recipe

“Glad You’re Doing Okay”

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Image generated via AI.

I received an email the other night from an old friend. I had not seen them in several years. They said they had been thinking about me and wanted to know if I was okay. We exchanged emails and got caught up, somewhat.

I learned a little bit about their life since I last saw them. It was basic information. Their spouse is okay, their child is now nine, they aren’t working, and why. Stuff like that. Sadly, I got the overwhelming impression that they weren’t happy. In fact, they made the statement that their life was boring.

I shared how much I was enjoying my retirement years, that April liked her job, about the new church we started attending this year, and our involvement there. I also shared that I had finished remodeling the house and that we had new furniture that April had picked out, and how she had done a great job. I did mention how I didn’t like getting old, though.

I wasn’t exaggerating or embellishing, but just telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. In their final reply, they wrote, “I’m glad you’re doing okay.”

Their comment got me thinking. Was I bragging? Was I trying to impress them? Why was my life doing okay?

I know in my heart that despite body aches and pains, some hiccups in life, some frustrations in our marriage, and working hard to pay off the bills, our life isn’t bad. Why? Because April and I have accepted Jesus Christ and have had our sins forgiven, and know that he is still forgiving us of our new ones. We both read God’s word, the Bible, regularly, and we tithe faithfully. We are committed to our local church and do what we can to help there, which has allowed us to develop relationships with real people who believe like we do.  We also do what we can to share God and His amazing love with others as the Holy Spirit leads and gives us boldness to speak up. That is why we are doing okay!

I do realize some may say, “I do all those things and yet my life isn’t okay.” I honestly don’t have an answer as to why that is for some. But I know that April and I both invited God into our lives at a young age and have tried our best to surrender our free will to him. Perhaps that has something to do with it as well. God tends to bless obedience, and I know that faith pleases him.

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Heb. 11:6 (AMPC)

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jer. 29:11 (AMPC)

5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Prov. 3:5-6 (AMPC)

If there were such a thing as a “recipe” for living a life pleasing to God, then this may be it. April and I enjoy our lives. We feel blessed because we are. It’s like living in a garden, and after all, in the beginning, isn’t that what God intended?

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Salt and Pepper to Taste

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Bastian Mulsow from Pixabay

If you look at recipes much, you will find the instructions, “salt and pepper to taste.” As you can figure out, it means to add the amount of those spices to please your pallet. To make it happy, to please yourself.

When I saw this phrase the other day, it reminded me of how people prepare their relationship with God. They add just enough “religion” to make them feel safe. Safe from winding up in hell, they hope! Others want to see their god, so they build idols or allow things of this world to become their idol. Life is so much easier when done God’s way. Some try so hard to do things their way and yet get nowhere. No true happiness, no true life!

Hosea 13:1-3 (MSG)
Religion Customized to Taste

13 1-3 God once let loose against Ephraim
    a terrifying sentence against Israel:
Caught and convicted
    in the lewd sex-worship of Baal—they died!
And now they’re back in the sin business again,
    manufacturing god-images they can use,
Religion customized to taste. Professionals see to it:
    Anything you want in a god you can get.
Can you believe it? They sacrifice live babies to these dead gods—
    kill living babies and kiss golden calves!
And now there’s nothing left to these people:
    hollow men, desiccated women,
Like scraps of paper blown down the street,
    like smoke in a gusty wind.

Hosea 14:9 (MSG)

God’s paths get you where you want to go.
    Right-living people walk them easily;
    wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Don’t Follow the Recipe

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

April made the dinner in the photo the other day. She made sweet and sour chicken that I thought was better than most Chinese restaurants’ versions, and I would know. I asked her how she did it and she replied, “I just followed a recipe.” It’s funny though how you can give 12 cooks the same recipe and the final dishes will all taste differently. Most likely due to each individual’s uniqueness.

A few years ago, while attending a church service that featured a semi-famous man of God, I witnessed individuals taking notes, as if they were there to learn the recipe of how to get God to do the same thing in their lives as He had done for them. They failed to realize the man of God was giving his testimony in hopes to boost one’s faith. Knowing that God did something for one can help you believe that God can do something big in your own life.

When one such note-taker tries to implement the same practice in the exact same way but fails to get the same result they can become disgruntled and dissatisfied with God. Attitudes Satan can use to draw an individual away from God.

Keep in mind, that God is extremely creative. He does things in unique ways. Not because He gets bored, but to exhibit just how vast his power and imagination are. He likes to do things in new ways. He may ultimately do for you, what He did for the man of God, but He will do it in a new, fresh way. In a way that is most likely due to each individual’s uniqueness.

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isa. 43:19a (NIV)

God’s word assures us He likes to do new things.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

350, 1 Hour, Serve

/ Mark Brady / 5 Comments

Charlie 0320 8You go to a friend’s house and they serve a wonderful dinner.  You go on and on over the entree and you even ask for the recipe so you can imitate it, or duplicate it at home.  Then the day comes when you make the item, and you have great anticipation of it melting in your mouth the way it did when you first tried it, but it doesn’t.  You go over the recipe line by line and you swear to yourself you followed it 100 percent.  Disappointment sets in, perhaps even anger.

I have noticed whenever there is a guest speaker, people will flock to the church and sit there with pen and paper taking notes.  The speaker may be sharing their testimony of what God did in their life.  The people listen with intent.  Then when they go home they start doing the things in their life, just like the guest speaker, but they don’t get the same results.  Disappointment with God sets in, and perhaps even anger.

There are two reasons why:

1) You aren’t them. God worked in the guest speaker’s life in a unique way knowing the best process to minister to and through them.  Now, with that said, there certainly are some principles based on the word of God that can be applied to every believer.

2) God is creative. I think he likes doing things differently for each person.

Is it the guest speaker’s fault?

No.  There is nothing wrong with them sharing their experiences with God, because their victory can increase your faith.  Just don’t expect God to do the same thing as he did for them at least in the same way.

A better way:

Instead of trying to duplicate someone else’s success with God try getting to know him.  I mean know him so well you don’t ever second guess his commandments, or instructions.  There are no shortcuts in this process.  It takes time, lots of time hanging out with the creator of the universe.  Did you know God had a great sense of humor?  There is nothing like talking to God and then having a belly laugh moment with him!  Get to know his nature, his love, and then imitate him.

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.