Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally used up and worn out, shouting '...MAN,what a ride!' ~ George Carlin
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is right, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8
Sometimes I miss them so much it hurts. Days become months and I realize, I need to see them! To hold them close! To smell their hair and breathe in their familiar scent! To hug them tight, and sing 'Nan Loves'. Because they are beautiful creations of those in my heart.
If you're looking for the blog on losing weight, this ain't it.
Italian Cream Cheese Cake
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Cream butter and Crisco. Add sugar and beat well. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour and soda, alternating with the buttermilk. Add vanilla and stir in coconut and pecans. Stir in stiffly beaten egg whites 2 tbls at a time. Pour into 9 inch cake pans, sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until tester appears clean. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream together the cream cheese & sugar for 3-4 minutes. Add pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Mix well. Fold in half of the Cool Whip and mix. Pour into pie shell.
Take remaining Cool Whip and spread on top of pie. Sprinkle remaining coconut over top. Cover pie and place in freezer. When ready to serve, allow to thaw just enough to be able to cut.
It's best served on saucers that have been chilled. Garnish with a cherry on top!
Babies can see angels. I'm sure of that. Why do I think so? Their eyes don't have the scales of the World put upon them yet. I long for the day when the scales from my eyes fall away and I can see what our little ones do while they still can. Watch a young child take delight in the tiniest flower or engage in a conversation and there's no one that you can see. Yes, I believe in angels and I believe they absolutely love the little ones.
Matthew wrote in chapter 18, verse 10, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." (By the way, I thought this was a well written article concerning guardian angels. I don't feel we are assigned one, but I fully believe that they watch my Father's face and hasten to do His bidding when I call upon Him to send one quickly. I've had to do that before. With Jenny. It's her story and a great testimony. Here's the link I was reading this afternoon, Do We Have Guardian Angels?
Our newest grandbaby has a great great grandmother! How wonderful is this! Owen and Leslie and some of the family visited Mother Alice today. She's in an assisted living home and loves company. She is holding our precious Owen. He was three weeks old this past Tuesday. (Sigh) Not only is she holding her great great grandson but she is praying over him. And Leslie. I can only imagine the angels that were there and the love for our Lord and Savior that filled the room. What a blessing, ya'll!
When we saw this photo, John and I spoke of the beauty of having a Christian woman, that's lived a long life filled with life's tragedies and times of bliss, pray over our Leslie and her son. Words don't do justice with what our hearts felt, for we know how much we love Owen. I can only imagine the magnitude Mother Alice feels for the child she is holding. We are so very thankful our children, and their children, walk with the Father and are surrounded by like minded Christians.What a blessing!
Am I framing this? You beat your bippy. She's not related to me, other than being through a blended family but I've had the honor of spending a brief time with her during a visit with Stacey and her babies. She's a gracious woman that loves the Lord. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet her, knowing I'll get to know her better one day in Heaven.
This is what I immediately 'see' when I hear of a child dying or a mass murder such as we've seen all too much these last years. These little souls are with our Father before their earthly bodies are slain. Our precious Jesus took the sting of death with him on the cross. 1 Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" My near death experience? No pain at all. And I've spoken with so many others that had an NDE or was sitting at the side of one that left this world before the shell ceased to function. So I know the satisfaction the murderers feel is empty. If they only knew. And my heart is so filled with thanksgiving that He took them before they felt any pain. I think of the angels that suffered with Jesus on the cruel cross, knowing they could not minister to Him until it was over. I know they are there to gather the little ones. For as I've found out, someone always comes. When it's our appointed time to leave this earthly body, this shell, someone always come to make it easier. You'll never go alone. As long as you're a child of God, you'll never be alone.
Thank you, Mother Alice, for being such an example to us. We should pray over not just our babies, and we do, but others. Friends bearing a heavy load. Strangers that we know are hurting. Asking someone, "May I pray for you" is easier the more you ask. I've never been turned down. To be prayed over, as I have, has always filled me with peace that doesn't come from any earthly being. It's straight from the heart of my Father. Thank you for allowing me to share this today. My heart was so full upon viewing this newest photo of Owen, I just had to come here and leave my thoughts. They don't have to be your thoughts, but I know He loves little children. And his angels watch his face ready to go quickly at his bidding. I think they get quite the joy out of these little people. Until another time, have a blessed day~
(On the far left bar, you'll see Asleep-77 Days. It's my account of an experience my family and I will never forget. Our lives were changed, some more than others. But as I told a counselor, I'd do it all over to have that time in the Garden.)
If you've followed me for a while, you know that almost 7 years ago I underwent an outpatient procedure that went horribly wrong. Truly, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Satan had a grand time. That was a Friday afternoon and I would spend the next 77 days in ICU and away from home. However, satan forgot that I am a child of the King. Saturday morning dawned bright and clear and on call where the doctors that were the best in their field. Our beloved internist, Dr. Catherine Thomas, told John that the ones she would have called, happened to be on call. Yes, our Lord trumps again.
My sweet man saw the above interview on his Facebook Home page. We both watched and listened as Dr. Mary Neal shared her near death experience. She was gone longer than me but some were the same. John and I caught ourselves looking at each other with amazement, and "She saw that, too!", and "It really happened." She made a key statement that nailed what I felt after being sent back. This is what Dr. Neal said,"I went from believing to knowing".
Growing up I was taught that one could hope for a place in Heaven and that if one walked with the Lord there was hope that he would reside with Him. Hope. I now know that if one follows the plan of salvation and loves the Lord, he or she can rest knowing that they WILL be with the Lord. I can tell you I was no saint {surprise!} and I distinctly remember thinking, "I'm here! I'm really here!" and I had goosebumps on my arms upon realizing that He had indeed forgiven me the sins all those 50 years! I was there! I just didn't get to stay.
