Bee It Ever So Humble

Beside Still Waters

23 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

I thought my time online was over but alas GOD had one more reminder for me to share.  A while back I posted a little jeannieism lesson that I use to use to teach the 23rd Psalm.  We are living in days of all sorts of uncertainty.  Some of you may be facing financial woes, I truly, truly know how that goes.  For others it may be a time of testing from family, friend or foe.  There are no doubt some who are facing illness and the end time of your time here on earth.  Oh how I know how hard that is, and oh how hard it is to say good-bye.

This is one of the reasons I do also know the difference between good-bye and wait, this is not the “last call” on my life.  For the Believer this is not good-bye, oh yes it is a time of closure.  Closing the curtain on this earthly chapter but oh look ahead, it’s the opening of the Door to true resting and ever so truer still, still waters.

Dear one whatever it is you are facing, you are never alone when you rest beside the still waters with Thee Heavenly Father!  So my prayer today is that whoever you are and whatever it is you are facing, His bringing you here today, to this blog was not about me, but you.  Enjoy the stillness He now affords, resting beside the sureness that this, this world IS NOT all there is!

Until all have heard of and know, His Love,

Jeannie Bee

Sunshine Citrus Cake

21 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”  James Matthew Barrie

“In the garden my soul is sunshine”

“We have been friends together in sunshine and in shade.”  Caroline Norton

And one that I can get behind completely:

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”  Anthony D’Angelo

Yes when the sun shines brightly on on plain we are most happy, yes?  Now I’m a cold weather girl by nature, the heat of Florida isn’t my friend.  Still you know how it is, you have to make the best of what you got, and here in the sunshine state of Florida what we got is a lot of good citrus.

Another known fact about me is that I love citrus.  My listed favorite cake mix of Duncan Hines is lemon.    So in keeping with my being a Florida woman, a lover of all things Duncan Hines and citrus, with no further ado I present to you…

Sunshine Citrus Cake

Sunshine Citrus Cake – Made of course with Duncan Hines Cake Mix and of course Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Frosting: Orange Creme flavor packet.

It could have been a prettier cake I know, and I’ll have to work on that next time, cause yes there will be a next time for this cake because it is A+amazing!

Click here for the recipe:   http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/jeanuine/sunshine-citrus-cake

Happy Baking with Duncan Hines and Frosting Creations!

Jeannie Bee

What’s the buzz?

18 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

I’ve actually already baked this week once.  I did a cake for a co-worker, I didn’t however take any pictures but that of which are on my cell phone.  The cake was similar, but not =) to this one.  There is a bit of a story that goes along with it, and why she got the cake she got, bees and all =)

You see her fiance was my assistant manager.  I’m embarrassed to say this but… I missed his birthday.  So I made a beehive belated birthday cake for him.  The picture is here: if you’d like to see that one.  I’ve got to get the recipe and pic onto Duncan Hines, maybe if I have time tomorrow and then I’ll exchange this link and delete this comment. Anywho because I did that beehive cake for Mike and now I’m not exactly missing Natalie’s (the finance co-worker), cause technically she didn’t work at the store on her birthday because she was in class learning to be an even better Publixican than she already is! =)  She’s going to make an amazing manager some day too!  Well any way the soon to be Mrs. Mike needed her own sort of bee cake.

Natalie’s cake was sort of like the one below but I used chocolate covered espresso beans and yellow Reece’s Pieces to make the bees.  Now that I’m looking at this cake though, and her being the very girly-girl she is, this would BEE a better fit for her.  Maybe next years belated, yes?  Seeing how I’m the Queen Bee-lated Bee around here.

Anywho here is the picture and the link to Duncan Hines where you can find the info.

Jeannie’s Duncan Hines: Mocha Buzzy-Bee Cake

http://duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/jeanuine/mocha-buzzy-bee-cake

Jeannie’s Mocha Buzzy-Bee Cake. Of course it’s Duncan Hines Cake Mix… of course it’s Duncan Hines Frosting Creations!

Mike’s Belated Birthday Cake

http://easy.betterrecipes.com/bee-lated.html

Happy Baking with Duncan Hines,

Jeannie Bee

Puzzled Pieces

15 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

I’m back.  No real plans were made to take any time away from my blog but as it goes in my life, if nothing is on the tip of my fingers to type, no typing necessary.  This morning is a completely different day though so I’m typing away. ☺  This of course might not mean a hill of beans to you, but as I’ve shared writing is another therapeutic outlet for me.   GOD is the author and editor of me.  Though I puzzle people, GOD is never ever puzzled by me, or even you for that matter.  What, you thought different?  You thought because life isn’t coming together all perfectly planned as you thought, GOD is not in control.  Oh dear child you could not be further from the truth.  In fact because this untruth goes against the very grain of the Truth of Scripture, I’ll do one better for you than just voicing/typing that, I’ll share Scripture and explain.  Sound good?  No, well close the puzzled look on your face and go away.  All other people pieces stay where you are and read on! ☺

puzzle n. Something that a person cannot understand or explain.  2.  A game or toy in which parts must be fitted together correctly, mainly for entertainment.

puzzle v. To bewilder mentally.

puzzled adj.  Bewildered; confused.

