What a whirlwind few days! I know I haven’t been around here, but I have been otherwise occupied since Thursday evening! After picking up my friend from the airport shuttle on Thursday evening, there were wedding preparations for my daughter’s wedding, Friday we went to where my daughter and her family live to work on getting things ready, all day Saturday was spent at the wedding and traveling home. Yesterday was a day when we mostly sat around, watched TV, ate too much and de-stressed. I made big pot of chicken tortilla soup, so we have lunches today and tomorrow, and tried to get a bit of energy built up for today. Oh, and by the way, welcome to the 1st of October! ***update*** I fell asleep at the computer writing on the 30th, didn’t have time to finish up yesterday morning, so I decided to combine the 1st and 2nd. Way to start a new month, right? Eh, it is what it is.
Verse of the Day
October 1, 2018
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
For most who can read this Internet message, the sentiments of this verse seem foreign. But among those who closely study persecution, believers in Christ are enduring perhaps the greatest amount of persecution in the history of Christianity. For those of us who live in cozy places where belief is tolerated, and Christians are just considered “unhip” or a bit out of touch, we need to be thankful that our lives make enough of a distinction from our culture to be noticed, even if it’s a bit unfavorable. But at the same time, we need to pray for other believers throughout the world who are undergoing the wrath of hell for the faith.
October 2, 2018
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Fear is such a paralyzing emotion. It robs us vitality, decision making ability, and strength. Courage helps us step out of fear’s paralysis and turn its nervous edge into power. But this kind of courage comes to us fully only when we know that all Satan and his allies can really have of us is our bodies. He cannot take our mind, our attitude, our faith, and most of all, he cannot take our relationship with God given to us through Jesus.
www.verseoftheday.com
Food for Thought
As difficult as it is to believe sometimes, opposites truly can be friends. My friend who is visiting me has been a part of my life for over 20 years. We couldn’t be more different, but with respect and acceptance of our differences – political, social and religious – we have somehow made it through all of these years without having any problems. I can honestly say that in my life and experience this is not necessarily normal, but I like it. I know she doesn’t agree with me, and I know that I don’t agree with her, but what we BOTH agree about is that our friendship is special and worth wading through the things we don’t agree about, listening to each other and possibly even learning something about each other, even after all of this time. Give it a try – in this world of separation, anger, pointing fingers and all sorts of other things, reaching across to someone who sees the world with different eyes isn’t a terrible idea.
October 1 –
CD Player Day – Oh my, do you remember when CD players first came out? It was unfathomable that there would come a day when we no longer listened to music on cassette tapes. Here, just a few decades later we are seeing a time in the not so distant future when CD’s too will be a thing of the past. As we see more digital downloads, MP3s and integrated media devices in our lives, the humble CD player will become a thing of the past at some point. Celebrate today by listening to music on an actual CD player – that was ONLY intended to listen to music CD’s, maybe it will be a hand-held CD player, or even a boom box! Do you remember the date they first hit the market? On October 1st, 1982, the world’s first CD player went on sale. It was developed jointly by Sony, Philips and Polygram and according to the source I found, cost the equivalent of $2,200.00 in today’s currency. Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Fire Pup Day – Today we recognize and honor our canine firefighters. Not all fire stations have a fire dog any more, but even so, there are plenty of ways to celebrate. You can check out the Fire Pup Program. The National Fire Safety Council is a non-profit organization that works with paid and volunteer fire departments to provide fire safety educational materials to public and private schools. It’s a great way to expose pre-K through 6th grade students to the importance of fire safety. Today would also be a good day to check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors. The National Fire Prevention Association says people with operating smoke detectors are 50% less likely to die in a reported fire. Also, check the expiration date on any fire extinguishers you have in your home. If you have elderly neighbors it would be nice to help them check their detectors too. They may not be able to reach them to change the batteries. However you celebrate this one the most important thing is keeping fire safety in mind.
Model T Day – Happy Birthday Ford Model T! On October 1st, 1908, the Model T was introduced to the public. Henry Ford called the Model T the “car for the great multitude” and made cars available for the average person, revolutionizing the automobile industry. Henry Ford tried twice, without success, to establish an auto manufacturing company, but followed those up with starting the Ford Motor Company in 1903. The company, like other car manufacturers of the time, built each car individually, which as an inefficient process that produced complicated and expensive cars. Ford had a vision to create a car that was simple, affordable and versatile, and in 1906 he made a breakthrough which eventually brought us to the production of the Model T in 1908. The Model T was nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie” and the “Flivver”. It was sturdy, lightweight and easy to use, but its price was still out of reach for the average American. Over the next five years Ford perfected the assembly line, which allowed the Ford Company to build cars more quickly and cheaply, which meant that the Model T’s were within the means of the average person. Ford produced more than 15 million Model T cars between 1908 and 1927. See what having a dream and vision can do?
