Today is going to be a fun day! I am heading out on a mini-road trip with my daughter – something we realized we have never done in her entire life with just the two of us – to go pick up the keys to their new house in the town they are moving to in the next couple of weeks. My parents are hanging out with Baby R while she and I go on this little trip together. We are pretty excited. I have been instructed to pack a couple of board games so we can sit in her new house and play games. We are heading out this morning after the morning commute rush is over, and heading back at about the same time tomorrow so we don’t get stuck in traffic.
Verse of the Day
July 31, 2018
To all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
We live in a time and culture of rights. “It’s my right to ___.” Just fill in the blank. But we don’t have a right to be God’s child. We are given that right by God’s grace. This right came to us at great cost to God. Jesus’ came to earth, lived, died and was raised from the dead. We receive this grace through faith: God gives us new birth as we trust in Jesus as Lord and we are baptized and reborn through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7). To be born of God, to be born from above, to be born “again” is the gift of adoption into God’s family and brings us all the rights of heirs in God’s house (Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:1-7). So, let’s not take this grace, this blessing, this adoption, this right for granted! We are God’s children right now (1 John 3:1-3). Let’s give thanks for this grace and live like we belong.
www.verseofthe day.com
Food for Thought
Realizing that I have never actually spent any time alone with my daughter got me to thinking about how important it is to do this. It dawned on me that I haven’t done this with my mother either, so this will be next on my list of things we need to do. I know that Mom and I have a planned day to head down to where my Grandparents are buried to clean up their grave-site and pay our respects. We always tend to have a good time together, even in such a sobering task, but I hope we can throw in a little fun when we are finished with the clean-up. My son and I had alone time together quite often when his father and I got divorced, because he lived with me. Sadly, for me anyway, my daughter had already moved out and was on her own by that time. Today won’t make up for all of the time we have lost, but it will be a good time to just focus on our mother/daughter relationship and enjoy each other’s company as grown-up women.
National Mutt Day – What exactly is a “mutt”? By definition it is a dog of mixed breeding, and that defines quite a few dogs out there. Something nice about mutts is that they don’t have to walk around with their noses in the air pretending to be special because they have papers that say they are! Mutts are more casual and relaxed – depending on what mix they are – and typically a lot of fun . . . at least in my experience. We are the proud “parents” of one “mutt”. Moose is a big, hairy, lovable guy, who is definitely a mama’s boy. He loves his Dad, don’t get me wrong, but where I am, that’s where you will find Moose. Cleaning house around him is a challenge because he is right there, underfoot, in the way, tripping me up, but wanting so badly to be by my side that as frustrating as it is, I can’t help but think that it is sweet. He has been enjoying having mama home from work, so I know he’ll be sad when I find a job and am not here during the day any longer.
Uncommon Instruments Awareness Day – I started playing the piano when I was 9 years old. I had some potential to do good things with it but gave it up when I was ready to graduate high school. I regret it. My hubby encourages me to play, and he is so supportive of me. The will is there, but after a hand injury it hurts to play for very long, and my frustration level over being unable to read music the way I used to, just makes me want to give up after about half an hour or so. It’s like knowing a foreign language, but never using it, the ability to speak or read it just fades away. The piano is a “normal” instrument. Just about everyone who has ever played music started out on something common – whether it was a piano, a guitar, one of the “normal” horns, etc. But have you ever given a thought to the plethora of UNCOMMON instruments out there? Today is a day to learn about them. They are fascinating to read about. Many instruments play a very important role in the history and culture of the regions in which they are played. Have you ever heard of a wakrapuku, a Javanese bonang or a kaval? These are all types of musical instruments used around the world that, although rare here in America. I found a website that showed a list of unusual instruments and where they are played. If you have a few minutes, take a look. For anyone who is interested in music, you may find this as fascinating as I do. Check out this list of uncommon instruments! Click the list and scroll down to find the Aquaggaswak and listen to the audio for a moment. Pretty cool!
World Ranger Day – This one is so important to celebrate! All around the world are park rangers who are out there working to protect our natural heritage. Today we have a chance to support their important work, which ranges from educating the public, protecting the people enjoying our parks, and protecting the parks themselves. It is also important to pay tribute to the rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. There are approximately 100,000 reserves, parks and protected areas around the world, with the oldest national park being Yellowstone in the U.S. These are important people who are often forgotten, and honestly shouldn’t be. Give recognition where it is due. . . Happy World Ranger Day!
This Day in History –
1969 – Mariner 6 flies past Mars.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Avocado Day – As anyone who eats low carb will tell you, avocado is a staple food. Filled with health fats, they are delicious, creamy and filling. The Haas Avocado Board said that as of 2015 the consumption of avocados in the United States has doubled since 2005 and quadrupled since 2000. That makes about 4.25 billion avocados sold in 2015. Avocados are filled with Omega 3 fatty acids, which helps in the fight against Alzheimers, targets insulin resistance with its heart-healthy fats and is an amazing course of vitamins C, E and K. This isn’t just a healthy fruit to eat, but it’s good for your skin too! The Ancient Aztecs used avocado to keep their skin soft by making masks with it, and the cosmetics industry discovered the benefits of avocado oil in creams, lotions and cleansers in the early 20th century. We use it in beauty products still today! Indulge today! I know I will be – we are having tacos for dinner, so avocado is an obvious addition to the meal!
National Cotton Candy Day – This one is listed in December too, but I think it’s more appropriate to have it in summer than it is December, don’t you? It just brings fairs and carnivals to mind, and that isn’t something I think about in the winter. Originally cotton candy was called fairy floss and only has ONE ingredient – sugar. It’s not that I need another appliance, but I found this adorable cotton candy machine on Amazon and I’m really curious if I could make cotton candy out of low-carb approved sugar substitutes! It is so tempting!
National Raspberry Cake Day – Did you know that a single raspberry is actually 50 to 150 tiny little fruits that grow together? I didn’t, but how fun! Just imagine how many there would be in a single slice of raspberry cake! Now, cake is a wonderful food. I love cake. I love all sorts of cake. Not all that fond of most frosting, but I love the cake part. And I love raspberries. Combine the two and what could be more delicious that that? Besides chocolate, but that’s a whole different level of food. This is a lovely raspberry coffee cake by, you guessed it, Carolyn Ketchum from All Day I Dream About Food. YUM!
Have a fantastic Tuesday! I know I will! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow!
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Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com
Thank you for sharing. I hope your road trip goes well.