Pieces Of The Bigger Puzzle

Yes, yes there is a bigger picture puzzle to be looking at.  Explain?  Sure enough.  I’ve been dealing with a lot of conflict as of late.  It’s not just come in one area of my life but from several aspects of my life on several different occasions.  It’s been a bit disheartening to say the least.  It also has caught me off guard on occasion and that, that is the thing that has bothered me more than any of the conflict.  How so?  How can you not being on your game bother you more than the actual conflict?  I see I’m going to have to do a lot of explaining today… which pretty much sums up what happens when we in the Body get our pieces out of joint and we begin to focus on the inside of the world instead of the picture  GOD has given us to view and follow as a guide on our life box.

Puzzle Master – “I GOD”

First off if I share that GOD is thee GOD and there are no other gods.  All other gods are man-made not real deal GOD.  Sorry, those are my beliefs and being this is my blog I have complete entitlement to share that.  Again, if this is not your belief or something I just said gets your pieces in a jumbled puzzle, step away from this blog. I’m not trying to be rude, I love ya but we are just going to have to agree to disagree here.  I’m not up to nor am I wanting to argue/listen to you discuss your viewpoint if all you want to do is try to convince me otherwise.  If you say what you believe or disbelieve is personal to you, believe this, it’s that much so true for the Bible Believing CHRIST-centered CHRISTian as well.  So, there ya go.  That is not a rude a statement by a CHRIST centered Bible Believing woman, it is just the fact of my life, of the lives of many who’ve given their life over to the Lord.  I know what I know, and further more, I believe what I believe.  I’m good with you believing what you believe, that’s you.  This however is and will remain my beliefs.  I can still love you no matter what though, so you can believe that as well.  That is sometimes the difference between the unbelievers and the CHRISTian.  You don’t like what we believe, but we believe it any way.  We would of course love you to believe what we believe, and we can and should love you no matter what.  It’s not about fighting over who’s right, it’s respecting the difference and ability to choose to say what we say we believe.  Enough said….?  Probably not, right? LOL  You didn’t really think I’d be finished with just that and “the end”?

Puzzled Look

Why it is that you get your puzzled face when I believe what I believe I do not know.  As far as I know we all have the power to agree to disagree.  In that some of the world who say they believe what I believe though, will be accepting of others beliefs and call it some sort of universal belief, that  I can’t do that.  I can’t and I won’t.  I can’t because GOD’s Word, the Bible, which is at the forefront of all that is of my beliefs, says I cannot.  So if you run into someone who says they believe there are many ways to Heaven but they are a CHRISTian, CHRIST is the very Word of GOD, so how is it He would say something contrary to what He says.  Sorry, that’s a misfitted puzzle belief that has no place in the world of thee GOD, the GOD of the Bible.

You cannot fake it till you make it. If it’s not real there is no making it in.

 ^7-8“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,
   the woman who sticks with God.
They’re like trees replanted in Eden,
   putting down roots near the rivers—
Never a worry through the hottest of summers,
   never dropping a leaf,
Serene and calm through droughts,
   bearing fresh fruit every season.

 ^9-10“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
   a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
   and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
   I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
   not as they pretend to be.”

Small Puzzle Pieces

Mark 10:

 ^32-34Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive.”

Being misunderstood and being confused at times, even not being able to see the big puzzle picture of why some things are happening is how life is.  We are still like those early followers and believers, we sometimes take our eyes off of, and out of the Word of GOD and we begin to see things that don’t fit into the big puzzle GOD has planned out.  We don’t often mean to do this, we just get so caught up in wanting to complete a portion of our life’s planned out puzzle we focus only on the outward pieces forgetting that the big picture that comes together has everything to do with, well… everything!

What are the hardest puzzles to do?  Glad you asked, because they of course are the ones with many pieces, and not just many pieces but also small puzzle pieces.  Are you seeing now where I’m going with this?  We are indeed the small picture of the bigger puzzle being assembled.

The More It Comes Together The Harder It Gets

Check out the passage below.  We are viewing life as it unfolded in the heart of those who were living with Jesus.  Read on…

Luke 24:11-13

 ^9-11They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

 ¹²But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

The Road to Emmaus

 ^13-16That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.

We Still Walk Away Puzzled

Quite honestly, praise GOD we do walk away puzzled.  This is me now bringing it all back together for me.  You now believe I myself am a puzzle don’t you?  Which by the by, makes my point.  Because sure as shoot’n when you are not getting me, I’m also not getting you and we are as I’ve shared pieces of the puzzle of this life.  We each have ways and means.  We each have thoughts and plans.  We each see things sometimes, most times, in a different way.  This however should not make us be who we are not.  Who we are called to be comes with the GOD picture before our face.

Remember I spoke that I’ve been dealing with a lot of conflict in my life.  I’m even dealing with people who say they are CHRISTians but don’t understand that there could possibly be a Biblical viewpoint to dealing with conflict.  H’m, that sounds completely wrong to me.  Utoh, I found a small piece to the puzzle of my life that has not made dealing with all this conflict any better.  The small piece?  You might not have guessed it, or maybe you did.  It’s the hardest part of the puzzle of our lives to come to grips with.  Do you know what it is yet?  I’ll wait…

It’s us!  We are the pieces of the puzzle that puzzle others.  For me, it’s owning up to the fact that I’ve not quite been dealing with the conflict in my life on the best Biblical level.  For someone who would rather write than talk, and for someone who talks a lot when I get going on something I’m passionate to talk about, this thing called talking and dealing with conflict is difficult.  Not because it’s difficult to carry out, but because for me, an almost textbook INFJ, it’s really hard for me to handle having to act this loving way toward those who are liars, cheaters, and blasphemers.  Yes, I said all that about all those.

