Category: mother

Shared Blessings

Hebrews 13:1 The Message – Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! 

I’m sure there have been a few angels at our table over the years. 

Hopefully, my children and grandchildren will remember times around our dinner table.  God blessed us with ten years sharing meals with four generations after John’s parents moved near us.

Shared Blessings is a collection of recipes and memories dedicated to family and friends who shared their lives and cooking skills with me.  My family appreciates you and I do too!

Every time I make carrot salad, I think of a friend in Michigan who loved my version of carrot salad with pineapple, chunks of celery and my secret ingredient – whipped cream. 

Pinto beans and corn bread – my mother – who made cornbread in iron skillet, heated oil in skillet and then poured into cornmeal batter.  Made it so crispy.

Zucchini muffins – lady at Blairsville Nazarene Church who gave me her recipe for Zucchini bread – but she made it as muffins.  So crunchy on top but moist inside.

Chicken casserole – Hollis Raab in Shelby, NC –  what a treat to stay in her house on trips from Greensboro to Shelby on weekends (my husband’s first church) – lovely flower garden and beautiful home – she put down sheet under our one year old’s high chair to catch crumbs.  Her recipe for chicken casserole conjures up these memories. 

Most of the recipes in this book (as noted on recipe) came from friends and family.  Some no doubt came from magazines, cookbooks or maybe newspapers.  I’ve tried to give credit to those I remember, but if you recognize your recipe – please don’t be upset with me.  Just know  – someone, somewhere, sometime is enjoying your culinary delight.

May you be blessed as you share meals with those you love!

Matthew 6:31.33 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Soul Special

This was a gift from my first daughter-in-law on Mother’s Day. A picture of my mother and poem reflecting how special she was. Yolanda had never met my mother – I’m sure our son Johnny shared with her about what a wonderful “Nana” my mother was to him.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to both my daughters-in-law. Thank you for loving our sons and the great job you have done in raising our grandchildren.

May 2019

 

 

 

Soul Special

This was a gift from my first daughter-in-law on Mother’s Day. A picture of my mother and poem reflecting how special she was. Yolanda had never met my mother – I’m sure our son Johnny shared with her about what a wonderful “Nana” my mother was to him.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to both my daughters-in-law. Thank you for loving our sons and the great job you have done in raising our grandchildren.

May 2019

 

 

 

Is it Ok to Argue with God?

IMG_06854 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

 

The nurse called, “Mitchell family.”  I jumped up from the hard bench I had been sleeping on and said, “Yes.”

She said coldly, “No!” and shook her head negatively.

That was the most deflating, agonizing word I’d ever heard. Just

“No,” not “I’m so sorry” or a tender look or compassionate hug.

Just “No.” And there was no one to turn to.

 

I knew Mother was gone.  My father was sleeping on the other side of the waiting room. It was my responsibility to wake him and inform him his wife did not survive the heart attack.

When my sister and her husband arrived my father said, “Let’s go into the chapel.  He asked me to say a prayer for us.

Why pray?

I wanted to argue with God.

He gave me a verse when I got on the plane that day.

Isaiah 26:3  (KJV)

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

My prayer was for mother to keep her mind on God, trust in Him and he would keep her in perfect peace.

I claimed that for my mother.  I was trusting that she would be healed.

I believed God would heal her.

I wanted to argue with God, I did not want to lead my family in prayer.  Pray for what?  She was gone.

Instead of arguing I had to trust. Trust that God would help us walk through this valley of the shadow of death, that he would be with us and comfort us.

Although my mother died thirty-three years ago, I can still feel the agonizing pain of loss.  The blur of visitation, funeral and the empty feeling at her graveside. Over the years, the loneliness of not being able to share joys and hurts with her is a walk through that valley.

Are you walking in the shadow of the valley of death?

It is ok to argue with God? Absolutely!

He wants us to be honest with him. His heart is to be with us and comfort. The rod and staff pictured in Psalm 23:4 are of the shepherd guiding and protecting his sheep.

You will never get over this – but you will get through it.

We can not fear because God is with us. He will guide and protect his sheep.

Death cannot separate us from the love of God.

IMG_0718

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

 

Her Hands

Proverbs 31:  30-31

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 

jtsmom.collage

 

While the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

The hands of a good woman are certainly to be adored.

 

Young hands once embraced her lover’s strong hands

as they joined in holy matrimony,

They embarked on an adventure

That built a lasting legacy and testimony.

 

Tender hands to hold the precious babies

Firm hands to administer discipline to the naughty

Loving hands to console the scraps and bruises

While always skilled hands, though never haughty.

