God did as I  asked Him to do, for the past few days! He lovingly reached down and picked my precious sister up in His loving arms and carried her to Heaven to be with Him eternally! As her sons and her grandson and I surrounded her bedside, Jerry prayed a beautiful prayer, thanking God for her and what she had been to all of us, especially her sons and their families. He asked God to take her and he told Ede (as we called her) “Everything is alright, you can go, Mama”  and she took her last breath! We all had told her goodbye! I told her I loved her and I would see her again soon!

This song came to my mind. Kirk Talley wrote and sung it for a friends wife, who had died in her sleep unexpectedly one night!

She went to sleep one night. Never here to awake again,
But she knew it was alright, between her and Him,
Then she awoke in Heaven’s Courtyard, free from pain within,
The angels took her by the hand and said “Come on in”.

Chorus:

Serenaded by Angels, Up to the throne
Serenade by angels, Finally at home
Surrounded by praises, to the King,
Welcome to Paradise, the angels did sing!

This verse is my testimony:

When I close my eyes at night, I try to imagine
that city of crystal lights, waiting for me,
But my eyes cannot conceive,  So, I’ll continue to believe
‘Til I’m transported there,Where I will be

Chorus:

Today Edith has already met her Savior face to face. She has already been reunited with Joe and  all our family and friends waiting for her. All my sisters and brothers have their confidante again. She is listening to that Hallelujah Choir singing praises to our King, (I’ll bet you she has even joined them already). No more pain or suffering and Mama and Daddy have a wide grin on their faces as they hear her singing once again in that beautiful alto voice! Oh! How homesick it makes me to join them but I must stay a little longer until the Lord decides it’s my time!

Keep watching and waiting for me! I’ll be there in “JUST A LITTLE WHILE”.

Why is it that families never come together until deaths, weddings or some special event?  I know this is a fast paced world we are living in, but we should all keep in touch more than we do! It doesn’t take long to pick up a phone and tell someone that you love ”I  miss you” or “I  love you” or “Wish I could see you!”

I was thinking about it when my sister Sue and I were on our way home from visiting  Edith and some of her children at the nursing home, where it  looks like my precious sister has only a few days more to live.

She will leave that old worn out 92 year old body of clay and go home to be with her Lord and our family that has gone on ahead of her. There she will have a new body and will never have to suffer anymore.

I stood and looked at that precious face and fought to keep back the tears. That face that had such a beautiful smile for everyone she met. Those beautiful blue eyes that made you feel like she could look inside your soul. The love she had for her five boys and the boundless love they had for her, so like the love God has for all His children! She would leave all these things behind when she makes that final journey to Heaven  for Eternal life with Jesus.

I watched as two of her grandchildren and two of her sons stood looking at their Mom, so silent and still. Their love for her radiated from their sad faces and I remembered how I felt the morning our Mama died. You think you are prepared for it but when they draw that last breath, it hurts so much you feel like you are going to die yourself. My heart still hurts when I think of Mama and it has been forty three years.

I will miss my sister the rest of my life! The love I always felt when she looked at me, that sweetest of smiles, the “pick me up” kind of thing I felt when I needed someone to talk to and called her, her love for her brothers and sisters. No one (outside of God) could love like my sister Edith loved.

My son Kevin reminded me, when he told me about the fact, that she ALWAYS came back to the kitchen door to speak to him before she would leave the restaurant! He has always been a quiet sort of guy, but she wanted to let him know she loved him. After all, he was her nephew! She loved ALL of her family!

I don’t have time or enough space to tell all the good she has done all her life. She loved her God supremely and didn’t mind telling anyone. She sang and played that piano for Him with Joy and Praise and lifted Him up in any way she could. Her toe tapping music filled all of us with joy too!

It’s hard to imagine that I will never again hear her play the piano or hear that wonderful alto voice sing, but one day (not too much longer probably) I will join her and the rest of our family in Heaven! WE will have a choir of our own, as many as Chaneys as there is, and we will sing forever more, as we will be FINALLY HOME.

Pick up the telephone. Call someone in your family! Invite them over for coffee. Take  someone out for lunch. Send someone flowers or candy. Or just say – “I love you”. Stay in touch as a family! Don’t let time slip away and realize, as I did today as I saw Kellie, Edith’s granddaughter, and found out her daughter was about eight or nine years old, and I have not seen that  child but a couple times and they only live five miles away from me! Life is short and it slips away too quickly! STAY IN TOUCH!

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT FAMILY!!!!!!!

We have known for a week now that my sister is dying.  She has been in severe pain for the last few weeks and has prayed constantly for God to take her home to be with Him. It’s been terrible for her family and her sisters and brother to watch, feeling so helpless, watching this strong woman who has always been there for so many people, especially all of us who love her so much, and not being able to relieve her pain.

There has been so many times we all have, at one time or the other, run to her when we needed someone to just listen or to hug us, or better still to see that sweet, sweet smile of hers and know that every thing was going to be alright! Everyone who comes in her room remarks that she has the sweetest smile they have ever seen. Those big blue eyes smiled when she smiled.