It is quite the difficult thing for me to do.  I want to wipe the dust from my feet and walk away.  I want to just know that GOD is protecting me against the days of evil we are living in.  Some people don’t believe that because they are up to some evil ways.  These are those people who have two agendas.  One agenda is for them to succeed.  The other agenda is that you don’t.  One agenda is all about them.  The other agenda has nothing to do with you.

Now, how does all that compare to with the way we are Bible Believing CHRIST-centered CHRISTians should live?  Yes, this is the toughest part of assembling the puzzle of our life.  The answer is the wee little piece that we have to keep hunting down and putting back into place in our life.  It’s called the piece of pride.

Truth is we don’t even like that word.  We don’t want anyone to say we are prideful.  We want to think we are these wonderful holy good people, who have it wholly together walking with GOD.  What a wonderful life that would be?  A wonderful life, sure it happens.  Sure wonderful life moments occur on day to day levels.  Let’s hope they do.  We are serving a Wonderful Mighty GOD and we best be fitting ourselves with His planned out details for dealing with all the daily drama.

Humbled Puzzle Pieces

Oh yes, we have to humble ourselves before GOD first and foremost.  Them’s the rules child of GOD.  It’s like rubbing salt in the wound right?  It’s the hardest thing to do when you know in your heart all that you’ve done and said is truth.  It’s hard to do when you know the person who you have to humble yourself before is that liar, cheater, get ahead person who really doesn’t give a flying fig about you, let alone about anything truth-filled.  Yet, those are the pieces of Truth we have to not just say we live by, we have to live by them.  Ouch indeed!  Ouch is when before all the people looking on, it looks like the enemy won.  Like all those foolish, misfitted puzzle pieces focused on the flesh got you!  They win, you lose!

How big of a lie is that?  That’s the rub that comes when it’s all said, and it’s all done.  That’s the rub of why we have to show them love.  It’s taken me some time to get this.  It means that I have to become this person who still does continue to only do what GOD says, but it also has to make me the person who also does all that I do with love.  Not some pretentious smile on my face that is fake for someone.  I need to, need to, need to show love in every and any situation.  Now yes, this means that I also never compromise.   Most situations however won’t mean that we will have compromise our beliefs.  Sure, if this person over me is going to continue to take the Lord’s name in vain and lie, cheat and steal I’m going to speak up, be annoyed.  However I have to be willing to face the giant puzzle pieces in my life, even me, the small puzzle piece, because the Big Puzzle Piece is ruling over me.  GOD has got the whole plan figured out.  This, this is and must forever and always be my constant reminder.

“And they all went Home”

Well… not exactly.  There are still those trying to get in the Home Door by works.  There are still those who are trying to purchase their way in the Heavenly doorway by buying and selling to make a name for Jesus Christ.   This is not the way, this is not the truth of how to.

The puzzle that we are viewing here and now isn’t what the finished product is even going to look like.  Read the passage below.  Read how Jesus deals with what He wants to do and what He must do.    Read how He sees right through all the directives being given to Him.  Watch how the plan unfolds and use this as your key to getting the puzzles of your very own life inline with the plans that GOD has made for you. We might not be fitting for this world but brother and sister in-Christ Jesus, we are perfectly fitted for our Heavenly Home all because of Jesus Christ.  So if we believe that, and we so do, we also have to follow the precepts that Jesus set before us.

I don’t say all this smugly.  I don’t say all this as if it’s going to be an easy day getting all the pieces of your puzzled life organized and together.  I know differently.  I know that this puzzle we are living out is done one day at a time, one hour in each day, minute by minute.  It is to be done though, following the directions and rule book, The Bible.  You can’t follow though, what you don’t read for yourself.  You have to stop being that man or woman who is spoon fed on Sundays and such.  You just need to start asking GOD to give you a personal hunger and thirst for that Word of His.  As you read it before, He isn’t puzzled at all about what He sees in your ♥.  So just own up and get working on the puzzle, but never ever alone.

John 7

 ^1-2Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews. ^3-5His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.” His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.

 ^6-8Jesus came back at them, “Don’t crowd me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time—it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”

 ^9-11He said this and stayed on in Galilee. But later, after his family had gone up to the Feast, he also went. But he kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself. The Jews were already out looking for him, asking around, “Where is that man?”

 ^12-13There was a lot of contentious talk about him circulating through the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” But others said, “Not so. He’s selling snake oil.” This kind of talk went on in guarded whispers because of the intimidating Jewish leaders.

Could It Be the Messiah?

 ^14-15With the Feast already half over, Jesus showed up in the Temple, teaching. The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: “How does he know so much without being schooled?” ^16-19Jesus said, “I didn’t make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality. It was Moses, wasn’t it, who gave you God’s Law? But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?”

 ²⁰The crowd said, “You’re crazy! Who’s trying to kill you? You’re demon-possessed.”

 ^21-24Jesus said, “I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you’re still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I’m up to. Moses prescribed circumcision—originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors—and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it’s the Sabbath. You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath? Don’t be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.”

 ^25-27That’s when some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the one they were out to kill? And here he is out in the open, saying whatever he pleases, and no one is stopping him. Could it be that the rulers know that he is, in fact, the Messiah? And yet we know where this man came from. The Messiah is going to come out of nowhere. Nobody is going to know where he comes from.”

