Shel's Chili and Snow slows 'em down

Finally the chili recipe. It is so simple that I don't think of it as anything special. Kinda like my cherry dessert where you pour the cake mix out of a box, over cherry pie filling from a can, top with pecans and melted butter, cook until golden, and serve warm with ice cream or dream whip.  Hey, how about that?  Two for the price of one! Much of our snow is gone now that the weather is back in the high 40's and 50's. That's why we live in New Mexico, four gentle seasons and sometimes experienced within the same 24 hours. From my perch in the dining room I can see part of the highway and the cars on it the other morning were moving at the pace of a snail in good shape—super spiral , I guess.  We can call NM DOT or just look out the window and see the pace of the cars on the stretch going down the hillside of the highway. It was a good day, people going slow but no flashing lights to be seen or people in need of tow trucks.That's what we have to do to let the presence of the Lord make us whiter than snow.Go through this life at a safe pace and you will find yourself whistling, smiling, and loving more.
Oh yea, the chili recipe

Whiter than snow

Another beautiful day in Southwest New Mexico! As I sit looking out towards the east, I see the snow draping the pinon, juniper, and natural vegetation. I breathe in the presence of the Lord as His Word of forgiveness, hope, promise and assurance comes to mind. “Though your sin is as scarlet they shall be whiter than snow” Isaiah 1:18 and “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” Psalm51:7. The whiteness of the morning landscape brings home to me the magnitude of the work that God desires to do in each of us. Just think about how much water you have to add to change a glass of red kool aid and make it clear….At least a decent swimming pool of water to get rid of the red….This is a good time to say good morning to your inner child and recall Dr. Seuss’ book The Cat in the Hat and the mess of his work! What’s it take to move from blood red to whiter than snow? It’s interesting to think that it takes our acceptance of the blood red  of Jesus’ sacrifice to become pure white  in God’s sight. First step. Then go on and continue to allow the Spirit of God to do His work in your heart and you follow up with obedience to what He asks of you and there you go……you are on your way to whiter than snow. Read around the verses of Scriptures cited and you will get a clearer picture of the awesomeness of God. The photo is one taken in our garden spot which has a wiring covering on top because it was built as an aviary. Great reminder of God’s love surrounding us.The other is the natural awning of vegetation around our "porch swing", a favorite place on our property/

Blessings on your day,

Mimi D.

Really! They weren't stuffed shirts!

Just got back from the Barrett Jackson Car Show or Auction...depends on the depth of your pockets....and these are some of the characters I met there.  I think Phil may be the last gas station man to actually pump gas for you.  He couldn't stop talking about his cousins, Gomer and Goober.
Mimi D

Another beautiful day in the Southwest

I just got back from a visit to our capitol, the Round house in Santa Fe. I found in very fitting that there is a statue of some children having a tug-of-war right outside one of the main entrances.. It seems to parallel what is often the activity inside very well. A friend posed with me and another snapped the shot. Time with friends is time in the sunshine for me—and just as necessary as Vitamin D.Do a quick reality check of your priorities and ask yourself what you have done for a friend in the last 24 hours. Remember sunshine is not mean to be contained!Share some of your sunshine today!
Hugs to you.
Mimi D

Chunks of Scripture

Good morning!  Sometimes I really can't eat the whole enchilada so I go for the part with the most chicken, chile, and cheese.  It's the same way with the Scripture I'm pondering.  My chunk of Matthew 6: 33-34 that I'm really chewing on is "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions. "  What do you think of when you think of steep when it's a verb?  I think of tea, thanks to Diana's living in the UK and her husband who makes a crackin' cup of tea. Webster's adds the ideas of immerse, saturate, or imbued with. We so want the instant God-reality in our lives when He calls us to the steeped.  You will recognize the more common version of the passage: "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness..."
Steep your life in God -reality, God - initiative, and God - provisions today!

Blessings on your comings and goings,
Mimi D

New Year Revolutions and Veggie Cobbler

New Year Revolutions and veggie cobbler may go together quite well if you have made up-ing your veggies every day. One of my revolutions for 2010 is to grow deeper in my relationship with God. It is my#1 priority and so I've thought of some ways to move that from a revolution to a reality and in doing so will increase my Red Letter Days significantly.  A few things on the how to list are:

• 1)follow the advice of my old friend Anne Frank and get outside and get happy;
• 2) do only the activities that I know God has opened the door or given me the opportunity to do;
• 3) limit my work hours and my projects time;
• 4) increase my Bob time.
• Of course at the top of the list is the no brainer for completing this goal and that is daily time spent with God in prayer, meditation, and the Bible. How can you live it if you don't know it? 

