Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: Debra Basham

  • Heaveniversary

    She decided to have a memorial image of a screenshot she had taken of the last text message her mom sent to her done on canvas. The order was scheduled to arrive February 2 or 3, but it arrived on January 30, just one day before her mom’s 1st Heaveniversary.

    At 11:33 on January 14, 2025, she wrote to her mom, “Bloodwork looks good to me.”

    Her mom responded, “Trusting it is (with two prayer hands icons). Love you, Mama (with a heart and 100 icon).”

    She sent her mom an emoji likeness of herself blowing her mom a kiss.

    Her mom responded, “That’s not close to how beautiful you really are (with a heart icon). Just an icon (with a smiley face blowing a kiss).”

    She closed with a purple heart icon back to her mom.

    1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV)

    ¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

  • Acts of Kindness

    She met him while riding bike with her parents during a week’s visit in the Fort Myers, Florida, area. A Veteran, he was laboriously walking with a cane, pulling a basket behind him, stopping every few steps to lean and breathe. Her dad asked him, “Are you going to make it home?”

    “As long as I don’t pass out….” was the reply.

    She was off her bike, and began pulling his heavy load, holding his hand to support him as her parents pushed her bike along behind.

    They made it to his house where she helped get his purchases into the house. She was bereft when she rejoined her mom and dad. “No one should have to live like that….” they heard her say over-and-over between sobs describing despicable conditions. As they rode back home she spoke of getting him a better cart and filling it with supplies.

    Acts of kindness must have some special attention from LIFE, because the community where her parents winter was having a trash-to-treasure sale with pre-sales to the volunteers the next morning. When the neighbor across the street learned of their intention, he picked them up in his golf kart and they were able to buy a very high-end walker with a seat.

    They fitted the walker with a basket and later went shopping so the walker will be delivered filled with two bags of pull-tab and non-perishable foods!

    No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop

  • Happy 2026 Birthday to Me (and 15 others I know!)

    Today is my birthday. If you are willing, you may wish to reflect on my birthday post from 2018 about “Corpse Prayer” at https://edq.ojt.mybluehost.me/debrabashamcom/corpse-prayer/ My birthday posts are not always maudlin, but today I post with a warning: Not For the Faint of Heart.

    After having become vigilant about weight back in the Twiggy super thin model days, I maintained 137 pounds for decades. Then after getting up to 147 the winter of 2023 I was able to be stable at 130. This past summer my weight started going down. I had my doctor do some tests along with my annual exam, but nothing showed up and I left for Florida at 125. Still wondering what my birthday ritual would be, yesterday morning early when I weighed myself I tipped the scales below 120, and anxiety set in.

    I used a drawing/coloring/writing tool a colleague taught me a few years back and wrote:

      Weight/Wait

      All these years, wanting to be thin. Now nervous as the scales show just below 120 pounds. Is something wrong? Am I sick? Will I die?
      Of course, we all do. But what am I waiting for? Is it possible to go before your time? Can the mystery be seen by the heart?

    The story began long, long ago in 1992 shortly after my dad died. I have a published version of it called Where Moon Go? available for 99 cents, but the gist is that I asked God if my dad was okay where he was. I meant was he in heaven or hell, but I said, “I don’t want you to tell me what you think I want to know, I want to know what’s real.”

    Things started happening. As I was driving, the moon would be hidden behind a cloud or a building and I would hear, “It looks like I’m gone, but I am still here.” When I realized this was the answer to my question about my dad, my world view shifted! You don’t have to agree with my experience — always ask your own questions to get to what is real. And that is part of this year’s birthday ritual which began with a text chain that led to my reading Jeremiah 33:3 with my sister and daughter and niece (published in Sacred Stories ).

    I did an AI search asking the question, “Do the worlds’ religions think time of death is preordained?” Some interesting stuff there!

    As I read through answers from Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, I begin to pray, “I want to know what’s real about human death, and I don’t want you to tell me what you think I want to know. I want to know what’s real.”

    One of my persistent thoughts about a rise in human consciousness and a shift from 3rd density to 5th density is, “What could/would/will human life be like on earth with no fear of death?”

    The one-year anniversary of the death of our older sister, Johnnie Sue, is coming up on January 31. That was some of the text chain that led to all of this. She died with no fear of death. So did my friend, Linda Higbee. Both of them lived with a lot of need to control and anxiety, but both of them passed with peace, praise God!

    For those who did not go back and read the 2018 birthday blog, here is the “Corpse Prayer” again.