National Lace Day – Lace is so beautiful, and delicate isn’t it? Because it is so delicate, it can be on the pricey side for quality pieces. Did you know that there is an International Organization of Lace, Inc.? I had NO idea! This year they celebrate their 61st year, though they started out under the name Old Lacers. It is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the study and preservation of all types of lace. Their goals include teaching and promoting lace making and lace identification. Encouraging educational programs for public benefit is very important to them with such programs including lace making demonstrations and exhibits of lace collections. They are active in 24 countries, with over 1100 active members, though the greatest concentration is here in the United States. All types of lace are created, collected and preserved by members. I think it is wonderful that the art of lace making won’t die, in great part because of this organization.
National Walk Your Dog Day – This is actually a full week celebration, but it’s such a good one I thought we should kick it of by giving it its own day. It was intended to bring awareness to the growing problem of canine behavior issues and canine obesity in our country, aiming to improve the health and well-being of America’s dogs. Both dogs and people benefit so much from walking – if you don’t have a regular walking routine with your canine buddy, start one today.
October 2 –
Guardian Angels Day – I believe in angels. According to the sources I found researching this, about 80% of people believe in them too. And why not? So many people have individual, personal accounts of encounters with angels that it would be nearly silly NOT to believe. Angels are all around us all the time, and when we are born God assigns one of these heavenly spirits to each of us with our own angel to watch over us. They are not here to intercede with decisions we make – whether they are good or bad – but to protect and watch over us. (I tried to find an image of an angel that was more defender/warrior but apparently everyone just thinks of angels as ethereal beings. It’s not the image that I have of mine, but I’m not an artist, so you get what I can find!) Today, we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels. The belief in angels has been a part of the Church’s traditions since the beginning. Scripture mentions angels often, showing them as messengers, defenders, companions, guides and guardians. The role of the Guardian Angel is thought to guide a person towards good thoughts, works and words, and to preserve him from evil. The angels cannot force us to those good thoughts, works or words, or keep people from participating in evil, but they can influence those decisions if we have an open and willing heart. Since the 17th century a feast honoring the Guardian Angels has been celebrated in October. At one time all the angels used to be remembered on the feast of Michaelmas (September 29), but people wanted a day to honor their own special protectors, so today we have the “feast of the angels” on October 2nd. Have you ever experienced intervention or a message from an angel? I have. I know that a lot of people don’t believe stories of these types of things, and for that I am truly sorry – you don’t know what you’re missing out on.
Remember I was telling you about my fear of trees hitting our house? Well, the last time (not the only time) I have heard the voice of an angel was on the day that the 1st tree landed on our home. The day before this storm hit, as I was driving home from work I started to not feel well. A headache that had begun a little earlier in the day just started getting worse. By the time I got home I was nearly throwing up from the pain and could barely hold my head up. I told myself that if I still felt that way the next morning I’d call in sick. Now, I don’t just call in sick easily. My job is important to me, and my responsibilities at the office are also. To call in sick I have to be REALLY sick or feel that I’m contagious to my fellow workers. It’s a big thing for me. The next morning, I woke up feeling like death. I could barely raise my head off the pillow, so I called in sick. Oddly enough, about 1/2 hour after I called in I started to feel a little better, and by about an hour after I should have been at the office I was feeling quite good. The headache and nausea had just melted away. I played with the idea of going back to work, but every time I thought about it the headache started coming back, so I decided that I’d just stay home and get a few things done. Mid-day the wind was whipping up pretty good and I was watching out the window as branches and leaves flew past, and things thumped on the porch and the roof of the house. At one point the dog started tap dancing that she needed to go out, and as I stood there, about 10 feet from our French doors, wondering if I should let her out the back or the front (there are large trees on both sides of the house), I heard a voice, directly behind my head, tell me urgently “Do NOT go out the door!” I whipped around to see who was in my house, my heart in my throat, but nobody was there. Literally 10 seconds after the voice told me to stay inside, a tree came crashing down on the back deck, onto the roof and knocking the doors open in a loud booming explosion of sound, branches and needles. If I had gone outside when I was thinking of going outside I would have been standing directly in the path of the tree and would likely have been killed. I needed to be home that day – the tree opened up the house to the elements and I needed to be there to close and barricade the doors, and call my husband to come home to help take care of it. I firmly believe that the headache was my urging to stay home, since God knew I wouldn’t stay home without something with my health happening. And the voice of my Guardian Angel was there, loud, in person, audible and clear – DO NOT GO OUTSIDE! I am grateful for the gift of my angel, and I don’t take for granted this gift one single moment, ever. Have you ever heard or seen your angel? Please, I’d love to hear your stories.