Why Revolutions instead of Resolutions?  The changes of these revolutions are big time, eternal, and not accomplished only by my resolve but by His Spirit.
Help....I am trying to put the recipes in a format of a typical recipe book and after  the post. Anyone know how to do this one?
Blessings on your day!
Mimi D

Red is essential

Once a friend told me every room should have a touch of the color blue in it. I took it as the gospel truth  and will probably do a "check for blue accent in every room walk through" this morning. There's an essential for Red Letter Days attitude for living—Reverance. our, first R.E. D., reverance every day.  Some people think that reverance and somber have to go together. Not me!  Reverance is an attitude of the heart where one gives God His due throughout the day. We see the peanut butter all over our toddler and we thank God for the gift of life, children, and peanut butter.  We laugh with God as He responds to our plea for patience, "My child, I give you people and situations that develop patience, yes?"  Open your heart to increased reverance—deep respect, awe, and love—in your walk with God.  Guaranteed to increase your Red letter days!
Mimi D

Red letter days

What is Livin' in Sunshine all about? That's one question that can't be answered in one post but one of the keys factors is the view that Today is a Red Letter Day.  Those are the special ones that stand out and  the expression comes from fact that red ink was used to write down holy days and days of feasts on the earliest of church calendars. Interesting, yes?  Of course, I think of the first Bible I had that was a "red-letter edition" with Jesus'  words in red that the church gave me when I graduated from High School. . Have you ever thought about how did the disciples remembered those conversations so many years after when they finally took time to write them down? It's the AWANA verse, guys: I Timothy 3:17.  Also, I tell you, there are some folks who remember conversations like they were today's morning headlines!  My friend Marlyne is one of those......oh, be careful little mouth what you say!
So today is A Red Letter Day. If you approach life with that as your attitude, each day will be. Don't look to make it a Red Letter Day for yourself.  Look for someone to make it a Red Letter Day for them....and don't be surprised as you, too, think that today is pretty darn special. More on the how to's later.
Consider yourself hugged.
Mimi D

We've been adopted!

This beautiful flicker has adopted us!  I hope he is not a fair weather friend as a cold front is coming our way and we are the northern edge of his winter home.  He may just think Cancun sounds good about now.   Just enjoying him while he is here. I took this looking out of our dining room window. When he swoops in all the smaller birds scatter and fast!    Enjoy nature for it reveals our Creator          Hugs to you, Mimi D.

Epiphany

A thought from Saint Irenaeus (130 to 200 A.D.)

Because
of His boundless love,
He became what we are
in order that
He might make us
what He is.

Epiphany:: commemorates the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi at Bethlehem
epiphany: to show forth, manifest, the light bulb goes on

My prayer for you is that you see Jesus clearly as you walk through your days.
Love,
Mimi D

Get ready for some noise!

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming. Drummers really set the pace for the marching band or any other. They are suppose to follow the conductor’s lead but I guess if anywhere there could be a musical revolt it would be with a drum line. The twelve drummers drumming are thought by some to symbolize the twelve vital Christian beliefs of the Apostles Creed.


I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Our lives show our creeds. Sounds like a good introduction to some introspection……knowing it may lead to an epiphany is motivation for me. Tomorrow is Epiphany, January 6th. So that doesn’t give us too much time for introspection! I’ll just tackle one of the tenets of the creed today.

Happy 12th day of Christmas to you!

Hugs, Mimi

We may not all be musicians but we should all be pipers!

The eleventh Day of Christmas brought some music for the dancing ladies and leaping lords—eleven pipers piping! Representing the eleven faithful disciples, these disciples joyfully followed Jesus and then continued to call others to Him after Jesus’ ascension. They counted Jesus as their greatest possession. Remember Peter's respone to the temple needy, "Silver and gold have I none but what I have I give to thee."  Following the supernatural touch of God through his piper Peter, the healed beggar took his mat and rejoiced. The eleven original pipers are listed in Mark 3:16-19. May the music of our daily lives draw others to Jesus!

A good investment if you’ve got kids living at home-kazoos. Then a hummer can turn into a piper and the message driven home about letting our lives be a beacon for Jesus.

No question for me today just a cry of my heart, "Lord, help me be a faithful witness."
Mimi

The Dance Floor is filling up fast!

The tenth Day of Christmas

Here comes ten lords a leaping. In the kingdom of the middle ages the lord of the manor was a person with authority to command people's obedience and they symbolize God's ten basic laws or commandments.  I usually just boil those ten down to Jesus' command to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, body, and mind and love your neighbor as you do yourself. That's the Big Ten in a nutshell!

The Big Ten as written in Exodus 20:3-17, one of the five golden rings, could generate lots of questions to ask yourself.....that or make you scramble, looking for loopholes. But I'm keeping mine short and sweet:

What fruit of the Holy Spirit is not being produced in your life due to a lack of obedience to God's commandments?  There's a question with a built in motivator to get on with your walk with the Lord.
There's a freedom that comes from steadfast obedience to the Lord that is as uplifting as any lords a-leaping!
I hope your heart is being prepared for an epiphany!
Mimi

Nine ladies dancing

Being of the philosophy "if you can move, you can dance" and why walk, if you can dance" here are the other dancing pictures from our daughter's wedding.  I love the variety of ages and styles!  So what are you waiting for?  Mimi

Here comes the dancing ladies!

