If the Lord's Willing...

Yesterday I shared something with the ladies in our weekly text thread. A verse came to mind when I was thinking about a habit of my later mother that I've taken up.

One of the things that everyone who knew my mother is a saying she had whenever she was making plans: "If the good Lord's willing to let me live and nothing happen."

Even though I had read the Bible, I didn't realize that my mother got that saying from Scripture:

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”  (James 4:13–15) {my underline}

I guess with age I appreciate that a lot more than I ever did before. This is the rest of the text I shared:

Read the passage & think about it. Gabby (our niece) had just pulled in to work & on the phone with her brother. He was going to be visiting her soon. She died about a half hour later. A lady I worked with for years went home with a headache one day. Told everyone she'd see them "tomorrow". She died of a brain stem stroke - or whatever the term is.

I want to remember how easy it is to die. I don't want to be in the middle or a fight or about to spread nasty gossip - and drop dead. I don't want to have forgotten to thank God for my blessings on the day I die. I don't want to forget to tell the people I love that I love them. 

You probably have stories of your own about people you know - someone in their mid-thirties like out Gabs. Or a co-worker in her 40's and newly engaged to be married in a few months. 

I also think about James 4:14 - 

 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

Think hard about that. You don't have to be "old" or sick or living a "high risk" lifestyle. You can live in the nicest, safest town and only know that kindest people. You can have money for the best food and healthcare. None of it matters to Death.

I have known people who talked about living fast and sowing all their oats before settling down. As of Death respects their planned timeline. 

I know many people who are kind and sweet and generous - but they are not saved. Death is going to come for them one day.

Anyway, I just thought I would share with this blog one of the weekly messages from a text thread. I hope that this touches someone and makes them take a moment to think. Don't focus on if I am right or wrong. Just ask yourself if you will be ready for Death when it comes.

The way I think of Death now is different. I see my life as a little flicker of light and Death as that probably unexpected breath. I am here and then I am not.

I have to remind myself all the time of this. To be ready. I don't want to have any meanness in my heart, nasty gossip on my mind, or curse words coming from my mouth. When Death comes, I hope I will be sleep! If I am awake, I hope I will have remembered to say all my "I love you" messages.

Peace

--Free 

 

 

**RECIPE** Focaccia (It's Not Difficult)

This is a cross post from my other blog

Thanks to The Apron on YouTube, I have learned to make Focaccia at home. I can't spell it all the time, but...

When I told SIL and one of my brothers that I had made Focaccia, I'm not sure they believed me. I would not have. However, here is the video I used and trust me, if I can do it, you can do it.

This is the video for The Apron's easy Focaccia. 

If you are like me and have comprehension issues, do what you need to make it work. I suggest printing the recipe out in large print, numbering the steps and highlighting any important tips. My SIL who has no comprehension issues, just wrote out the recipe and put it in her card box.

Here are some examples of what I managed to put out: 

The first mostly successful attempt

The 3rd much better attempt

The 3rd one baked

Of course, I'm not going to show anything that I screwed up royally! 😂

Because I have learned a couple of things, my next attempt should be my best. For one thing, my original baking pan was too small. I went up a size, so the last one was better. However, I might need to go up a teeny bit more in size... Also, I did have to dig out a much bigger dish for overnight proofing. 

As far as overnight proofing, I couldn't figure out the best size bowl to use. Someone online helped me to figure out that for the recipe I was using (with about 600 grams of flour with high hydration), I needed at least a 5.5-to-6-liter container. I dug around in my storage and found my Sterlite container (not big enough at 4.4 liters) so... I finally managed to find a 5.5-liter tray-style container (exactly like this one). My online source thinks this will work. Fingers crossed.

source

Once I realized how easy it is to make Focaccia, I wondered if there could be ways to make more variations. Of course, I know about the garlic-cheese and the herbs, but I was thinking dessert Focaccia. And, yes, there are recipes for that.  Here's a page from Chef's Bliss and a whole guide from My Daily Sourdough. I haven't done any sweet one yet. I'm just happy not to have to buy bread.

I am so thankful the The Apron. The recipes are so easy to follow and the demonstrations are very clear and helpful. 

Before I go, I have to say that not only is baking my own bread healthier for my diet, it has also been a mental help. On my worst days of depression, if I can think clearly enough, spending time making bread is a coping mechanism. I was having a bad time a few weeks ago, and I realized that the time spent working with the dough and going through the process to create something was better than any medicine doctors could give me. I thank God for learning how to bake a little.You let me mess around and find something that can help me think clearly... Watch out, world!

Peace

--Free

Don't Just Count Your Blessings...

 It's been a while since I posted here because I've been remiss. After saying my morning prayers, I was having my coffee and thought of something to share.

Very often, I marvel at the blessings in my life. Big things - like having a shelter and a loving family and my (sometimes very challenging health). But I think a lot about the little things. Things like a having a good cup of coffee in peace,

It took me a very long time to give up all the sugary creams in coffee and these days I'm down to a splash of half and half and a teeny bit of cane sugar or allulose. 

I was having my coffee and skimming the morning news. The news is, as so often, awful and sad and discouraging. The coffee though... Wow. It was a great cup of java! For a moment, I closed my eyes and just felt thankful.

When I finished my coffee, I still had to live with the burden of bills to pay, health that is not great, and a world in upheaval all around me. But I thank God for that moment of joy. I thank Him for the moments that my body feels better. I thank Him that I have food and water. And I really delighted in that amazing cup of coffee. 😋 So, thank you, Father.

We like to say, "Count your blessings", but I am reminded to be thankful for my blessings and to enjoy them. That great cup of coffee may be my last. That moment of peace and quiet could be the last. 

There are people so rich they could buy up all the gold and silver they desire. There are those so famous that they have "fans". A lot of people have power and influence. I don't, but I feel more blessed than some of those other folks could imagine. I have God's love and protection. I have His grace and mercy. That's not something you can buy. And that pure joy I experienced having a cup of coffee, that is priceless. Priceless and fleeting, but I had it.

I guess I just wanted to share with everyone to count, be thankful, and savor your blessings. Savor every breath and moment of mortal life because it could be the last. For those of us with salvation, there's more to look forward to.

Pray for those not yet living with the promise of salvation.

Peace

--Free