Name Your Car Day – Does your car have a name? Apparently, lots of people name their cars. I suppose it stands to reason, since people with boats name them. We don’t even give that a second thought. So, if we name our boats, why not our cars or trucks? Every car has character and personality to the person who drives them. We find ourselves encouraging the car to make it up that hill, or get us through the snow, or to the gas station when we run it too low. I suppose, if we attribute our cars with the ability to hear us, then we should give them the courtesy of a name too! Since I personally have never named a car, I am curious. Do guys call their cars by masculine names or feminine? And what about girls? I found a list of suggestions for selecting an appropriate name for your car:
- Don’t select wimpy names. That might give your car a personality complex and it will perform accordingly.
- Do give a strong, aggressive name to sports cars and cars with powerful engines.
- Sleek, sexy feline-like cars prefer names that begin with “lady”.
- Old junkers are proud just to be around. You can call them just about anything. Try “Tramp”, or “Old Yeller”, “Old Blue”.
- Pick names to reflect your personality.
- “Pickemup” trucks must have country names.
- Don’t give common names (like Joe, Mike or Sue) to luxury cars. They beam over names like Reginald, Archibald, and Crystal.
These weren’t my suggestions, but you get the idea. So, if you haven’t named your car – you may want to think about it. If you HAVE named your car, I’d certainly love to hear from you what you have named it. Really! I’m curious!
National Custodial Workers Day – Today we honor custodians. These dedicated workers don’t get the acknowledgement that they deserve. Today is the day to give them a big thank you – whether they are at your school, church, where you work, or in the local mall, they silently support the facilities where they work all year long. They clean up messes and do the dirty work that nobody else wants to deal with. Seriously, think about it, have you ever actually paid attention to the nastiness that is a school bathroom? Or thought about who has to deal with it when a kid throws up at the food court at the mall? Gross! I appreciate these dedicated workers very much, and hopefully you do too. Thank you, custodians of the world. You deserve all the appreciation we have to give.
This Day in History –
October 1, 1959 – The Television series “The Twilight Zone” premiered.
October 1, 1971 – Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.
October 2, 1950 – Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schultz first appeared in newspapers.
Food Celebration of the Day –
October 1 –
Homemade Cookies Day – This one is pretty self-explanatory – and I’m sure we all have our favorite recipes, so bake a lovely batch of homemade cookies for yourself and your family today!
Pumpkin Spice Day – We are seeing pumpkin spice EVERYTHING hitting the stores lately, and that’s a good thing! You won’t hear me complaining about it, that’s for sure. I actually enjoyed a lovely pumpkin spice mocha this morning and loved every sip. Here is some interesting pumpkin and pumpkin spice trivia I found on Foodimentary that I thought you’d like to see. What I want to know is, how does one actually bake a 5-foot pumpkin pie, and what sort of pan would one use?
- The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
- In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
- Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
- The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
- The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American pumpkin.
World Vegetarian Day – I must start out to say, I am NOT a vegetarian. As a matter of fact, I only actually know ONE person who doesn’t eat meat of any kind. And there is a difference between someone who is a vegetarian and someone who is vegan. A vegetarian will still eat dairy and eggs. Some vegetarians will eat fish too. A vegan won’t eat anything that came from an animal at all. I have tasted some wonderful vegetarian dishes, and don’t mind having meals now and again that don’t have any meat. I can’t see myself ever making a complete switch, but I do acknowledge that there are benefits to including more vegetarian dishes in our everyday menu.
October 2 –
National Fried Scallops Day – The sweetest and most tender of the bivalves, scallops live in saltwater all around the world. When deep-fried, larger sea scallops give a meatier bite than smaller bay ones, but both make for a delightful dish.
Well, I need to get to bed so I can go to work in the morning, and quite honestly, I am struggling to trust the post to auto-post like it is supposed to since the monthlies and weeklies didn’t post on time. I had them ready and everything! Have a fantastic Tuesday! 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