Wednesday in the Word-Laughter is the Best Medicine

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 says;

 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—and Ecclesiastes 3:4 says;
A time to weep and a time to laugh;  A time to mourn and a time to dance

Laugh is just what we did at Aunt Lucille's Pound Cake Bake-off!

I recently had the privilege to spend several hours with family and friends as I was invited to be a judge for Aunt Lucille's Pound Cake Bake-off. The event was to celebrate the Memory of Aunt Lucille's birthday with none other than trying to mimic her famous pound cake! (which would be a hard job to do in my book)

The bake-off was hosted by her granddaughter Tracy in which I must say....to be a mom to 4 kids, work outside the home as well as in the home she sure made MULTITASKING look easy. With a baby on her hip she was tossing around tablecloths, centerpieces, paper goods, ordering appetizers for everyone, arranging door prizes and more! MADE ME TIRED WATCHING HER!

And dang, she still had time to put on some lipstick. A woman after my own heart!

 Contestants consisted of Aunt Lucille's daughters, granddaughers and yes, great-granddaughters. 

All cakes were numbered, foil was lifted and the judging began with appearance of the cake.

The judges were in for a HARD JOB! But a TASTY one!

The slices of cakes was displayed and the tasting began.

The categories for judging was based on Overall appearance, crust, flavor, and moistness.

I felt like I was Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. (I kinda looked like him too by the time I got through tasting all those pound cakes)

Listening to their cake baking stories that day kept me in stitches. It somewhat went like this among these girls: Mixer tore up, had to bake cake with one beater, their recipe was sabotaged, one was told to bake at 325 and one at 350. Crisco shortening or any brand? Imitation vanilla or the real thing? Sift the flour or do not sift flour. Funniest story was "she had to use a strainer" because she didn't have a sifter! PROOF that we can make do with what we have right?

Lots of laughter.... 

I didn't taste a slice that was not good but there could only be one winner! Tracy being the gracious host that she was decided to have a Winner, 2nd place and 3rd place. 

The winner was Presli....8 year old great-granddaughter of Aunt Lucille!

  Not only did she earn the CROWN but also won an array of items to use with her FUTURE pound cakes that she will bake. (and I got a feeling that she will be baking more than pound cakes) GET READY for the NEXT Food Network Host!

2nd place was Aunt Lucille's daughter Brenda.

 3rd place was Aunt Lucille's daughter Janet.

 So much fun was had that day keeping Aunt Lucille's memory alive with family and friends. Aunt Lucille would have been proud!

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What do you do to keep the memory alive of your loved one? Are you making new memories loaded with laughter and fun? Memories that are passed down to future generations?

The thing I have learned and I am still learning is that just because you have lost someone so very dear and near to your heart doesn't mean that YOU QUIT LIVING! God never intended for our life to be one of gloom and doom.

Aunt Lucille was sitting on the porch talking with her husband one minute and within a split second she was standing in the presence of God! Just that quick and just that fast. No warning signs that death was upon her. This was hard for this family but they choose to make memories and good ones to pass on to future generations!

Several of us talked about what could be worse; loosing a loved one so quickly with no warning as they have experienced or watching a loved one that has been sick for some time, on a continuous cycle of decline slowly take their last breath as our family had experienced.

There is no GOOD way to loose a loved one! 

 But here is the good news. The Bible says in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life".

 Death has no sting if we belong to the Most High God...Jesus Christ. Loosing a loved one is never easy but knowing where they are spending eternity and that one day we will see them again is precious. May you know that you know where you will spend eternity my friend!

I got a feeling that Aunt Lucille and my precious motherinlove (aka Nanny Conner) is baking up some pound cakes and chewy cakes in heaven. Lord help the JUDGES! LOL! 

And if you are wondering what the secret was to Aunt Lucille's famous pound cake? That is simple!
  

  Hugs and blessings, Cindy