Dr. Mary Neal was sent back, too. She was sent back with additional knowledge that I'm glad I wasn't, and I'll let her share that. We both believe we were given the mission of spreading the word that Heaven is real. There IS a God and He does forgive. He loves us more than we love our own children and He forgives. Everything. Except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Here is a great article on this subject.
I love sharing what I saw, what I felt, what I learned. I get excited letting others know that there is NO pain when you die. We live in an earthly shell and it may go on 'living' after the soul departs. (We were talking recently about our mothers killing chickens and how those birds would run around the yard with no head before finally dying.) When it is appointed our time to die, to be with Him or to be cast into darkness, there will be no pain. Like the blink of an eye, you're transported. Transformed. The earthly shell may, or may not, continue to live. Sharing over the years, I've been told "the eyes will tell". It appears that there's no one home.
And just as Dr. Neal confirmed, someone always comes for us. I was never afraid. I was never alone. I felt only supreme happiness, joy and delight in knowing where I was and that I knew those I had loved here on earth. I knew who they were and my connection to them. I believe we will know others in Heaven but that there will be no sorrow in those that aren't there. You will read that one of my first thoughts was, "John will be so excited when he gets here!".
I pray that if you don't know my Lord and King that you get in touch with a local minister of the Word. Email me your location and I'll do my best to give you the names of some in your area. I know He longs for all of us to return. I know He knows not all of us will make that decision. As a parent, I can imagine that truly hurts His heart. But He practices tough love and He is very clear about what is expected of us. Just as there is a Heaven, there IS a Hell.
May your week be filled with much love and laughter and may you walk with your head held high knowing that someone far greater than any of us loves us and wants us to come home. To a mansion, to a beautiful life where there is no pain, no worries, no tears. Life is hard and satan (I refuse to give him the distinction of having a capital S) is working overtime. But he's a loser. Cling to God. He's never far away. And don't be afraid that dying will hurt. Just blink your eye. Feels just like that. May God bless and keep you ~
And you can click HERE to get the directions should you decide you'd like to try it. She has a family of five and yes, there's lots of clothes. And towels. Did I say clothes? Me? I have one other in the house and now that he's retired he can wear the same jeans more than once. But I'm proud of our girl. Even though I do have to suck it up. Again. I don't win many around here. That's what you get when you marry a man from Holtville High (heart font) They just don't get any better.
I think I'll stick to my GAIN liquid, Jenny. It reminds me of the way your clothes smell. In fact, Ian said on a visit, "Nan, your clothes smells like my momma's." What a compliment. I wear it with pride.
I know it isn't Easter anymore, but there's always next year. This is a bit more than I always do, but the way she put sequined eggs in the bunny baskets is an idea I can use, along with some of her tablescape ideas! So click here on Easter Table Setting and enjoy her post. There are tons of ideas! My grandbabies would LOVE to see this but it's a bit much when they may or may not be here for the Easter season {smile font!} I love this blog and have been a follower for several years now. You may want to click on Home and read through the rest of her posts. You'll not be disappointed!
I am new to this blog. Bargain Hunting is a fun and uplifting site. She is a grandmother with a grandson that was born premature. In anticipation of his homecoming, she and the two little sisters had a precious child's tablescape to welcome him home. This table is so sweet! Which has given me another reason now to collect some of these items and decorate a table just for our grands when they visit. Too, too cute! Kudos, Laurie, I've become one of your latest followers and love reading back thru older posts! God bless your little grandson.
Another blog I've found and have enjoyed has a posting today of a beautiful arrangement that will look great on The Hood's side of our long bathroom vanity. It's manly and classic looking. Now to get to Tuesday Morning and Hobby Lobby to put it together! Go to A Stroll Thru Life and read more about Marty using feathers in her home. Marty, I've just become a follower and have thoroughly enjoyed what I've read thus far. Look forward to more!
The men that lovingly married our daughters are men of our hearts. We could not have asked of God any better than the ones He chose Himself. And the grandbabies?! Well, if you're a grandmother or a grandfather yourself, you know there aren't words to express the love in our hearts when they run to us with that look that's just reserved for us. To watch them grow brings a tightening to the heartstrings but what a blessing. This year we were given another gift to love and spoil. Owen Heath Taylor joined our family and again, we've lost another piece of our heart. We are all thrilled that he and Leslie came through birth just fine and are settling in at home with daddy Heath. John and I are so very thankful for these sweet blessings.
The Maddox's
The Green's
And, The Taylor's.
With our newest family member.
(Marley has been very receptive {smile font}.
John and I stayed with Miss Marley until Owen came home. It was cute the way Heath and Leslie introduced Marley to her brother and invited him into her home. I'm not sure how long Leslie has had Marley but I know it's in the double digit years. We hated leaving but have been blessed with almost daily photos of this precious gift from God. He seems to be changing daily, but then, they all do that, don't they? I look at our daughters and wonder where time went. Just this past Easter, they were playing in the front yard with my grandmother's hats and acting like they were "old ladies". That photo still makes me smile.
If you enjoy eating pie as much as I do, then you'll love this post from Melissa Lester's post entitled "Top Ten Pies". Not all of them are sweet {wink font} and I'll let you go HERE and find out which one is your favorite. Me? I love love love Icebox Pie. Preferably Lemon, Lime or Strawberry. I'm not a big chocolate person, but my grandmother used to make THE best chocolate pie. Alas, when she journeyed to Heaven she didn't leave the recipe where it could be found. I have not looked for a similar recipe, liking instead to remember it as 'her pie'.