 ^28-29That provoked Jesus, who was teaching in the Temple, to cry out, “Yes, you think you know me and where I’m from, but that’s not where I’m from. I didn’t set myself up in business. My true origin is in the One who sent me, and you don’t know him at all. I come from him—that’s how I know him. He sent me here.”

 ^30-31They were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn’t yet God’s time. Many from the crowd committed themselves in faith to him, saying, “Will the Messiah, when he comes, provide better or more convincing evidence than this?”

 ^32-34The Pharisees, alarmed at this seditious undertow going through the crowd, teamed up with the high priests and sent their police to arrest him. Jesus rebuffed them: “I am with you only a short time. Then I go on to the One who sent me. You will look for me, but you won’t find me. Where I am, you can’t come.”

 ^35-36The Jews put their heads together. “Where do you think he is going that we won’t be able to find him? Do you think he is about to travel to the Greek world to teach the Jews? What is he talking about, anyway: ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you can’t come’?”

 ^37-39On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

 ^40-44Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, “This has to be the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah!” But others were saying, “The Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? Don’t the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David’s line and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So there was a split in the crowd over him. Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

 ⁴⁵That’s when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him with you?”

 ⁴⁶The police answered, “Have you heard the way he talks? We’ve never heard anyone speak like this man.”

 ^47-49The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don’t see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It’s only this crowd, ignorant of God’s Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.”

 ^50-51Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. “Does our Law decide about a man’s guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?”

 ^52-53But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.”

   Then they all went home.

Until all have heard of and know, His Love,

Jeannie Bee

Listen to this playlist: Jeanuine’s Playlist

11 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

Cinnamon Coconut Rice Cake

11 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

If you have been following my blog you know that I have my faith pathway in life, and my other sweet pathway is that of knowing that all things lead you from here to Duncan Hines.

Rice Cakes

I promise you this is the truth, I had plans for a completely different blog today.  I was all ready, and almost set to go with it.  I scooted myself out the door to the store and lo and behold I just couldn’t do it.  I couldn’t get myself to pick up the other cake mix.  I stood there for the longest time in that baking aisle thinking you can do this Jeannie, all in the name of kitchen science, you can, you can, I think I can, I CANNOT!!!  That was the finality of today’s beginning of a blog.

BUT WAIT…

As always new and fresh ideas appear on the horizon of my mind.  It was sort of like the sun coming up and you don’t quite have any set plans for the day, but just sitting there looking out on the horizon you just know it’s a going to be a bright, sweet wonderful day.

Thus began the creation of this cake.  I’m not going to tell you my other idea in case at some point I am able to get stronger and carry it out.  I think I will in time, but not today, today was meant for rice cakes.

I’m Just Going To Say It: I don’t like rice cakes!

I think they are an amazing idea for snacking, just not for me.  If ever I am forced into a must have, to have them, I will happily snack upon them.  However that day is not here; praise the Lord, and thank You Jesus.  I know there are worse things to have to eat, but for me, a rice cake…

BUT WAIT…

Yes, I Jeannie Bee will make a new kind of rice cake.  A rice cake that will not be one of those nibble, nibble crunch sort of cakes, but a fork full of moist amazing goodness.  Yes this rice cake will be the thing that people like me, who love to have their Duncan Hines Cake, and they like to eat it too!!! =)

Can I just say this without offending anyone?  Truly I do not, do not mean to.  I like, and by like I mean I’ll eat it, but it’s not a craving, I like rice pudding.  Let’s face it, it’s sort of bland.  It always reminds me of hospital food or something you would make me eat if I was forced to be on a bland diet; of which I have had in my lifetime, and I have as you can see clearly hear, lived to tell about such an experience.  We all have.  When it comes to cake though, we don’t want tastelessness.  We want cake with flavor and we want it NOW!

So what did I do, I married rice pudding and Duncan Hines Coconut Cake today in a ceremony fit for the oven.  Yes, they met, things heated up and wha-lah… they were just sitting merrily letting things cool down and along came some Duncan Hines Frosting Creations and now I need to introduce you to the new couple…

With no further ado, I’d like to introduce you to:

Click below for the recipe.  Hope to see you at Duncan Hines!

Cinnamon Coconut Rice Cake

http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/jeanuine/cinnamon-coconut-rice-cake

Happy-happy, joy-joy baking with Duncan Hines,

Jeannie Bee

P.S. I told you I wasn’t in it all for the winning thing.  No, making stuff for an INFJ is where the real action is.  Having something as wonderful as Duncan Hines in your life affords you the ability to get creative and for this INFJ it is what brings sweet and wonderful bliss to my life.

Half Empty and Half Full

10 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

Read this passage, I bet you can’t figure out what in the world it has to do with a glass half empty or full.  Prayerfully you will after this whole little Jeannie Bee line for line is through. ☺

Remember that a glass has to be emptied and filled.  It has to get rid of the old in order to get the new.   What are you filling your life glass with these days?

This morning I came across that old saying: Is the glass half empty or half full?  It truly got me thinking, and as always got me Biblically thinking; that’s just how my mind rolls.

Half Empty and Half Full – at the end of the day, which are you?

Half empty is suppose to portray the pessimistic attitude.

Half full therefore portrays the optimistic point of view.

Some people appear to be quite full and yet…

Which are you?