There is so much to remember about this precious sister of mine.  I remember her telling me about taking me to visit one of her friends when I was about five years of age. Seems I jerked my hand out of hers and ran out in front of a car. He missed me and it scared her so bad she  popped me one and then cried louder than me because she felt so bad about popping me! I loved to tell that on her but we always laughed about that.

I always looked up to her. I loved to hear her play the piano and I used to slip off to her house and beg her to play for me. She always did and I don’t think I have ever heard anyone  play a piano quite like her! When our daddy was Pastor at Eastside Baptist Church she didn’t get to come as often as she liked but, when she walked in the front door and people saw her, instantly everyone brightened up because they knew they were in for a treat. She didn’t like to drag hymns and Boy! you really got a vocal exercise.  She also had such a beautiful alto voice. She used it too. Mama used to say that when she needed Edith for anything  as she was growing up, she would always be found sitting somewhere with a hymn book in her hands. She was born to sing and play that piano.  All for God’s glory !!!!

Now you have to pay just about everybody who has a job in church, but she sure didn’t feel that way. All those years she played that piano at different churches, she never took money for it! She was completely sold out to her God, always. God  looked out for her too!

She turned around one Sunday to me and said “It makes me feel so good, you sitting here beside me”. I was the honored one. She was one of the brightest lights in my life. I was the one who felt SO GOOD sitting beside her!

And cook!  Man, she could cook! I would go by occasionally after church and have lunch with her and Joe. Joe was her sidekick and sometimes he would do the cooking. It was such a treat. I’ll never forget it!

One Sunday night she and I sung “I want to stroll over Heaven with you”. I looked at Tommy and he was sobbing! Thats what I’ll always remember; her singing and her piano playing, but most of all her faith and commitment to her  Heavenly Father. Joe’s going to start running toward her when he sees her walk through those Pearly Gates, and take her to see her Jesus, Face to Face. Oh! What a sight that will be!

You talk about rejoicing! Lucille, ‘Sis, Loretta , Johnny, Robert, Grady, Mama, and Daddy, to name a few. It won’t be many more years until the rest of the family will be there. Can’t you just see us “Strolling Over Heaven” together! Thank’s to our loving Father and His Son!

This is a new recipe. I hope you will try it!

Ingredients:

• 1 (5oz.) package of baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1&1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup quick cooking grits
• 1 cup 2% reduced fat milk
• 1/2  tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 (8 oz.) package shredded mozzarella-provolone cheese blend

Directions:

Coarsely chop spinach. Bring grits to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat;  reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring accasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Stir in spinach and cheese until well blended and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes.

My Late sister Dot “Sis” (as we called her) brought this recipe to me when she lived in Atlanta. It is really good!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 pork chops, 1 – thick.
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp.oil
• 1 can chicken and rice soup

Directions:

Dredge pork chops in mixture of flour, salt, dry mustard, and garlic powder. Brown in oil in large skillet. Place browned pork chops in crock-pot. Add can of soup. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-1/2 hours.
Delicious!

That’s the way I felt yesterday morning, as I sat in Second Baptist Church, listening to the minister who was my pastor for nearly thirty something odd years. He wasn’t just my Pastor, he was my friend and brother. My whole family felt the same way about him.

I remember the first time I ever saw him. He walked in to the restaurant. A quiet man! Everyone knew he was the new pastor at Second. So we really gave him the once over (as is the habit of true southerners). My husband and I hadn’t been married too long and were looking for a church. Soon we visited Second Baptist to see what this pastor was made of. Ha ha. We never left! We loved him from the start.

If there ever was a man, God had his hand on, it was this man ( My Daddy was such a man also!)! When he walked to that podium and started speaking, you knew the power of God was flowing threw him. I can honestly say that in all those years I never sat under his teaching or preaching that he didn’t hold my interest completely. Life wasn’t always good to him though. He had heartaches, just as we all do. His marriage fell apart around the same time mine did! It seemed my spouse and his spouse both decided that they wanted to “FIND themselves.” Off they went(not together) and the preacher and I were left to pick up the pieces of our lives.

All the church members stood behind him. We could see how his heart was breaking. He had two teenagers to finish raising. When I would talk to him, he would always ask me to pray for her.

Then one day he took a little time off . I know in my heart he did a lot of praying, just as I had to do also. But when he returned he had that thing settled between God and himself . HE was a different man. God had given him the victory and You know something, from that point I doubt he ever looked back.

It isn’t easy, starting life all over when you’re in your forties. I had my son who was just fifteen at the time. He looked after me and I looked after him. Preacher Land had his two boys, and I am sure that helped more than anything else.

That church grew under his leadership and a lot of souls were saved and won into God’s kingdom.

Then on day, when he was on a trip to the Holy Land, God had it all planned out and He met a sweet, kind wonderful christian lady who would become his wife. She was on her own journey there. I can just imagine God planning all this out. They met and the rest is history. I have never seen a couple more committed to each other. They were called to labor together at Eastside Baptist Church. She stood side by side with him and was everything a preachers wife should be.