 

Eager hands seeking God’s design for her life

Led to a life of devotion to her Savior,

The Holy Bible became her nourishment

And she desired more and more to gain His favor.

 

Strong hands contributed to the household funds

Working long hours in many different places

While sewing, serving or selecting fashion

She was a blessing to many special faces.

 

Vigorous hands displayed her devotion to her family

As unselfishly displayed in her desire to help whenever

Cleaning, folding, ironing or sewing clothes

Those diligent hands displayed a love to last forever.

 

Adventurous hands loved to play with the kids

Who says a grandmother can’t ride a trike?

She broke her wrist while roller skating

So it was much less dangerous to ride a bike!

 

Skillful hands designed many a quilt and afghan

All were grateful for the love contained in each stitch

And Praised the Lord for the loving hands

While we snuggled neath the softness without an itch.

 

Open hands always offered a hug

She wanted to make sure that everyone heard

Of her love and God’s, praying and trusting that

All would surrender and follow His word.

 

Fragile hands no longer able to cook and clean

Still wrote those letters and many a birthday greeting

She couldn’t remember if she had sent that card

Sometimes they received more than one reading.

 

Weak hands depended on her family for strength

Too frail to breathe without the oxygen tube in her nose

Coughing increased and eating was a struggle

She moved around the house with that clear hose.

 

Determined hands instructed her son to resist delaying her

Ready to reunite with her parents in Beulah Land

She used her last breath trying to help her husband

And in the arms of her oldest son she surrendered her hand.

 

Thank you Mom, Grandmother, MeeMaw for using those beautiful hands God gave you to bless each of us!

 

Another prompting to honor another mother.

This was written in 2009 for the birthday of my husband’s mother.  She enjoyed reading my one and only attempt at poetry!!    Again I was able to express in writing what I had difficulty telling her in person.

The last two paragraphs were added after she died in 2010.

 

Dear Mother

It was Mother’s Day 1985.  Relaxing that evening, after a pleasant day with  family, my thoughts turned to my mother in Georgia.  Living In Michigan I did not have the opportunity to see her as much as I would like.  So, I decided to write her a letter.

It has not always been easy for me to express my thoughts in person.

“Dear Mother,

Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking of “Mother’s Day” and how special my mother is to me.  I don’t know if I ever called you “mom” or maybe “ma-ma” at a very young age, but “mother” just the sound of it means – comfort – especially as a child only a mother can comfort when you’re ill or hurting – I’m far from being a child- but even yet when I’m sick I want mother to know and comfort.

Mother also means encourager and helper.  I remember how you helped me can peaches in Texas for a home economics project and helped me sew my first skirt.

You encouraged me to do my best.  Mother is also an example – how you endured hardships and made the best of the circumstances you found yourself in.  You devoted yourself to your husband when some would have given up.  You devoted yourself to us in so many unselfish ways.

I remember so many outfits you sewed for me – that blue shiny dress in Columbus, Georgia with lace collar (4th or 5th grade); a lavender sundress in Texas – the royal blue dress and jacket I wore in the Cobb County Pageant; and the prom jacket with pastel sequins (which I have kept for 20 years – never worn but just something you made – I hated to part with it.)

When I think of you I think of potato salad (no one can match – even though my sister Terry says she can!); dressing, banana pudding – I could go on and on – no one can beat my mother’s cooking.

Also – how you love your grandchildren only matches your love for us.

Just a few thoughts to let you know I love you Mother.

Love & prayers,
Pat

She wrote back a simple letter:

Dear Pat,

You’re a very special daughter, you brought tears to my eyes in the letter you wrote to me on Mother’s Day.  I appreciate all the good things you remember.  I don’t dwell on the bad things cause we all make mistakes and as we grow older we mellow and learn from our mistakes. 

I love you and have a special place for you in my heart.

Love, Mother

mom.collage
My mother; Easter in TN Mom, my brother and me; Mother with four grandchildren; and Mother’s Day with the first grandchild

Now, I realize God prompted me to write this letter to my mother that May.  A simple letter but so timely as three months later my mother died suddenly of a heart attack.  I’m so glad I wrote expressing my appreciation and love for her.

And it also gave me the opportunity to hear from her.  She did not express herself very freely in person either.  So, her letter is even more precious to me. My mother valued others above herself.  She rarely complained about her struggles and forgave easily.

If your mother is still alive, please consider writing or better yet, expressing to her in person your love and appreciation.

 

Philippians 2  (NIV)
Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.