If you are a human I’m guessing you are both.  In my many years of being one, a human, I’ve seen some of the most positive people I know have days where they crumble.  Crud happens and it weakens our resistance.  Now I’m not saying those optimists get down and become pessimists, no not at all.  In fact after their glass begins to empty a little more than usual, they, those optimistic people, they get stronger.

In the other glass, the pessimistic glass holders, they get down and dirty.  In fact so often it is that the pessimistic person goes purposely looking for things to empty out.  They try to weaken the integrity of those optimistic people all so that they can feel worse, which how it happens I’ll not know, they feel better some how.

Filled To The Brim With Sour Milk

Some days we run into more than our share of negativity.  It’s not hard to do at all any longer.  I work with some people who are so very, very good at portraying a positive attitude in front of others but behind the scenes they are nothing at all like what they pretend.  Yes, there are pretend optimists.  No worries, when they walk away from those whom they act for, or the cameras not rolling any longer, they spill out all the sour milk they’ve been holding onto.  No thanks, that glass that is full to the brim with sour spoken words that bring down even the strongest of man or woman when they get going.  Try to accent the positive and wham-o you are truly in for it.  I’m sure you’ve met these folks.  They cannot stand happy people.

Allow me to explain.  I work with someone who if a customer says something nice about my announcements at work, or a manager speaks nicely about me, she’s all over that.  You’d actually think she liked me, which I know different because others have spoken to me about what she says behind my back.  Thus goes the dance of this little milk-maids glass.  Now, on an opposite day a customer will say, after I’ve made my announcement, something like this: Wow that was really perky and happy.  And just when I, being the gullible woman that I am, for a moment anyway, say thank you.  Just to hear the customer say back, that’s just sickening.  Where in if the pessimistic milk-maid is near by, she will giggle like a school girl and jump right in to bash me and my happy little self to pieces.

Let me introduce you to sour milk glassed people on a Biblical level:

Why We Have To Be Half Emptied and Half Full

This is the reason, because daily we have to filter through our life glass all the cruddy here and now that keeps getting poured into us.  Our sweet taste for living and life, and hope of tomorrow and the Eternal can get almost mixed together and the next thing you know we become nervous Nellie.  She’s no good for anyone.  It happens though, and it happens like quick.  Speaking of quick it’s sort of like that Quick syrup.  It looks so good for you.  It tastes so good.  It is good, but we forget to keep stirring in all the syrup that is necessary to make a good glass of chocolate milk.  We have to keep pouring into ourselves the very Word of GOD in order to be filled to the brim.

The Crack In The Glass

No worries, GOD is in the repair business.  We’re so busy hungering and thirsting for all sorts of things in this world, we, yes we, meaning even in the Body of Christ, we forget and forfeit all that we were suppose to be focusing in on all for the game, the game of fame and fortune.  As if getting something big from this world and pouring it into glass of discipleship and witness would make for a greater vision.  Oh we can fool ourselves into believing that getting that all important think will fix all the cracks in the glass that seems to be emptying quite fast.

In fact you can fool a lot of people a lot of times and all the while fool yourself too.  Oh we can.  I’ve been there myself.  My glass was sitting once upon a shelf where it loved to sit.  It was in a job I absolutely loved, working with children and parents that I absolutely still love.  I was that girl!  The girl with the sweet glass of milk and suddenly someone came along and hit me hard with sour milk that they’d been wanting for sometime to get into my glass of happiness.  They did in fact crack the glass of Jeannie.  Cracked, yes.  Broken to pieces and no more, NO WAY!

The Scratch In The Glass Remains

Did you  know they make this amazing stuff that can take scratches out of glasses.  This is how they repair all our so called “scratch resistant glasses” we all don.  I’ve found out from experience that they aren’t really scratch resistant; just like us.

We get scratched to pieces by life.  And just like man can’t really come up with this amazing thing that truly does stop scratches from happening, man can’t fix  us.  Nope, he can’t.  Sure we can latch onto the latest fix for our glasses that seemingly takes away the scratches, but really it’s just filling in the gaps of the scratch with some whatever material it fills it in with… sorry, I’m not chemical science girl, but I do know it’s some sort of material that as far as the “eye can see” the scratches are gone!  That’s the man eye though.

You can also try some sort of toothpaste rub on your glasses with a soft cloth.  If you believe that can I please interest y0u in purchasing and paying for my home so I don’t lose it?  Yeah, pretty much not gonna happen.

GOD’s Scratch Resistant Wear

There is only one way to go.  If you and I don’t keep filling our glasses up with the goodness of GOD and His Word, we’re eventually going to turn sour.  We are going to eventually crack and break.

There is a way, there is a Truth.  Hang in there, keep stirring up your life with the GOOD WORD.  Not just for tickling that ear with all the pretty stuff that you’d like to post on Pinterest or Facebook either.  Don’t just cover the outside of your glass with all this Word adornment.  That is not going to work at all.  Eventually your outter layer of just wearing the Word for show will not hold up.  You’ve got to pour into your life a lot of learning lessons.  Don’t just read the Word of GOD on Sunday or Wednesday, or in some Bible study.  Read it on your own with GOD.  Just the two of you.  Get in on that most personal relationship and know that when it is just the two you, you will get the etching, the seal of approval that will make you resistant to every sort of thing that comes your way in this life.

When you fill yourself up with the Word, with the things of GOD you overflow and pass it on.  Oh sure as shoot’n they’ll be those who don’t want to get a drop of that Truth on them, that’s okay.  As long as you don’t allow what they are offering to change the consistency of who you are in-Christ Jesus, just step away from the negative flow and show that He who is in your cup is so much greater than anything in this world.