    Corpse Prayer

    Be not afraid.
    I give thanks to god who created all things good.
    In christ, all things hold together.
    I am not entitled to life without death.
    I embrace sacred life.
    I embrace sacred death.
    I embrace the growing and crumbling in between.
    Smile at yourself in the silence…
    ~ Jarem Sawatsky

    I wrote into my journal, “I want to know what’s real about human life on earth without fear of death….”

    That afternoon, through myriad emotions, I shared all of this with my sister, Janis, telling her I realize the way to know is to LIVE life without fear of death.

  • 333

    One morning she woke up at 3:33 am and was unable to go back to sleep.

    That afternoon, working in the kitchen, she glanced up to see the clock on the stove announcing it was 3:33 pm.

    Later that evening she was on a group text with a few of her closest family members, sharing intimately as they navigated the upcoming one-year anniversary of her sister’s passing. One of them wrote Jeremiah 33:3 .

    Asking AI the following morning what verse in the bible is 333, this came up:

    While there isn’t one single “333 Bible verse,” the number often points to Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me, and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (ESV). It’s a powerful message of divine communication, completeness (like the Trinity), and God’s promise to reveal Himself when sought, often linked to seeing the number 333 as a call to deeper prayer and seeking God’s guidance.

  • Lazy Days

    The truth about living in Lazy Days is that there is not enough time…. Of course, that is not true but it is how it feels.

    The days start early. What fills the moments? Thoughts of all those we love. Thoughts of you. Family in Tennessee. Family and friends in Michigan. Family and friends in Florida. Family and friends in Texas…. you get the point.

    One of the great joys of this Lazy Days season is that John is riding bike with me!!! His longest distance to date is 15 miles, and almost every day 10 miles. At his appointment Friday in Naples, the young cardiologist who diagnosed the need for a quadruple by-pass surgery 4 years ago here in Fort Myers said that is the best stress test he could have!

    Many moments are filled with memories of what has been and thoughts of what is to come. I cook and clean and shop and puzzle, although the one I am working on now has been way to slow for my taste. It reminded me of the all-H (if you are a puzzler you know what that means) of Mount Rushmore with almost no shade or shape variation Linda Higbee did. A VERY good puzzler, she persevered to completion counting it a good day if she got three pieces in.

    Yesterday, on the birthday of my sister (Janis) and my Florida meditation teacher (Sheilana) a precious and unusual friend completed his transition in Michigan. Ron was one of the most unique individuals in my life. Ron was a healer. He (and I) believe he (and the Lord) spared my life more than once. A genetic disorder left him blind and for the last six months a heart condition had him bed-bound under hospice care. Grateful beyond words that his wish to stay in his own home was granted, he spent most of his time alone, with caregiving for just a few hours each day.

    Ron was filled with faith and conversations with him (sometimes MANY conversations each day or night) often began with him singing in spirit. We called it the HARP.

    Then he would pray for anyone I was praying for.

    He would often ask me to pray for folks he was praying for.

    And, including during our last conversation on Wednesday, he would ask me if I thought his wish to get stronger and be able to get out of bed so he could do the Lord’s work would be granted. Over these past few weeks the way I was guided to answer was to tell him the truth – he was doing the Lord’s work. He was loving and praying for people faithfully whether he was in bed or not.

    Today my heart is full as I follow Ron’s lead and pray for so many.

    As my eyes are leaking….

  • Be an Interpreter of Every Moment

    I have since an adolescent been enamored with New Years. Stacey was likely conceived on New Years Eve in 1965. Not ever a party-goer, and almost always in bed asleep before midnight, the theme — the GOD-GIVEN gift of new beginnings — deeply resonates with my soul.

    When you see that every moment is fresh,
    every moment is new,
    every moment is changing,
    every moment is arising — that’s reality.
    ~ The Daily Tejaniya

    This year John and I went to the theater (less than 10 minutes away) to view the film Song Sung Blue. We had seen the trailer when we went to view Wicked For Good last week. I thought it was about Neil Diamond, but when Linda and Larry drove down from Blue House in Punta Gorda and picked us up at 6:15 pm she told me as we were parking the car that it was not. We were home by 10 but in between we were affected by the story of Wisconsin’s own Claire “Thunder” Sardinia and Mike “Lightning” Sardina, who performed together from 1989 until Mike’s death in 2006. One of their most memorable performances was at Summerfest in 1995, where they opened for Pearl Jam and sang “Forever in Blue Jeans” with Eddie Vedder. The film was excellent. Amazing performances by Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman, with powerful acting by everyone.

