The Basics!!

When I was growing up I had a friend who loved to cook. Well, actually she loved to bake. Her dream was to become a pastry chef in a fancy restaurant in NYC one day after culinary school. Every Saturday after breakfast she would help her mom clean up the morning's dishes and then push her mother out the door so she could take over and do what she loved; bake

I remember the very first thing she ever made was a very tiny, chocolate cake in her Easy Bake oven when we were just little girls and I guess something happened that day and she fell in love with the craft. By the time we were teenagers she had put away her easy bake oven and began working with the real deal. LOL

Her mom would leave her alone to every weekend "make her mess" as she called it. But Jen didn't care, she was happiest when she was creating. The best thing she ever made on those weekends were red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. YUM!! They were are still are the best I've ever eaten. She made everything from scratch, even the icing. It would take her hours, but she did it and when they were finished we would gobble them up while making oohhing and aahhing sounds.

By the time we graduated high school, she was making elaborate cakes for birthday parties and baby showers. Her work was beautiful. I remember one day watching her as she was putting one of them together and asking questions about all of the ingredients that she put on the island in front of her. I asked her why so many when she was only baking a cake. Although my granny made her share of cakes from scratch, I was also accustomed to seeing the little red box in the cabinet that read Betty Crocker on it. LOL. So I wondered what the purpose was for each of the containers she had. She took her time to explain to me that without the flour, she would really have no cake at all. It was THE most important ingredient in a cake. I shrugged my shoulders and listened as she explained what each thing did. She told me the eggs add "structure" to the cake and help to leaven it and make it moist. I had no idea what that meant, but went along with it. When she added the baking powder, again I was curious and she answered as before. She said that without it, the cake would be flat and ugly. She then added the sugar. I smiled and said, "I know what that does, makes it taste good." She grinned and nodded yes.

My friend was patient with me as I questioned her during those couple of hours. At the time I was just curious, but later in life, I would remember all of those things she used and use them in making my own creations for my family and friends to enjoy.

Jen knew exactly what to put into her cakes to make them perfect. To make them become what she wanted them to be. And she knew that if even one of those ingredients was missing, she would still have a cake, it just wouldn't be as good. There would be something lacking.

That's how life is. Everything in life has certain ingredients that must be added to get the end result for that which you are striving. In a mariage you must have love, trust, honesty, loyalty, friendship and work on both parts. Without even one of those, you'll still be married, but your marriage won't be what it should be.

In a friendship, you must have laughter, loyalty, good listening skills, communication between the two, common interests and honesty. Without any of these, you'll still have a friendship, but you won't be as close as you could be.

In your walk with God, you MUST have faith, love, trust, communication (Bible reading), time alone (prayer). Without any of these, you'll still be a child of God, but who knows for how long. You must stay connected to God through all of these methods.

Like the flour in the cake, your walk with God wouldn't be anything without love for Him. Exodus 20:3 tells us: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me". So it must be a pretty important ingredient in our walk with Him. Also, like the sugar that gives the cake it's flavor, communication through prayer gives our relationship with God it's flavor. We are told in Psalm 34:8 "taste and see that the Lord is good". So we need seek Him and see how good He is. Prayer is for us what the baking powder is to the cake. It causes us to rise. I know that when my spirit is low and life has me down if I go to the Father and He picks me up. Psalms 145:18 tells me that "the Lord is nigh unto them that call on Him". If He is nigh unto you, that means He's near and that makes you feel happier, thereby lifting your spirit and making you feel better.

I could go on and on, but you get the meaning by now.

Everything in life has to have certain ingredients to make it what you want. Without one, you can still have the finished product but it won't be as good.

I knew a man once, a preacher, who had been preaching for many years. He would study every night and especially around church nights. I remember one time he was doing something else during the time he was usually studying. I asked him if he was going to and he replied no. I asked him what about church the next night? His answer to me was "I've studied for thirty years, I know that Bible front to back and if I never opened it again, the congregation would never know it". That was nothing but pride flowing from him. He continued on for the next few months without studying and unfortunately, he fell from grace. He ended up leaving the church and his family. Was it because he quit reading the bible? I would venture to say that's where it all started.

So we must keep the ingredients that are necessary for our relationship with God to be what we want. If my friend wanted a masterpiece cake, she knew what she had to put in to get it.

If you want a good marriage, you know what you have to put in it to get it.

And finally, if you want a closer walk with God and to someday see Him for yourself, you know what you have to put in your relationship to get that.

I hope I've encouraged you in some way tonight to work a little harder on what you want. I always end my blog with work hard. But you really do have to work to have anything in life. Marriage takes work, your family life takes work, and your walk with God takes work on your part. Trust me, if you show up, God will show up.

I love you all and I hope this has lifted your spirits a little.

No blog tomorrow until late tomorrow night maybe. LOL. I have a day of driving, then the book event, then dinner with some very special people.

Remember to work hard and Dream Big!!

Much love,

Christy