What are you waiting for… filler up!!!

Strawberry Refrigerator Cake

09 May 2012 2 Comments

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

Wake up and smell the strawberries!  No worries, you can have your coffee too!

Decided to take the Duncan Hines Strawberry Refrigerator Cake recipe and run with it.  Yes, it’s okay to run with cake mix in your hand, scissors no, cake mix yes!!! LOL

This is my version, you’ll see the original at Duncan Hines by clicking the link below.

Happy baking with Duncan Hines!

I’ve been wanting to make Strawberry Refrigerator Cake ever since Duncan Hines posted it on their site.  You might be living in an area where your temps are still on the cool side, but here in sunny Florida we already have temps into almost the high 80º’s.  This is what is called seasonably normal here in my neck of the woods.  It’s also a perfect day to be baking.  Not just baking any old thing but baking something that gives you the perfect cool-down.

It’s an oldie but a goodie for sure.  You know me though, things are never what the appear to be afterwards.  I had to give it all my own Jeanuine touch.  The only difference is that I used french vanilla pudding, and I also, as I often do now, used ginger-ale for half of the water.  I’m unsure if this actually does anything but I swear by my Jeannism self that it does give a bit of boost to the flavors that are already present in whatever cake you make.  That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.  Also on the top I decorated the cake using the new Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Strawberry Shortcake.  The center of the flowers are just white chocolate baking chips.

So, if you want the low down on the cool down, take it from me.  Click your beaters together and say, there’s no place like Duncan Hines, there’s no place like Duncan Hines, there’s no place like Duncan Hines… and click below! ☺

http://duncanhines.com/recipes/cakes/dh/strawberry-refrigerator-cake

The end!  No wait… there is the eating.  Yes the eating is of the utmost importance.

Happy Baking with Duncan Hines,

Jeannie Bee

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

08 May 2012 Leave a Comment

by injeannieous in Bee in the Word

*GOD*day!

I’m not who I was.  I’m pretty much not a normal person in this world.  That’s alright, that’s okay, Jesus loves me anyway!  I’m cool with Him.

Welcome to another abby-normal day in the life of Jeannie Bee!  Anyone know what I’m talking about when I say abby-normal?

abnormal adj.  Different, often in an undesirable way, not normal.

normal adj.  Average, usual, that which is expected.

See what I’m say’n?  No?

Well my weekend has come to a close and it’s business as usual; that is something normal.  I’m pretty sure we can all know and expect that days off end and weekdays begin.  Maybe not for all of us do those days fall on the same day, but we work and we don’t work.  Or we have a beginning of sorts to our week and an ending of sorts to our week, that is normal.  That’s about as normal as normal can get for most CHRISTian folks.

The world will sing a song  like that of Blood Sweet and Tears, aka. BST.  It’s called When I Die.  The words are what the so called normal person often thinks of as normal.  Now troubles are many, and they can be as deep as well.  Here are some of the words to that song and it is quite contradictory to what I believe, yet it sums up how a lot of people live and what they believe.

Blood Sweat and Tears, When I Die

I can swear there ain’t no heaven but I pray there ain’t no hell.
Swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell,
But I’ll never know by living, only my dying will tell.
Yes only my dying will tell.
Yeah, only my dying will tell.

When I Die I Know Where I’m Going 

While I’m living here on earth I also know who is trying to fool the world into crazy thoughts like in that song.  Seriously, even some so called people who speak of someone being religious say thinks like getting into Heaven before satan knows they are dead.  How normal is that?  It’s world normal that’s how normal.

If you swear there ain’t no Heaven but you pray there ain’t no Hell, it sort of sounds like you believe there is a Hell.  Opposites, yes normal and abby-normal.  In this world satan would have the world think this way, believing contradictory things, yes he is the contradictory king.  He knows that all he has left is this world and trying to keep you from leaving him.

There is devil and He is all about the Hellish.  He also will say, there is however no Heaven and no cause for anyone to believe in Jesus Christ.  Oh he knows different, but he’s on a mission from himself and his agenda is to trick, deceive and even get you to believe in something or nothing.  He doesn’t care really one way or another as long as you don’t latch on to the real dealio of how to get to Heaven.  He doesn’t mind religions that accept everything.  He doesn’t care about the cause of this group or that.  He just is on a mission to keep you from accepting and receiving Jesus Christ.

This is the thinking that goes on down here on earth.  I’m no rocket scientist and even I can see the stupidity in that thinking.  The reason CHRISTian is a bad word to the world is because that’s just how satan likes it.   People get all crazy jumpy and out of sorts when we speak up, and it is because out of all the “religions” this is the one that satan knows in the end he is going down for.  Oh yes, yes he knows his future.  This is the reason he try’s his best to get anyone and everyone to hate CHRISTians.  He’s not all to crazy about any religious organization that says there is “one way Jesus”.  Yes, satan knows his future and thus he will remind a Believer all the time of their past.  This is his all he’s left with.  He knows that Jesus’ blood covers it all.  So he mealy mouths around reminding of you and I of the old you and I before Jesus.

He is in the business of lies.  Yes, there in lies the lie.  He doesn’t like especially when a group of Bible Believing CHRISTians say what the Bible says.  The Bible does not specify any where in it that a specific denomination is the one way.  Nope, not in there.  So when even a religion says you can’t get into Heaven unless you are one of them, ut-ut-uh!!!