    This morning I listened to an interview with Claire Sardina following the opening of the film. A few of the words from that interview have been woven into my New Year meditation for 2026.

    When asked if she thinks Mike would like the film, Claire responded, “He would love it. He does love it. He watches over me. He guides me….”

    She reflected on the skills she learned from being with Mike, saying, “He was the overall entertainer — a true entertainer — there for the people (not for yourself).”

    Claire heard Hugh Jackman say in one of his interviews, “We believe that if it wasn’t for Mike, this whole thing wouldn’t be happening. Because Mike was a dreamer.”

    Her infectious positivity is highly influenced by Mike’s, “Attitude is everything. He was always saying ‘This, too, shall pass’ and I think it came from AA. That along with ‘You can do this’ were Mike’s favorite sayings.”

    Claire said,”I pray a lot….” and she is still performing!

    In their publicity Mike made a point of clarifying he was not a Neil Diamond impersonator. Claire helped him find the words to say what he felt, “I am an interpreter of the music of Neil Diamond.”

    I imagine Mike telling you to be your best you in every moment. Every moment is an opportunity to be an interpreter of the highest expression of your holy self.

    May your New Year be filled with inner peace, compassion, and joy in the present moment. May you love and be loved and know that you ARE love…. May the words of the childhood song “Jesus loves me” fill your heart and soul to overflowing. May all beings come to the end of suffering. May 2026 be a healthy and Happy New Year!

  • A Handprint on My Heart

    Christmas Day was enjoyed at Blue House with Linda and Larry and homeowners, Jim and Mary. Everything was delicious and when you are not with your beloved family it means so much to be with friends who are family in every sense except blood. John was grateful our five dollar (11 pound) turkey did not look like a capon. Larry marinated it and it was beautiful, moist, delicious — and we came home with enough white meat and plans for a pot pie made and enjoyed today!

    Friday John and I rode bikes on an 11-mile adventure from Lazy Days Village in North Fort Myers. It takes heads-up riding to stay safe here because of traffic, and whatever you do that demands your full attention is an excellent spiritual practice of mindfulness and concentration. It has been said that the goal of 2026 is INTENTION and ATTENTION. We had lots of both. As we crossed the last of the major intersections, this one at Tamiami Trail and Littleton Road, John said, “Well, we survived.”

    At that exact moment, I saw a butterfly and thought of Doug’s mom, Gail, who visits us with wings and heard, “We all survived.”

    If you aren’t new to Yellow Brick Road you are familiar with this idea. The metaphor that makes the most sense with experience is recognizing the difference between a car and a driver: The driver still exists after leaving the car.

    Yesterday, John and I drove up to Arcadia to attend the Heartland -Southwest Florida Bluegrass Association monthly music event with our music friend, Paula. She dances in her chair and helps me feel our beloved Molly from Michigan. Weather was perfect and John won $125 in the 50/50 raffle. A great day!

    Screenshot

    Thus far, this winter’s seasonal life has been rife with newness. Christmas Eve John and I went to the theater to see Wicked For Good. Only about a dozen people at the 7:45 pm showing, and I confess to dozing off a bit. I had to spend some time reading a really good plot summary on Christmas morning, but during the singing of “For Good” I was wide awake.

      Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better. Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

      You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart….

    May the echoes of Christmas sing truth to your heart as you prepare to welcome the New Year.

    “For Good” as sung by Ariana Grande (Glinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) with the full lyrics below:

    FOR GOOD
    From “WICKED”
    (sung by two people)
    I’m limited *just look at me*
    I’m limited
    And just look at you
    You can do all I couldn’t do
    Glinda
    Because now it’s up to you *for both
    of us*
    Now it’s up to you
    (Glinda)
    I’ve heard it said
    That people come into our lives
    For a reason
    Bringing something we must learn
    And we are led to those
    Who help us most to grow
    If we let them
    And we help them in return
    Well I don’t know if I believe that’s
    true
    But I know I’m who I am today
    Because I knew you
    Like a comet pulled from orbit
    As it passes a Sun
    Like a stream that meets a boulder
    Halfway through the wood
    Who can say if I’ve been changed for
    the better?
    Because I knew you
    I have been changed for good
    (Elphaba)
    It well may be
    That we may never meet again
    In this lifetime
    So let me say before we part
    So much of me
    Is made of what I learn from you
    You’ll be with me
    Like a handprint on my heart
    And now whatever way our stories
    end
    I know you have rewritten mine
    By being my friend
    Like a ship blown from its mooring
    By a wind of the sea
    Like a seed dropped by a sky bird
    In a distant wood
    Who can say if I’ve been changed for
    the better?
    But
    Because I knew you
    Because I knew you
    I have been changed for good
    And just to clear the air
    I ask forgiveness
    For the things I’ve done you’ve
    blamed me for
    But then, I guess
    We know there’s blame to share
    And none of it seems to matter
    anymore
    Like a comet pulled from orbit Like a
    ship blown from its mooring
    As it passes a Sun By a wind of the
    sea
    Like a stream that meets a boulder
    Like a seed dropped by a bird
    Halfway through the wood In the
    wood
    (Both)
    Who can say if I’ve been changed for
    the better?
    I do believe I have been changed for
    the better
    (Glinda)
    And
    Because I knew you
    (Elphaba)
    Because I knew you
    (Both)
    Because I knew you
    I have been changed
    For good

