Amazon What's Cooking in Your Soul on Amazon Category:  Spirituality Publisher: AuthorHouse ISBN-10:  1452070962 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 280 Copyright: September 24, 2010 ISBN-13: 9781452070964 This book was designed to stir up the passions of ones soul and provide answers to the provocative questions of the meaning and purpose of their lives. What Cooking in Your Soul will help a reader to analyze their life and all of the relationships and situations within it. Excerpt Chapter 1 Jai' Batey, a Soul Connection: My Daughter Have you ever experienced a magical soul moment? That is when something magical starts to happen in your soul during a relationship with someone, a child, or an animal. In that special moment, did you feel as if you had a remembrance of another journey with the person through time or space? Ernest Holmes, the founder of Religious Science, in his book, The Science of Mind (1998), defines the soul as a “Creative Medium of Spirit, the Mirror of Mind, for it reflects the forms of thought which are given. The mind can only carry out the orders given, it cannot analyze or reject” (p. 633). It is my belief that once thoughts or feelings are poured into your soul from the Creator, they are carried out by the Spirit. The Spirit works through the soul and the body. In the New American Webster Handy College Dictionary (1956), the soul is defined as “the spiritual part of man or woman or an emotional feeling expressing deep feelings” (p. 432). As you read Jai's story, you will understand that God gave me the idea to adopt and that thought was carried out by the Spirit. Kindred Soul Connections On many occasions, I have been surrounded by a friend or an animal or been in a place where I felt a kindred soul connection. For example, many times I have met someone and just considered him or her a casual friend until we truly began talking. Then, I realized that we were more alike than I had ever imagined and, at times, we were able to talk for hours about any- and everything. Another example can be found in the magic of nature. Have you ever found yourself so enthralled by the world around you that you desired never to leave a certain place? Have you ever experienced that kind of magical energy? Did these experiences make you happy or sad? How did they affect the other person? We often wear a “mask” of deception that stops us from being who we were created by God to be. When we finally meet that one person and we feel safe enough to remove the mask and be our true selves without any hesitation, our souls are unburdened. How does removing the mask in a safe environment make you feel? Does it make you feel loved and accepted by another and by yourself? Man in the Mirror Recently, I went to see This is It, the movie based on Michael Jackson’s life. At the end of the movie, he sings Man in the Mirror, which talks about how everything in our personal life starts with the Man in the Mirror. The mirror is a reflection of our lives. Do you like what you see? We are the only ones who can change our world. In the following, I will explain how the above ideas came together at once in my life when my husband and I decided to adopt our first child. The Bond of Parents As parents, we must decide the best time to bring our children into the world. Before that special day, we must prepare our hearts for the love that we will feel for our child and the bond that we will forge with him or her. This sacred bond of parenthood is cemented forever when we first gaze into our child’s eyes. A Fresh Start My former husband, Joe, and I raised six children. Our first child’s arrival was unique in a way that it was not born of our flesh, but instead of our souls’ yearning – a soul connection. After we said “I do,” Joe told me that he did not want me to work. Instead, he wanted us to try to have a baby. I was shocked as there had not been any discussion as to this effect before our wedding day. Four years later, we were still without a child as God was in control of our lives and he had deemed it was not the correct time for us to conceive. Then, one day, I felt the urge to look into adopting a child. To my surprise, when I shared this idea with Joe, he readily agreed. Shortly thereafter, we filed an application with Human Services in Nashville to become the parents of a baby or young child. It was February 1981. Our social worker asked us if we would like twins, to which I replied that I did not even know what to do with one baby. (Ironically, later we would conceive twins naturally.) Once the paperwork was filled out and filed, we went home. That night, I dreamt about the social worker. She appeared in my dream and told me, “Mrs. Batey, in September of this year, 1981, you will get a baby.” Excited, I woke up to share the “good news” with Joe. He was not as excited as I was because he did not put the same stock in a woman’s dreams, intuition, or gut feelings as I did! In spite of his doubt, we started to prepare the nursery and bought things for a baby. We were having fun. Five months later, we joined the Mormon Church to learn how to raise our family. I grew up in a dysfunctional family and wanted our children to be taught who they were in relation to God, and have real church lessons to apply to their lives. I also did not want to work outside of the home once we had children. The Mormon Church taught me how to prepare food, encourage myself and others to write and leave a legacy for children, and other essential things necessary for a stay-at-home parent. I also learned to trust in God and deepen my spirituality in the oneness of the Spirit. I did not know that I was made in the image of God until I was 26 years old. Before then, I did not know who I was and why I was created. The Church also teaches its members to keep a journal in order to leave a legacy for their children. At the time of our baptism on August 28, 1981, I began my journal. I asked the Lord to help us to have a large family and work as missionaries. I prayed daily for God to strengthen my communications with my husband, whom I loved so dearly, and to help me become a God-centered mother. After joining the Church, I began canning and buying food in bulk in preparation for the day that I would be able to quit my part-time job. Each night, I would have similar dreams of the social worker and her message. Eventually, I began seeing a baby with curly hair in the dreams. Soon, my