Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Sacred Stories

  • Dowagiac

    She lived in a small town in Southwestern Michigan, but was in Chicago getting her tattoos. Not that kind of tattoos. She was going to have 25 radiation treatments.

    The skin must be marked before radiation is given, as it ensures that the radiation beams to treat the cancer are applied in the correct spot. Ink tattoos are most frequently used, as they don’t come off once they are placed.

    Tim asked where she was from. “Berrien Springs,” she said. He asked where that was and in her sharing the details he asked if it she knew where Dowagiac was.

    “I grew up in Dowagiac,” she exclaimed.

    The word ‘Dowagiac’ is inspired by a Native American word meaning ‘foraging ground,’ referencing abundance in food and game.

    Tim became very animated telling her that he had spent most of his childhood summers in Dowagiac with his grandparents!

    At her very core she felt such confirmation.

    She had deep knowing she was going to be okay, and that the divine had given her this connection.

    She was ready.

    Thank you, God. Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Dowagiac.

  • Three Empty Chairs

    They had just taken their seats at the funeral. Their friend, Sandy, had passed so unexpectedly after a car hit her in the grocery store parking lot. “Judy should be here with us,” Kay said.

    “There are three empty chairs in our row,” she responded, “so let’s save the one next to you for Judy.” Judy was Sandy’s cousin. Judy had passed not long ago.

    Moments later as Judy’s daughter, son, and daughter-in-law slid into their row, Judy’s daughter sat down in the chair they were “saving” for Judy.

    “You know, we were saving that chair for your mom,” she said to Judy’s daughter.

    Judy’s daughter flashed a tender grin before quickly replying, “Well, then I guess I will just have to sit on her lap…. Or better yet, I will let her sit on mine!”

  • Tire Swing

    Her dad had passed. Her mom some time before. The family home was being sold. Especially her sister was having a hard time letting the house go.

    Sooooo many memories. Such an amazing piece of property. Gorgeous trees. On one of them hung a tire swing their dad had built.

    Generations of their family had enjoyed that tire swing….

    They hired a couple of young guys to help with getting the house ready to go onto the market. She knew all was well when she caught sight the workers taking a turn on that old tire swing when they thought no one was looking!

    She knew their memories did not just live in his house, or in the swing he built!

    Her dad lives on in the house and in the swing he built, but his memory and his love lives on in their hearts.

  • God Numbers

    It was again time for her to have blood work before an upcoming physical. Always a stressful event with her history of white coat syndrome.

    As she was getting dressed, her bedroom clock read 11:11.

    It is said that the number 1111 holds the god number, and it is a sign of blessing, angelic presence, and the message that all is well.

    As she left the doctor’s office, her car clock read 1:11.

    There was the god number again — all about purity, self-love, and fresh starts.

    Sharing this news with a friend, she wrote, “That feels significant to me. I’m praying for healthy results. Love you and our angelic connection!”

    *Note – As I was posting this message my clock read 5:55. There are no bad numbers, and seeing multiples is a reminder that there are many unseen helping hands. Reading this online about angelic number meanings, “The universe (god) can communicate its deepest secrets through the form of repeated numbers.”

  • I Can Feel It In My Bones

    (Re-posted from Facebook with permission.)

    For me and my loving partner, this is a week of infusions, vision testing, blood work and doctor conferences. But thanks to the University of Michigan’s Gift of the Arts program, it is also another week of original art decking sterile hallways, charming clay works in cases near waiting rooms and glorious music filling the lobby while families gather, doctors and nurses take a quick lunch break and patients await the next appointment of the day.

    What a blessing for us….an incredible “coincidence”….musicians we love with whom we share a cherished history had been scheduled this day between my appointments!! As Larry guided me to a comfy chair up front, Laz, San and Emily broke into a spirited version of “I Can Feel It In My Bones,” a song they taught All God’s Children Choir more than 20 years ago! And even more astonishing, Bones has been very much on our minds as it’s the very song AGC will be performing for this coming Sundays Interfaith Action Celebration of the Harvest and the Harvestors!!

    This beloved, multitalented trio played a wide variety of tunes for an hour today. We’re sure that we were but two among many whose spirits were lifted through the gift of music! Thank you U of M….and thank YOU Sandor Slomovits , Emily Slomovits and Laszlo Slomovits! We carry each of you in our hearts!