  • It’s ALL Better En Masse

    Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

    So here we are it’s Christmas,
    The most wonderful time of year,
    When our minds turn to our loved ones,
    And those we hold most dear,
    May the memories and traditions,
    That have always played a part,
    Make this season special,
    Bringing joy into your heart.

    I had intended to post this on Facebook, in fact, I thought I had, but we were navigating lengthy internet outages on Sunday and Monday morning. I just now found the unpublished post, so it will launch today’s Merry Christmas and Happy New Year message.

    Yesterday a precious Jewish friend sent an email wishing me a Merry Christmas. When I asked Google to search, “What is Christmas to non-Christians?” this was the response: For many, it’s an opportunity to connect with family and friends, enjoy festive traditions, and embrace the warm atmosphere of the season. The appeal of decorations, music, and shared meals transcends religious boundaries, making Christmas a celebration of human connection.

    The days leading up to Christmas this year are filled with more raw emotion than any I recall. On Sunday Jane Foster surprised me with a telephone call after her major complications following a 12-hour ileostomy surgery in late September. She has been hospitalized for weeks now. When she was not able to talk on the phone we figured out I could send brief text messages recorded with Voice Memos.

    Our beloved Florida friends are still in Canada as they continue to navigate her having been diagnosed in June with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer.

    Yesterday, Stacey’s dear friends made one of life’s toughest decisions and removed life-support for their wife and mother following a severe stroke this past weekend. She passed 8 hours later.

    Also, yesterday, John’s cousin posted on Facebook that his beloved wife passed the previous evening.

    Tonight, on Christmas Eve 2025, John and I have tickets to attend the 7:45 pm showing of the film Wicked For Good. When I selected our seats online late last evening, we were the only seats purchased for this time and date. My only other “private” showing at a cinema was for Lion King in 1994. It is bittersweet because last year we were with our grand children when we saw Wicked in Smyrna, Tennessee, and then met the rest of the family (including our great-grandson Jackson) for Mexican food afterwards.

    Zan Henigan Lombardo is a beloved artist friend here on Pine Island I have mentioned many times over the years because she paints amazingly significant ginormous (30-foot!) water color paintings. She hosted a Flash Mob Art event for her current project “Swimming Towards the Light” this past Saturday. I would have loved to attend but we were going to the magical musical launch for Bonnie Makepeace with Rochelle Morris that day. This morning I saw a video of Zan’s group and this is what I replied: This looks like a visual-version of a group meditation or a concert by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir — the good stuff is all better en masse!

    As all are wished a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, my heart holds the pleasant and the unpleasant life events happening simultaneously. Perhaps the simplest truth may be the same for everyone: It’s ALL better en masse….

  • 12-20-2025 Do You Hear What I Hear

    It’s still dark as I lie in my bed with words coming through my head. These words have to do with Bonnie Makepeace, singer songwriter, and beloved friend. I’ve written about her music before. Today John and I are driving 150 miles to the home of Norm and Rochelle Morris, in San Antonio, Florida. They authored the book Jingles Promise I have also written about. The book is their story of the loss of their adult son.

    Bonnie shares their loss of an adult son.

    As does the Mother of Jesus.

    Today we are attending a by-invitation-only launch of music by Bonnie and Rochelle. Music that has been birthed within this past year. The admission is a donation of non-perishable foods for the local food pantry. In my heart, it is so significant that Bonnie is bringing this new music through. It’s music I’m savoring, and I think it’s music the world is hungry for — even those who don’t know they are.

    You see, the lyrics Bonnie is receiving as downloads are revealing to the world the Christ, not just the man Jesus that is alone worthy of love, but to The Christ, the energy that is the bedrock of what is good in every religion, and in all of life.