One last thing, the only time the world gets their tinsel in a tangle is when you truly are a Bible Believing CHRIST-centered CHRISTian and you stand firm on the very Word of GOD, not world religion.

For a CHRISTian, and by CHRISTian, if you’ve not figured this out or have been reading my blog, is for those who are Bible Believing CHRIST-centered folks.  It is not for the casual I belong to a denomination therefor I am a CHRISTian.  I’ve written this all already, but I just wanted to clarify.  A Bible Believing CHRISTian doesn’t take the Lord’s name in vain on Monday-Saturday and then sit in church on some Sunday and sing songs about glorifying the Lord.  A Bible Believing CHRIST-centered child of GOD does not believe that anyone other than Jesus Christ can get them into Heaven.  This Believer knows that Jesus paid the ultimate price.  This Believer knows that what is in the Bible is Truth, not what some religion says is the Truth.  This Believer knows that there is one way to GOD and it isn’t through any man-made saints it is through, as Scripture says, Christ alone!

So… back to the subject at hand.

Jesus and the unusual.  Usual is usually, quite always actually very unusual.  How about you?  Is your norm normal?  Or in your live a day world do you experience what I call, abby-normal living.

We live in a world that tells you to be yourself, stand up for what you believe in, don’t conform, be your own normal. The world spins on an axis that they say Christians fill up with hate, like the girl this past week in the news who wore a Christian T-shirt to school.  What happened?  Did everyone embrace her for standing strong and firm upon her beliefs?  When she walked on her schools campus was she received by welcomed arms from adults willing to support her in her faith?  What do you think?  Now switch the role and let us say she said because of her faith she has to have this or that on her head.  Or her hair has to be certain way because this is her religion.  Or the more accepted, she dresses in specific clothing because this how her beliefs tell her she must.

Oh normal, normal is whatever the masses of the hour, those with the most mouth power, those following the leader of anyone other than that of Jesus Christ, that is the world order form of normal.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

What did you sign up for?  Don’t go believing that what you signed up for is some prosperity gospel.  If you did, then that small g for gospel goes with it.  If you signed up for this life in-Christ Jesus honey you signed up for something of a coast to coast, earth to sky roller coaster ride.  It’s temporary but it comes with a lot of ups and downs.

Did you think that when you gave your life to the One who died for you it was going to just another Saturday in the park?  When was the last time you truly took a look, other than on some Easter Sunday with your church Body, when truly did you take walk down your life road with Jesus?

Blood

When we decided to walk with Jesus we made a decision to walk where He walked in many respects.  If you signed up thinking that this was going to be easy-breezy sweetie, my heart aches and prays for you.  This life, contrary to what some say, is not for the weak.  It is not for the spineless.  It is not for those wh0 are wimps.  Contrary to what they say, they, those that say these things about Believers in-Christ, they don’t know Jesus.  So how in the free world can they say something about something or in this case Someone they don’t know?  Answer: they cannot!  They didn’t define who Jesus was from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky.  Always remember that some people will say they know religion, but that does not mean they know about what this relationship with Jesus Christ is about.  These are not the people you get your sources from.  These are not the people you get help from.  These are the people who may know a lot about religions of the world, but this relationship thing with Jesus Christ, it’s so personal that you on your very own can walk with Him, talk with Him and yes, yes oh sweet YES, He calls you His own!  Blood shed tells you so.  So stop thinking that what you face is not understood by Him alone!  He got it all way through to the bone.  He nailed it all the way to the cross.  It was His choice, His decision to do all that so Yes, Yes, YES He does know what you are going through.  He understands and knows all about suffering and bleeding and not being believed that the Father and He are One.

Sweat

The world says “don’t sweat it”.  That’s just ludicrous.  What’s ludicrous?

ludicrous adj.  Causing laughter because of its foolish absurdity.

Ludicrous is when people say don’t sweat the small stuff.  It all started out with some small stuff.  A little apple bite from Eve here, a brother jealous of another brother there, or yes, it’s all in the details and details often are miniscule.  Miniscule is always where the details are.  If you don’t believe me go and read a contract.  There is a reason there is a bazillion and one words all in small print.  Tell me that when you were sitting across the table at the last place you signed a contract and they pushed that pile of papers over to you, you read every last word?  It’s in the details alright.

For a CHRISTian living your life out loud before GOD is all that matters.  The details of life like having and have nots are world views.  Details like someone telling you cannot wear this t-shirt because it points to Jesus is ridiculous.  You have the same rights to wear that shirt as someone else has to wear a hat on their head or specific hair that points to their religion.  Yes, you have rights.  Just don’t get caught up in those rights, because the only right that really matters is that you live right.  If this is not something of great importance, let it go.  If this is something the Lord is placing on your heart to take a stand upon, go for it.  Just remember that the sweat that follows is because the outcome might not be what you think it is going to be.  GOD has plans and when He directs your step, even if it is step, by step, by step, the end might not look like a win in the win column of a CHRISTians life.  What gets checked off, and all that matters though is that the blood shed and the sweat poured out were because you, like Jesus were obedient.

Tears

One of my absolute favorite verses in the Bible is from Psalms 56.  I’d share just that favorite verse in there but it’s best to read the passage intact.  As GOD intended for it to be read.  Follow along and you see for yourself just which verse stands out for the subject at hand.

