the words that have slipped out of my mouth causing doubt instead of faith to be built up in the people I know and love. I acknowledge my inability to live with out the cross I hold, carried and died upon by my Jesus for me. I thank him and accept his forgiveness and feel the heaviness lift from my shoulders. He after all conquered, paid for, my sin which the cross represents. I stand and lift my head and see His love...so deeply for me. He sees me not with human eyes but with eyes of fire. He knows everything I will do and everything I will accomplish. He knows the mistakes I have made and the ones I have yet to make. He knows my faults and chooses to love me anyway. He sees things in me I could never even fully comprehend let alone understand.

There is something in each of us planted by God. Our value, he grows to it's full potential every time we let him. Everytime we fall on our knees and acknowledge we do not have it all figured out and we need him, Every time we look to him and ask for his help, every time we do not do things by sight but rather by faith in Him... we grow and who we are in Him grows. We are not more loved by him than before. We are not more valuable than before. But we are closer to him and begin to live out being-loved by Him. We move beyond the oppressive demands we impose on our selves, beyond the idealistic claims of the ego that tells us who we should be, must be, ought to be. As we draw close to our father we embrace his unmerited, unconditional love for us and live victoriously in it. Victory not from never failing, but rather from learning we can keep on keeping on, hope is to be had in every circumstance, love lives on after death, no matter what, He is who He is, and keeps His promises. He will bring to completion what he has begun in each of us. He will grow us to our full potential and not give up when to most, all seems lost.

I choose to live my life outwardly more hopeful. I shall rely on his words and bring my own thoughts captive before they spontaneously slip out as darkness instead of light. I choose to each day draw closer to my Father whom loved me so much he sent his son to die for me. I pick up my cross and follow Him. I will rely on his wisdom, his Spirit to guide the words I let flow from my lips. I will rely on his Love for me in order to teach me how to let my hands actively love others, helping, instead of hanging at my side idle.

In my modified words of Martin Luther King JR.
"If I can not drive may I run, If I can not run, may I walk, If I can not walk, may I crawl, if I can not crawl, may I no matter what , make sure I keep moving forward." May I keep on keeping on, letting Jesus do his work in me and through me!

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

A Night at the Laundromat

Washing machines are my view, empty ones all in a row. I imagine them swishing and swashing, swirls of colors or whites. No label reading , size comparing; just clothes doing what all clothes end up doing. They get thrown in with a crowd to be washed all together in no particular favorite ranking order. Kinda degrading thinking of it in that way...

You might be wondering my circumstance. Am I sitting, stranded, car broken down, with out two quarters or a cell phone? No. I chose this place. I drove past the Starbucks, and all the other local cafe's. I drove my car into the Laundry Land's parking lot and deemed this place perfect. The place I was in fact looking for now found. No, I do not have laundry anyone can see to wash and dry and fold neatly into a tiny round basket. No, I am not looking to hook up with anyone. I am, in fact, here to practice my invisibility ability. You see while I might not have physical dirty jeans to be dry cleaned (Who does that) I do, however, have a heavy duty sized load of mental laundry to sort out.

I thought of going to a church and sitting in a pew hoping no one...the janitor, stray pastor, or prayer warrior would notice me practicing my not so super invisibility power. Nothing against those people, I just need The BIG DADDY of us all to help me with my Laundry and no one else will do. I was about to give up my search for a perfect place when "ting" God showed me this place. The local laundromat is my answered prayer. Open till 10pm, you don't have to wait to be seated or feel like you have to order to stay seated. No latte to drink, after hours that coffee should be indulged, to temp me. Here I sit, Me, My Pencil, My Pad, My Bible all ready to clean my dirty laundry. Where to begin? What category to start sorting out first.
"God do your best...Have at me."

I begin with Sins Needing to Be Forgiven: Lord I snapped at my kids more than once today, in fact more than ten times... My patience grows thin and instead of rely on your strength and love I have said things both out loud and in my mind that have hurt the ones I love. I don't understand things, situations, instead of seeking truth, I made assumptions, wrong assumptions that caused discord instead of peace in my marriage as well as other relationships.

My Worries: my kids, my husband, my family, my friends, their health, their education, their spiritual everyday Joy, their salvation, their financial security, their marriages, and mine.

My to do list: Time. Time with you God. Time with my family, and friends. More time to teach my kids. Time to full fill my homemaking to do lists. Time=love=Time well spent. So God give me time for what matters most and help make what does not matter not seem so important so it won't keep taking up so much of my time.

Lord forgive me my faults. Wash me clean. Help me start new again each day. Lord fill in where I am lacking. Make me a better mom than I am. Create in me a pure heart, stand in my gaps and grow in me the ability to be the wife my husband needs, the daughter and sister I am meant to be. Teach me dear Best Friend, how to be a friend to others in genuine ways. May you build my love for others on your solid rock. That those who call me friend may see you and know you more through me.

I praise you God for All you have done. I PRAISE YOU GOD! You took me from feeling like a Zero to now knowing, because of you I can be a Hero. I don't need a cape, or the ability to fly, or even the ability to sing so high glass shatters. All I need is you and your love to share with the world.

Thanks be to God my King my everything! Amen

In the words of Max Lucado
"God does not want our heads to keep HIS love from our hearts!"
So in the words of ...me, "Therefore we should do our mental laundry daily and not let it stack up and keep us from the one we need the most!"

Lord I lay it all down so that the one (that being you God) that over came the world can over come mine as well!

To all who read this, Good night, Sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite or smelly mental laundry ruin a good nights sleep :)

Christmas is Everyday! Every Day is Christ!