    Words of religion can end up working as swords, causing an unintentional gap built of labels. These “new” gospel songs create a bridge among all peoples of this world. This music is built on the pillars of love, peace, and clarity. This music is truly transrational. (See Drama Triangle)

    This has been a blessed week of music.

    We were at a jam on Tuesday night with lots of Christmas songs. Thursday evening, we attended the Christmas concert at Sacred Heart Catholic Church here in Punta Gorda, Florida. We went with Jim and Mary, our landowners of Blue House, where we lived for the last two winters. We love them and we loved the concert last year and this year did not disappoint. The sanctuary seats 1500 people, and Father Jerry herded a dozen or more who were standing in the back of the room up onto the chancel, saying, “These are the best seats in the house.”

    I have heard several Christmas songs for the first time. You see, I don’t think Bonnie Makepeace is alone. And, yes, that is her actual (married) name. I think Bonnie is among others writing what is coming through their hearts onto this planet, bringing more love and more light into the world with words we’ve been able to speak (or sing) before. It’s funny how your words change when your heart is truly open. The kindness, the awareness, the love pours forth in words that don’t come from your head. These words come directly from your heart.

    I don’t think it’s an accident that today’s concert is happening on December 20th and tomorrow is December 21st. Here we are, poised between the darkest day and the coming of the light. Collectively, humanity is also poised between the darkest day and the coming of the light.

    I’m really not looking forward to the drive in Florida’s notorious high season traffic, but I am sooooo looking forward to the music.

    I’m looking forward to experiencing it with others that we love: Ed Bennett and Teresa Palmer and her beloved Patrick. We are praying that Ed’s wife, Dee, will be physically well enough to be able to attend today. I know she’ll be there with us in our hearts, along with the sons of Rochelle and Bonnie and Mary….

    Obviously we don’t know what the traffic will be like until we have made the trip, and we don’t know what our world is going to encounter as we travel on down the road of these last days of 2025 and into the year 2026 and beyond. We know that these are very chaotic and volatile times (like the traffic in Florida in high season), but, oh, Dear Friends, the trip is worth it.

    I’ll be taking all of you with me in my heart today. I hope you love the music. I hope it touches your heart. Do you hear what I hear?


    Note* Here are a few of the “new-to-me” Christmas songs from the Sacred Heart concert:

    Francesca Battistelli: “Be Born In Me (MARY)”

    MercyMe – Joseph’s Lullaby

    Amy Grant – Breath Of Heaven (Mary’s Song)

  • A New Game

    For years we have had a hand-held slot machine game on the back of the toilet in our master bathroom. It is incentive for me to take the time to sit and allow body functions to do their thing. While this might seem like too much information for some, the process of allowing time and appreciating the process is a direct result of my having postoperative ileus. POI is a common complication where normal gut movement (peristalsis) temporarily stops after surgery, causing a functional blockage, not a physical one. Symptoms include bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and inability to pass gas or stool, leading to delayed eating. Management focuses on supportive care like IV fluids, nutrition, and sometimes a nasogastric tube. NOTE – This photo is from 2012.

    I can testify that a nasogastric tube is not fun…. but even challenging situations produce welcome awareness.

    Starting a new game on the slot machine gives you 500 points. YEARS ago, I had the machine up to almost 20,000 when the battery died. Since that time I have been curious whether the machine was programed to end at 20,000 or if the battery life produced the premature end of an endless game.

    On Thursday, I got the machine up to 19,990!!!! I was ecstatic to know the reality of the playing of this game — downright giddy when I hit the max bet button. The illuminated display went to 19,999 and went no higher. I could place bets and the display would show me wins, but no additional score could or would be added. I waited two full days to manually end that game and start a new one.

    In NEXT 3 WEEKS Ignite the 2026 REVOLUTION — 3I/ATLAS Begins a 12,000-Year Reset with Pam Gregory and Emilio Ortiz she is sharing the astrology for these last few weeks of 2025 and into 2026. Watching, I saw and felt the direct correlation to this slot machine game. The past has been filled with wins and losses but, all along there have been operations and rules and processes that have been (and are) at play. Reasons for things exist outside of my knowledge.

    I appreciate recognizing a higher expression of ourselves — a more multidimensional, a more living, a more loving being. I appreciate awareness that processes have been in play for thousands of years and this time is scripted for our success. A few statements in the 90 minute talk have stayed central in my mind. They open my heart and they will be with me as we play this new game:

      Don’t give life support to what’s dying.
      This is fertilizer for your soul.
      Turn your focus to what we want to create.