    See Gemini Music for Children and Families


  • Dream! Divine Timing

    She received this text message from a friend early that morning, “I’d like to share a dream I had last night. Please let me know if you are available today or tomorrow for a call.” She replied saying she was awake and available but heard nothing back from her friend.

    That afternoon while driving from her doctor appointment to a farm market in search of local honey, she received a phone call from the homeowner of their seasonal rental for many years. Since she had not grabbed her headset when she left the house, she did not answer, but dialed as she got back into her car with the coveted honey. They were just a few days short of one year since Hurricane Ian swept devastation through their beloved Florida community. It was a nice long catch-up call.

    Knowing she’d been gone a long time, she sent her husband a quick text message letting him know she was going on to the grocery store.

    A beep-beep came from the car pulling in right behind her, and out jumped the friend who had written about the dream! They sat on a bench just inside the store and took all the time they needed to look deeply at the symbolism in the dream before joyfully going on to their separate shopping chores.

    Coming around the corner of an aisle and seeing one another it flooded into her awareness how divine the timing had been for them to pull into the parking lot at the exact same time. “If I had not had that long conversation I would have been here and gone before you arrived.”

    Looking at her phone later she noted that she had been on the phone conversation for 26 minutes!

    Their meeting was obviously not simply about the “dream” but also about Divine Timing….

    Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. ~ 2 Peter 3:8

  • Mints and More Mints

    It had been almost 18 years since her husband had passed, at the young age of 50, so she had driven the many hours to join a local nature group for a kayaking trip once again as a “single” person.

    Arriving at the hotel to check in, there on the reception desk were his favorite mints! (See “Mints” posted December 27, 2014 in Sacred Stories.)

    A photo of the two she took was sent to a dear friend who had witnessed the appearance of the mints so many times and places over all these years. The following day, she received a photo back from that friend, saying, “On the conference table at our appointment with the Elder Law attorney’s office this moment.”


    And the attorney added a very significant detail, “The funny thing about those mints is that I just bought them yesterday. If you had been here before, they would not have been here. There would have been life savers in the bowl instead.”

    The closing line from that “Mints” 2014 post, “And she knew now that love truly is eternal. His sweet mints prove it to her over and over and over.”

  • Clock Chimes After 20 Years of Not Working

    The night of her dad’s visitation, they came home from the funeral home to several beautiful flowers on the steps. As they were carrying them in, they both heard the clock on the porch chime about twelve times. They went out (somewhat in shock) to see why this clock chimed after 20 years of not working.

    The pendulum wasn’t moving, but the clock chimed.

    They knew neither of them had bumped it.

    They also knew this broken clock’s chiming was a message from him!

  • Rock 107.1

    Her radio was tuned to Rock 107.1 when it started playing a Christian hymn. It can sometimes get static once in a while, but this was a clear song.

    It had never happened before, or again.

    That day, her dad had just passed.

    Often, our loved ones in spirit orchestrate events for us to hear music outside of ourselves that remind us of them. As mentioned, there are no coincidences. They work hard to send signs not only through music, but also signs you see, feel, hear, taste, and smell. These signs are their way of letting you know they are around, sending you love and comfort.

    ~ Messages in Music from Loved Ones in Spirit

  • Gold Accent Wall

    It was traumatic having been let go from the prestigious salon she had worked at for 13 years. All because she asked to have two weeks before coming back after the shut-down due to Covid.

    She and her husband prayed for guidance. She began doing skin care in clients’ homes, but it was soon obvious she needed a place to open a small salon. She saw an available space conveniently located next to her daughter’s school, but it was only 300 square feet. Too small…. Nothing else was available in the building, but she left her name with the landlord.

    That night she dreamed of the perfect space, including vivid detail right down to the furnishings. The following morning she made a sketch. The accent color was gold, her favorite color.

    Two weeks later she received a call about a larger space which had opened up in that building. It was perfect. In fact, it looked just like her drawing with a nice waiting room and a service room. She knew this was the space for her spa.*

    The back wall was already painted an accent color: gold!

    *You can read “Blessings in Abundance, by Tam Jones” of Fort Worth, Texas, in Guideposts Aug/Sept 2023. Check out Tam’s website at www.SKINBYTAMNICOLE.com and like Tam Nicole Esthetics Studio on Facebook, follow tam_nicole_Esthetics_studio on Instagram, phone or text at (817) 404-8641.