mom and a friend were also having dreams about the arrival of our baby. I believed in my dreams. I knew the time was near. Five months after we applied to be considered for adoption, I had a very strange dream that prompted me to call the social worker. I asked her if they had found a child for us. She said that they had almost secured a child for us and were simply waiting for the parent’s rights to be terminated. At that time, I began journaling to our baby, who was becoming a reality. It’s September By the beginning of September, we had not received any additional news about our potential baby. Then, on the last day of the month, September 30, 1981, I received a call at home from the Human Services agency in Nashville. However, I was at the grocery store and missed the call. That agency then called Joe’s work and left a message that we had a child ready to bring into our family. That night, we could not sleep for the anticipation and excitement. The next morning, we called at 8 a.m. sharp. Joe took the day off from work and we headed to the agency’s office. The social worker told us that they had a little girl for us. She was 21 months old and living in Memphis. When she showed us the picture, I was in shock as it was a picture of the child that I had dreamt about! The only difference was that this child was older than the child in my dreams. As we learned her story, we realized that in my dream, I was seeing her as she had been when she first entered the system from neglect at 6 months of age. Seeing that picture was a magical soul moment for us. Nashville’s Human Services Office told us that the child had been hard to place because of her age. We could only count our blessings that another family had not been blessed with her before we were given our chance to love her. Later that day, I wrote thanks and praise to the Lord in my journal for providing us with such a wonderful, beautiful child. It was a true blessing to be entrusted with such a life. The next day, we traveled to Memphis to see our daughter, but were not allowed to bring her home. Instead, we had entered the period of adjustment in which the child needed to become used to us before we were allowed to bring her into our family full time. She had become very attached to the older foster grandparents who had taken her in and they did not want to traumatize her by simply removing her from a situation in which she felt comfortable. However, as soon as we saw our beautiful baby girl, we could not stop smiling. I remember that I cried and Joe could not speak, he was so excited. We knew that we had found the perfect fit for our family. Entries from My Journal Several days later, we brought her to Nashville to see our home and spend the night. The next day, we took her back to Memphis to retrieve her things and allow her to say good-bye to the couple who had fostered her. On October 16, she began staying with us permanently. That first week, she spent a good portion of the time trying to feel us out and understand who we were. By the second week, she was comfortable enough with us to try to see what she could get away with without getting in trouble. The only problem we had was that she refused to accept the love that her Daddy tried to extend to her. As I wrote in my journal each day, I prayed that it would not take Jai' long to get used to Joe. Thoughts from My Journal Unfortunately, her adjustment to our home was not as smooth as we and the Nashville Human Services thought it would be. However, she was ours to keep, teach, and nurture. This was a knowing within my soul. Regardless of any challenges we might have had with her, she was a blessing and our wonderful daughter. On Sunday, November 30, 1981, Jai' Levette Batey was blessed in the church. Her new name, Jai', was given to her by my Godmother, Yvonne. This blessing occurred during the difficult transition time in which Jai' often acted out as she missed the only parents that she had ever known and loved, the older foster couple. One day, Jai' bit me in front of the social worker. I bit her back so that she could see how it felt. The social worker did not like my reaction and called the next day to tell us that they had placed the wrong child in our home. Immediately, we called a lawyer to receive a consultation of our rights. He told us that we could sue them if they tried to take Jai' from us. The following are direct excerpts from my journal from that time. November 30, 1981 The third week was a cream puff and the next one a dream puff. Around the fifth week, I saw her as a child of God. By the sixth week, she was beautiful. November 31, 1981 The social workers are coming over to talk to us about whether they placed the wrong child in our home. I remember my dreams about the curly haired baby. December 1, 1981 Thanks, Heavenly Father, for the blessings of our little girl of 22 months. We love her. Joe and I have many burdens on us. I have cried, cursed, prayed, and sometimes I just did not know what to do. Things are looking brighter. In my prayers, I talk to my Father in Heaven. I want to be a very good mother and wife. That is what is important to me. I hope that when Jai' grows up she will want to be the best at everything she does. We know that God sent Jai' to us. Our job as parents is to help her know the Heavenly Father’s love. It is my prayer that Jai' grows up to know the Father in her heart. As I write, my prayer for Jai' is that she learns from her parents what she needs to know about the wonderful things in life. December 17, 1981 Jai' started saying blessings over her food and her prayers at night. This truly is a sweet reflection. December 19, 1981 Today is Jai's birthday. She is 2 years old. December 20, 1981 Today, we held a birthday party for Jai'. Our friends and family attended. She said many times “thank you,” “I’m sorry,” “love you” and the names of our family and friends. She is such a joy. December 21, 1981 I need to thank my Heavenly Father. Joe and I have a wonderful family life! During her first month with us, I noticed that Jai' was academically gifted and talented in organizing her things and the things in the kitchen. When she turned 6, I noticed that she had a remarkable singing voice. Once she was enrolled in school, I entered her in a school-wide singing audition for the school choir. She made the cut and was in choir for two years. She played softball, was a girl scout, and babysat for the