Psalm 56

 ^1-4 Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around, stomped on every day.
   Not a day goes by
      but somebody beats me up;
   They make it their duty
      to beat me up.
   When I get really afraid
      I come to you in trust.
   I’m proud to praise God;
      fearless now, I trust in God.
      What can mere mortals do?

 ^5-6 They don’t let up—
      they smear my reputation
      and huddle to plot my collapse.
   They gang up,
      sneak together through the alleys
   To take me by surprise,
      wait their chance to get me.

 ⁷ Pay them back in evil!
      Get angry, God!
      Down with these people!

 ⁸ You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
      through the sleepless nights,
   Each tear entered in your ledger,
      each ache written in your book.

 ⁹ If my enemies run away,
      turn tail when I yell at them,
   Then I’ll know
      that God is on my side.

 ^10-11 I’m proud to praise God,
      proud to praise God.
   Fearless now, I trust in God;
      what can mere mortals do to me?

 ^12-13 God, you did everything you promised,
      and I’m thanking you with all my heart.
   You pulled me from the brink of death,
      my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
   Now I stroll at leisure with God
      in the sunlit fields of life.

Got it?  It’s the fact that GOD is as He was with Jesus, keeping track.  So much so is He keeping track He has?… every tear you shed recorded.  Think about that for just a bit.

Did you really think about it?  The truth is if you read the Bible, and not just with a group of fellowship, people who mostly choose to fellowship, and little Bible enters in, will you understand the importance of reading that Word of GOD on your own.  If you have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus you are hungering and aching and if you are hungering and aching and you aren’t getting filled, chances are it’s because the Savior within you is fed up to the rim with you wanting less of Him and the Word of GOD and more fellowship.  Oh yes, there are tears in GOD’s Eyes as well.  He wants you to want the Word of GOD, this personal relationship with His Son to be, gee… Personal!  Is there a problem with that?  Only if you want the fellowship and religion aspect of all the worldly gobbledygook out there, there is.

You are not the only one shedding tears.  Just remember standing firm, and standing alone in this world, standing firm upon where GOD is leading and what GOD is telling you to do, is not being alone.  Ask Jesus?  A few of his close friends also chose the road that left him alone.  A few of those who just a while before were saying they’d never deny Him.  GOT friends like that?  People who chose the creature comforts of say a job, over standing with you till the end?  It happens, get over it.  I say this all from experience.  It’s all GOD if it is all GOD directed!  That dear brothers and sisters in-Christ Jesus makes it all good!†♥†

What To Do, What To DO?

Give it up.  I mean you of course.  If it’s all to much to handle don’t handle it.  You just do the obedience part and leave the rest to GOD.  Is that not what Jesus did?  Oh yes He did!  Don’t you know He knew what was coming and it wasn’t that He wasn’t going to do it all alone, He knew, and so should you, that what it means to be obedient doesn’t always look so good on the outside to those who say they have the inside scoop on what it means to be a CHRISTian.

Many people think they have to manipulate and make a way so it looks like GOD is blessing them with things, or who’s who on the on their life’s roster.  You don’t concern yourself with all that.  The only Who is He Who Died for you!  That’s it!  You dear brother and sister need to know that there is but one way.  Obedience!  As long as you know that it is indeed His lead, hope is on the way.  The Helper, the Holy Spirit is your One Source of Comfort.  This is all you need to know.  Experience the Hope of Jesus who IS COMING AGAIN, in the mean time, you’ve got the promise of that Hope.  One day when you stand before GOD, Jesus is going to say, well done.  This is the all that matters on the platter of what is normal in your life.  Normal looks like Jesus to you!  Normal is not what the world calls normal and in your brand spanking new life in-Christ it never ever will.  So if for some reason you find yourself in some season of getting a bit wishy-washy, STOP!  REMEMBER THIS: Walking in His footsteps doesn’t look anything at all like what the world thinks it does.  They don’t get it.  To many, the footprints are just a pretty little set of words on a poster.  Or something to be displayed on their mantle to show that Jesus walks with them.  It’s important for sure to believe that, to know that, but… and there always is that but from me, but know this, it’s important to be walking with GOD 24/7/365 too!  Don’t you think like you do, if not even more, He wants to see you showing up as if you are His in this crazy world of ours.   To some they are snippets of words, footprints that show when you are weak He is strong.  To some it’s a picture for Pinterest.  No, this is not what it’s all about, footprints are you and He walking together.  Don’t you think Jesus deserves at least that?  If you don’t think so maybe you aught to rethink just how much you really did, or do, entrust your life to Jesus Christ.  I’m just say’n!

Now you decide.

Did you sign up for religion?

Did you sign up for a relationship?

If it’s the later you signed up for blood, sweat, and tears.  Just as GOD was prepared for what would happen to Jesus, Jesus is making preparations for you too!  He’s got the space set up for you, He’s made a place for you.  This is not your Home.  It can be a bit of a haven, but Heaven is your final destination child of Christ Jesus!  Being born again isn’t some religion, it’s some sort of Out of This World Heavenly Home secure Plan of GOD.  Know this and go in peace.  No really, go in peace knowing that trusting Jesus means we know that we can trust Him as He is the ultimate Prepper!

The next time someone gets all out of sorts because you are working on being who He needs you to be, be okay with it.  You are not who you were!  You are His!!!

Make every day a Red Letter Day!

Until all have heard of and know, His Love,

Jeannie Bee