But for some reason God allowed Preacher Land to have a stroke. It shocked all of us because to us he was invincible. It has been touch and go since then. We all kept thinking “Oh! He will beat this and be back with us before long”. It hasn’t happened yet but God is still in charge.

My sister Sue called me and said Homecoming was at Second Baptist Church and that Preacher Land was going to preach. Would I go with her? I said I wouldn’t miss that for the world.

The church was packed and even though he sat in a chair, he was the same old Preacher Land. Still such a wonderful preacher and man. I thought about the song we sang as children! ” I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart” Because there was such joy in that service! Joy on every face. Joy at seeing and hearing our friend, brother and pastor preach again! God’s presence was so prevalent that I had chill bumps up and down my arms. A friend of mine calls them “goosebumps”.

I watched June Land as she so tenderly and lovingly looked after her husband. I silently thanked a loving God for bringing them together. It has been such a beautiful thing to watch. Who knows! I still believe that my GOD can do anything He wills, so just maybe He still has the best yet to come for Preacher Gene Land! If not here, then in Heaven where all of us will be together forever and ever. I would love to be there first, so I could witness my friend and brother when he sees Jesus for the first time. Talking about shouting! Won’t that be glorious!

My Friend Libby and her son Warren made a trip to an apple orchard located near Asheville, N.C. They allow you to pick your own apples. I wasn’t able to go so they brought me a peck of the biggest, most beautiful apples you have ever seen. This recipe is what I came up with for some of those apples. I hope you like it. I sure did! The only thing wrong was I didn’t have ice cream on hand to go with it!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 (9 inch ) pie shells, thawed
• 10 cups thinly sliced apples
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice (optional)
• 1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 Tbsp.all purpose flour
• 1 tsp.ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick margarine or butter
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with juice if you prefer. In a small bowl,mix together white sugar , 4 tbsp. flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in pecans ( and raisins if desired).

Place thawed pie crusts in 9×15 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Shape crusts with fingers to fit bottom of pan and a little up the sides. Spoon apple mixture into crust.

3. In a small bowl mix together, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Today is your forty-fourth birthday and my mind has gone back to the day you were born. I was so cocky about having a baby. After all, my mama had birthed eleven babies. I would say “Shoot, my mama had eleven! I know I can have one!” But it seemed you were hesitant to come into this world on time. They admitted me to the hospital to try to help you along a little bit. As I lay there, with a needle in my arm, waiting, not so patiently, for you to decide to make your long awaited entrance. In the next room, a part of the labor room, a local Doctors wife was trying to coax her little one to be born. The difference was, she was getting her husband told! She was hollering “This is all your fault.” But after her baby got there, I have never heard anyone so proud. She was the proud mother of a little boy. She already had three girls.

As for you, you drug your heels all the way. They sent me home the next day, then three days later you gave up and decided to join us. We were so proud. But I remember telling the doctor that I didn’t want any more. I found out that I wasn’t the woman my mama was!

But when they brought you to me and I looked into those bright brown eyes, my heart nearly jumped out of my body. It was instant love and I knew at that moment I would forever more be willing to give my life for you!
You have always been a light to me, especially on the dark days of my life. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave you to me. We have always been there for each other! No matter what or when!

When you were five months old, I was very sick and in the hospital. I lay in that bed and prayed so hard for God to allow me to get well, so that I could go home to my baby. In turn, I told God that I would give my baby back to him to be of service to him. I have never forgotten that promise and I have the peace and reassurance that God is still keeping His eyes on you! He brought you and Victoria together so you would have someone, when He decides to take me home to be with Him. You can’t imagine how I have worried about having to leave you someday. But now i have such a inner peace to know that Victoria loves you as much as I do. But God loves you even more. I hope that someday we will all be in Heaven together. With all her family and all our family. It doesn’t end here, Thanks to a loving God and His only Son.

Thank you for 44 years of happiness. You have always been such a pleasure to me. Watching you grow up to be such a loving, talented, kind-hearted and just all around wonderful son! Happy Birthday Baby! May you have 44 more wonderful years.

All My Love, Mama

This is one of my favorite pies. A lot of folks around these parts are familiar with it also. Try it  when you are hungry for something easy, cool and scrumptious.

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• juice of two lemons
• 1 (9.oz)ctn. cool whip
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 can of crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:

Beat lemon juice and milk  on low with an electric mixer, for about a minute. Then fold in the cool whip, along with the pineapple and pecans. Pour into a graham cracker crust. Chill for about an hour before serving. Makes two (9 inch) pies.  Very good!

I must admit that for some reason, as old as I am now, I have always had a little trouble with my meringues. That is until I found this little jewel and I have used it for a long time now. It really works and very well I might add!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• 3 egg whites
• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp.vanilla

Directions:

Blend cornstarch and cold water in saucepan. Add boiling water and cook, stirring until clear and thick. Let stand until completely cold. With electric beater at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Turn mixer to low and add salt and vanilla. Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture. Turn mixer again on high and beat well. Spread meringue over cooled pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

You gotta try this meringue folks. It cuts beautifully and never gets sticky!