neighbors for many years beginning at age 10. She often helped me with her siblings. We had her intelligence tested and she tested very high. I personally walked her paperwork to the Metro Board of Education where she was enrolled in a school for high achievers. If I had not become involved in the process, she would have gone unnoticed, as she did not receive an invitation to attend either of the gifted schools. At that time, Jai' did not understand the importance of attending one of these schools. Like most kids her age, she rebelled. Eventually, her ability to get into trouble caused me to remove her from the gifted school and enroll her in a different school so that she could attend with her friends. After she had been at this school for a while, the guidance counselor called to say that her scores were so high that she could write her ticket to any college in the world. Shortly thereafter, I re-enrolled her in the gifted school. She now understood the importance of a good education. She graduated with a 4.0 and was given a full scholarship to college where she graduated with another 4.0. She now lives in a major city where she works for an insurance company. Jai' enjoys the life that God has given her with her adoptive family and does not desire to search for her birth parents. National Adoption Day is November 21st of every year. If you are considering adopting a child, you should visit your local Human Services Office. Right now, many boys are waiting to be adopted. Potential adoptive parents should remember that, as with any child, raising an adopted child will come with its own struggles and obstacles. These struggles or obstacles may double if you adopt a “hard to place” child as these children have often faced obstacles, health challenges, and neglect in their life and require extra attention. However, do not let this term deter you as these children often have a great capacity to love and have the potential to be spectacular members of society, if given the proper chance. If you are unsure as to whether you are ready to adopt a child, consider first becoming a foster parent. As Jai's parents, we chose to tell her that she was adopted, instead of keeping this information from her. It has been my experience that when you keep important information like that from the child it comes back to haunt you and the child forever. Meditation If you would like to increase the size of your family, you must first meditate on this fact in order to bring yourself into harmony with your soul’s desires. Ask yourself “Why do I want to increase my family?” Then, ask, “How do we want our family to look?” Do you understand the concept of meditation? According to Isaac Disraeli, meditation allows one to “[turn] the eye of the mind inwards…form an artificial solitude; [retire] amidst a crowd, [be] calm amidst distraction, and wise amidst folly” (Frank, 2001, p. 499). If your desires are to increase your family’s size, you must envision what you desire in order to make your dreams come true. Start journaling about the type of family that you would like to create. Journaling will help you to focus and make your dreams into reality. So be it. Vibration Cooking Here is what’s cooking from Vibration Cooking. Vibration Cooking does not use measurements. Instead, you simply rely on your intuition and taste! Get in tune with your soul and intuition and see what happens. Raspberry, Apple, and Hot Pepper Jam Ingredients A large handful of raspberries 5 chopped or grated apples with the cores and skins removed A handful of chopped green peppers A handful of chopped banana peppers A handful of chopped large red peppers 2 chopped jalapeño peppers (optional) A handful of basil leaves 2 handfuls of brown sugar Place in pot with enough water to cover and simmer on low heat for two hours. My sister takes this jam and adds a handful of grated cheese on the top. Then, she spreads it on warm whole wheat or rye toast! This lovely jam can also be eaten with cream cheese and crackers. My dear friend put this jam on her Thanksgiving turkey. The jam can be canned if you wish to store it for long periods. You can place it in the refrigerator if it is to be eaten shortly after being made. This jam is food for the soul and spirit. It will help you keep in touch with what you are trying to create in your life. It also goes great with a cup of peppermint and lemon herb tea with honey in it. You will become relaxed as you drink this tea and dream of your new family. If you are still not relaxed and able to meditate, I recommend a sea salt, Epsom salt, and baking soda bath or a refreshing Swedish massage! While enjoying either a bath or massage, make sure to envision what you want in a family. Use this space to jot down your positive thoughts. If you could have one wish from God, what would it be? Do not be afraid to dream! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And so it is!

Minister David L. Dickerson, Progressive Life Giving Word Cathedral Hillside, IL
“Carol Batey is a gifted storyteller! She has the ability to entrap you in her life's lessons as well as make her life transparent to her readers. She allows her readers to see the struggles, successes, and biblically-sound principles that she applied to step into her destiny. She has a gift to motivate you and encourage you to begin to look within, reflecting on the solid ingredients that literally make you! You will be given the strength to press toward the mark! I am so proud of this project and the many delicacies that will be prepared and birthed all over the world through these healthy words from Carol Batey! God Bless!”

Reverend Dyann Woody, Music City Center for Spiritual Living, Brentwood, TN
“Carol S. Batey’s new book, What’s Cooking in Your Soul?, is delicious, filling and satisfying! She draws from her deep personal experiences and stretches you to grow spiritually by providing tools of meditation, writings, and affirmations. She then tops it all off with healthy, yummy recipes with which to nurture yourself. She has given us the whole cake with the icing on it - dig in and enjoy!”

Reverend Brenda Haywood, St. John's Missionary Baptist Church, Clarksville, TN
“Carol Batey, truly led by the Spirit, presents a fascinating and unparalleled way of stirring one's inner being that is captivating. Her style is intriguing, paralleling one’s desire to seek wholeness reflected through one’s unconditional relationship with God.”