Special Faith Moments

As many here on Linkedin know, my mother wrote by hand a cookbook which she gave to each of her five children for Christmas of 1984. The cookbook featured treasured recipes from her, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, neighbors, and family friends. She worked on those books all through 1984 which was the first year after Dad's death.

In her Forword she wrote "As your father always said, "Put loving in your cooking!" That is the main ingredient". She did just that. I remember the wonderful and delicious food that she lovingly prepared.

I especially loved her fried chicken, her roast beef dinner, her meat loaf (which made terrific sandwiches), her squash casserole, and her tuna casserole. She was well known for delicious banana bread and her famous Chocolate Chip Cookies which were known at Decatur High School as "Thrasher Cookies". My youngest sister has taken up on the joy of baking and can make Mom's cookies recipes to a T.

We buried Mom's Ashes next to Dad's Ashes on November 12, 2016 in the Decatur Cemetery. That date was the 33rd anniversary of Dad's death. After the service, our family had a BBQ Picnic (Dad loved BBQ and Mom loved Picnics) to honor Mom and Dad. At that gathering, the torch was passed to my siblings and I to become the senior members of our family.

As a senior adult, a senior member of my family, and now as a senior member of my Annual Conference, I have taken some time to reflect on my life and my ministry. I will continue to do so in the years ahead. Through it all, I have seen the hand of God guide me through the ups and downs of my life and Faith journey.

Through it all, I have also noticed that God gives each of us a gift. That gift is wisdom from what we have learned in life. Our parents and others shared that wisdom with us throughout life. We need to listen and learn from our Seniors.

Such wisdom can provide a great recipe for life and our walks with God.