The Ninth day of Christmas


On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love ( remember Who that is?)gave to me nine ladies dancing, representing the nine fruit which the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of God’s children—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Whether they come two-stepping, waltzing, jitterbugging, or with a Saturday Night Fever style, as long as they come, I’ll be happy! By the way it does take two to tango and it does make a difference if you let God do the leading!

The question that I will be asking myself is, “Who’s leading in your dancing with the Lord?”
Enjoy some of the dancing from our daughter's recent wedding.

Eight Maids a-milking and Recipe : simple syrup

The eighth day of Christmas and along come eight maids a-milking and according to some this part of the carol correlates with the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Here’s a link to a modern version from the Message Bible: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:%201-12%20&version=MSG


If pondered, it will give you a whole lot to think about. The same way milk nourishes and strengthens our bodies the milk of God’s Word does for our Spirit, Soul, and mind.

I drink very little milk ‘straight up’ but the exception comes: when I’m eating cookies and sometimes pancakes or French toast. Of course, you gotta have syrup with the last two, too, which I always make from mapeline. This recipe was requested by one of the best cooks I know so I am honored!

Mapeline syrup

Dump 2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan and add one cup of water. Stir. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir and then add 1 t. of Mapeline. Turn off heat and you are ready to serve some “at least you know what’s in it” syrup.

Who knows? Maybe those 8 maids a milking had a flask of syrup in their back pocket.

Happy New Year!

Mimi

What about Day1 through 5????

Note: when blogging about the carol and the opinion of some that it had a deeper meaning when it was written, I jumped in on the day that we were on, Day 6. So this provides a flashback of sorts!


The first five days of the 12 Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. In the southwest we may have written it as a quail atop a prickly pear cactus. This symbol, a courageous bird willing to die for its young, stands for Jesus and the tree is the cross. When Christmas arrives, Easter is not far behind.

The second day—more birds—two turtle doves. This a reminder of the sacrifice offered Mary and Joseph for the gift of Jesus. Thus fulfilling the law of Moses. Remember Jesus’ words, “I did not come to do away with the law but to fulfill it.”

On the third day of Christmas greeted with the arrival of three French hens. These costly birds may represent the costly gifts of the magi, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When I have been contemplating this carol and the benefit of incorporating its observance to my holiday season I have thought, “Wow! These guys really went to a lot of trouble to travel to greet a newborn king. Their journey would have been hot and sweaty;long and at some personal risk; and expensive—the gifts they gave, the cost of being on the road and away from their families; perhaps ridicule by their peers and others. My question to me is, “What are you willing to give?"
The fourth day my true love gave to me four calling birds, representing the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Need a spiritual boost? Try a straight read through of Mark. John has recorded some very powerful statements that Jesus had spoken to his disciples and others….I am the bread of life; I am the gate; I am the living water from which one may drink and never thirst again. Look for the I am proclamations of John. Which "I am" do you need to become more real to you today?

With just this brief look at the Twelve Days of Christmas, I am thinking it would be a good thing to incorporate an annual observance of them into my life. Not with more gift giving, and baking, and busyness but with contemplation of the roots of our faith. And development of a deeper walk with the Lord.


Day Five

The fifth day of Christmas my true love got away from giving birds and wised up—jewelry, a shortcut to every lady’s heart. In the carol, they are representative of the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch or the Torah. Those writings of Moses are treated with great reverence and considered to be worth more than gold. What value do we put upon the Bible, Old and New Testaments? The old lays the foundation for the new. Am I given over to study of the Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to show its meaning to my life?

Moses had seen God face to face. Deuteronomy 34:10-12

Jesus revealed God’s face to the world. John 12:45

The magi, a scholarly and priestly class that served as advisors and astrologers to the Babylonian and Persian rulers: Daniel 2:10, 4:7. note from The Revell Bible Dictionary

Numbers 24:17 A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.

It is quite possible that the Magi would have had access to a copy of the Old Testament and even to Jewish speculative writings. Daniel served as one of the magi, and the large Jewish community in Babylon continued to actively explore and write about the Old Testament for centuries beyond the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

Ponderings:
Looks like much about the Magi will remain a mystery yet reading about them from Matthew—one of the four calling birds—there are some lessons to apply from their journey and search for the newborn King of the Jews.

Think about the cost of the journey in time, money, people thinking they were loco, etc. What cost do you pay as a follower of Christ? It may be easier to just enjoy the possibility that some lady ended up with a ring on each finger! Do I really want to have face time with God?

Happy 2010 to each of you!
Mimi