John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "

This Christmas I Celebrate Jesus being born in me. I praise Him that a tiny seed of faith was planted in my heart and grew from babe, to man, to Savior of my Life, to my bestest friend, to my everything. I jump up, throw my hands in the air and sing for the joy He has stirred up in me, for the peace He has grown in me, and the life He is willing to live through me. That I in Him and Him in me can love others as only He can. We can change the world. With Him I can be the wife my husband needs. With Him I can be the mom I desire to be. With Him I can be everything He has designed and planned me to be. I can live my life to the fullest one true friendship at a time.

He has set me free, forgiven me everyday and is willing to go the distance with me. Every where I am, everywhere I go there He is! Every Day is Christmas!

I Celebrate this Christmas, the birth of my savior, my living, breathing, very real best friend, my God, and my King!

What do you celebrate this Christmas?

Merry Christmas to you all!
May unto you all a child be born!

Isaiah 9:6

For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Living in The Lords house our Home

Psalm 19:9-14 (New International Version)

⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

¹⁰ They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

¹¹ By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

¹³ Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

We are His children learning to be content. We eventually become grown ups and decide for ourselves where we live. As His children gone astray; we have left His house, past the front gate. We go and search out our own dwelling place to prove ourselves able, grown up, sufficient.

Problem: We are only sufficient in Him, with Him in His house. We weren't meant to live any where else. We are fish trying to walk on sand; birds giving up flight for stronger legs and a good walking stick. We were created to live in the house of God. As a bird must know what is beyond his own nest in order to decide for himself that indeed what he had in the first place was the dearest and the best already, so does our hearts fall astray in order to be drawn back to see, to know how perfect is the loving dwelling place we have already in our Father God.

We need the word of God, our bread crumb trail back to our house, our home. Going through trials, and hard times are not forms of punishment. They are for our opportunity. We are shown again and again we are unable, insufficient, incapable. Yet we think just one more sin, one more step left or right instead of closer to His sufficient embrace. "If I could just pay off this or that then I will trust you God, and rely on you. Lord let me do what ever it takes for me to gain $5,000 then I can trust in you." We scramble, we lose hope, we grope for air, almost wishing it would run out, so giving up would not be our fault. When the trial is not meant to hurt us, but only to heal us. It is meant to bring us back to our manna ( bread of life); our provider of all we need. It is not to rub our insufficiency in our faces so we have to try harder to fail. It is meant to bring us to Him. To draw us to our knees, knowing by ourselves we can do nothing, but in him, in Jesus, all things are made possible. When we choose to trust, Love, Live, each day for Him, eventually we find ourselves through the gate and back in the house that was meant to be our home.

I am not talking about death. I am talking about us living in Him and God in us, as we rely on Him as our sufficiency. When I realize I am less, he can fill me with more, more of his love, more trust, more faith, more hope. His Joy is made complete in us. Imagine a fathers joy having his child home to stay. A joy pressed down, overflowing, bubbling over becomes known to us. Our hearts become thankful sacks of love ready to be given out like groceries to the poor.

Sure we will still have hard times. We may walk through cancer, loss of loved ones, financial trouble etc. But we have his promise that nothing is impossible for God. What have we to fear? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, or demons, nor anything else can separate us from the love of our God. The peace that surpasses all understanding transforms us and comforts us, as only the Prince of Peace Can.

May we learn to live content in God's House. May we learn to claim it as our home and have the blessed peace he has for us to live in everyday. Not just on the weekend or for an hour on Sunday, but every waking hour we live.

If this is for you and you have found yourself past the gate of your home. May you follow the bread trail back to the arms of God. May you know of Jesus's death on the cross, paying for your sin. May you ask him for the forgiveness he already died for you to have. May you trust in him and let him lead your heart to people you can trust that will help you in your walk living in His house, your home that is more beautiful than any one can imagine, with more than enough room for all of who you are and are meant to be:)

God bless you and Happy Thanks Giving!

John 14 ¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going."

John 14:19-21 Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.

"Follow the Lord your God!"

John 1:35-42 Summarized

"Look the Lamb of God" shouted John the baptist

They heard... Two of them followed Jesus.

"What do you want?" Jesus asked.

"Rabi, where are you staying?"

"Come" He replied, "and you will see."

So they went.

One of them, Andrew, sought out his brother first thing. " We have found the Messiah!" Then he brought his brother to Jesus. Jesus renamed this man Peter.


Often we are so empowered by the fact that God will not leave us nor forsake us that we forget something huge. He said take up your cross and follow Him... not our own every spontaneous desire or whim. I know I am guilty of not putting HIM first in everyday. I have my agendas, my appointments, tasks, phone calls to make. I used to daily sit and write down a list and then seal it in an envelope. I would then read my bible and give my day to him "your will not mine God." Then having written down my plan I would not look at it again. I would remember what ever was important and thank God when he changed the agenda to something more important as the day progressed. Perhaps envelopes got too expensive or more likely I got lazy.. but for what ever reason I got out of this habit. My Goal after reading this passage is to ask God... "Where are you staying each day... God where are you working and need me most." I know he will say "Come and you will see."



Am I following or still fighting to take the lead?
Am I a tree, a plant, a sprout or still a tiny seed?

What effort, What cost, What steps, What habits lost?

Does my heart desire to dwell, to be close, and belong,
Or turn away, this way and that, to sing it's own bland song?

Oh Lord, my Lord How Majestic is Your Name in all the earth! How beautiful you are to me!
Oh Lord, my Lord, How Marvelous, How wondrous you are, Open up my eyes and let me see!

Feed me, Love me, heal me, guide me, set me free!
Take me by the hand I want to be where you want to be!

With in your hand is my life, my purpose, my initial worth.
My Jesus, My Rock, Your will be done in heaven and on earth.

I want to follow you, to be where you are, take the Lead!
I want to be a fruit bearing tree, a shining star, no longer a seed!