Happy Weekend from somewhere in Oregon! We came down here yesterday to visit with Hubby’s dad and step-mom, which explains not having a post on Friday. I was so busy on Thursday getting ready to head down that I didn’t take the time to write anything down. The house wasn’t ready for the house sitter, so there was a lot to do. We have been having fun on our visit and I have been able to see some of the area where my husband was raised. Even though we aren’t that far from home, seeing the differences in the two areas is amazing. They have quite a few more deciduous trees that are changing color, turning the streets into a blaze of fire bright reds and golds. It’s stunning. The sun has been shining for the most part, which just sets off the gorgeous trees even more. We will be getting up early and heading home, so though the visit has been a short one, it has been filled with storytelling, laughter, FAR too much food and some great, serious conversation too.
Verse of the Day
Friday – October 4, 2019
That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Following a list of vices, both scandalous and common, Paul finishes with this incredible word of grace. We all have a tendency to live in the land of “I-used-to-be.” For some of us, our past accomplishments become our excuse to live in the arrogant afterglow of yesterday. Paul wrote Philippians 3:4b-9 for this group. For others of us, the wounds and sins of our past become the bag of rocks we drag with us through the rest of life. We take those “rancid rocks” out and inspect them once again to our misery. We use them as proof of why we can’t move on with our lives. What a glorious awakening Paul gives us in this passage. In Christ, there are no more bags and no more rocks. We’re clean! We’re made holy! We’re declared innocent of any wrongdoing. How? Why? Who? The sacrifice and triumph of Jesus and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.
Saturday – October 5, 2019
If you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said more than 50 years ago that grace had become cheapened. I wonder what he would say today? I’m all for grace, but I’m horrified at the cost by which it came. I can’t for the life of me understand how we can so often claim to have received it and yet bear no resemblance in character to the one who gave it. God’s Word through Samuel is a harsh one. Yet it is one that I believe we must include in our triumphant song of grace. You see, true grace changes us. It will make us gracious and more like the Grace-giver himself. If not, what we call grace is impotent, powerless, and false. Paul called this a form of religion that denied God’s true power in us (2 Timothy 3:5). Let’s return obedience back to the pantheon of virtues and rescue it from the attic of our religious past.
Sunday – May 6, 2019
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Peace is more than the mercurial, vaporous, whimsical wish of folks who just want everyone to get along and things to be calm. The peace the apostle Paul is describing her, peace with God, goes much deeper than simply a desire for calm and for a lack of conflict. Jesus, through his sacrificial obedience to God, has made peace with God real for us. Yes, God provided it by grace. Yes, God is the one who insures it because of that grace. But, because this peace is tied to him and his character, we can rejoice and anticipate being caught up in the glory of our glorious God.
Friday – October 4
Blessing of The Animals Day – This is beautiful. I’m sure that those of us who love animals will appreciate it. Today as you go about your business you may see something that you think is odd . . . a procession of animals – everything from cats and dogs, to hamsters, horses and birds – being led to churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of Pets. This custom is in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. Francis, whose feast day is today, loved the birds that flew around his little town. He and his early brothers, while staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey who needed shelter. That is truly a love of all creatures!
At Franciscan churches, a friar with a brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:
“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”
I’m sure that those of us with animal companions appreciate this day, and if you are blessed to have a church near you who does this, maybe you can take your beloved furbaby in for a special blessing. They are with us, through good and bad, with all the love they have to give. This could be a really special treat for them.
Improve Your Office Day – Many office environments are pretty depressing – especially if you’re stuck in a cubicle. Today would be a good day, if you are finding yourself feeling like your office space is a prison, to improve your space. If it is cluttered, clear it up. If it is bland and plain, maybe spruce it up with some flowers, a new picture or even just rearranging your desktop. I’m sure all of us have desk space that needs to be cleaned up a bit.
Ten-Four Day – We’ve all heard people in the movies say “Ten-Four” and possibly we thought it was just a silly, senseless thing to say that just was a “CB” thing. What it actually means is “message received”, “Understood”, “OK”, or even “roger that”. On October 4th (or 10/4) some CB radio users thought it was a good day to celebrate this code and Citizen’s Band radio. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
Saturday – October 5
Frugal Fun Day – This is a day to enjoy fun activities that are free (or very inexpensive). If you use your imagination, the ideas are endless. Go on a bike ride or a hike. The fall leaves are on display. Have a picnic in the park, or your back yard. Invite some friends or neighbors over for a garage party and dance. Go fly a kite. Pull out those old board games or puzzles that you have stored in the basement. Play cards with some friends. Personally, I like the idea of snuggling up with a mug of tea and watching movies all day!
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day – On October 16, 2001, President George W. Bush approved Public Law 107-51, which requires that flags fly at half-staff on all Federal buildings for the first Sunday of October each year, to memorialize firefighters who have lost their lives in service to their communities. The service is held at the National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A worthy and solemn memorial to observe.
Sunday – October 6
Change A Light Day – This one was started to encourage people to change from conventional light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs. Of course, now that they have banned incandescent bulbs, this one is pretty much a non-celebration, right? Though the energy efficient bulbs are more expensive, they do last longer than regular ones. In 2005 we found a really great coupon deal at a local store for energy efficient bulbs. I think the end cost was about 8 cents each. We just kept going back, day after day to get more and probably ended up with about 100 bulbs. We have been using those bulbs since then, and still have quite a few left. They really do last longer than the regular bulbs, and cost less to use. So, look for some good deals in your area and Change a Light!
Country Inn Bed & Breakfast Day – I love going to B&B’s. There’s nothing not to love, in my opinion. Most of them have a beautiful, Victorian, or at least old-fashioned, feel to the home, and there’s a lot of charm in all of the décor that warms the heart from the moment you walk in the front door. The ones I have stayed in have been run by lovely people who have hearts as big as their homes, and honestly, if I ever had enough money, I think it would be so much fun to have one! I think mine would be more a lodge with individual cabins, so the guests could have their privacy, and we could have ours as well. That’s just me though. In this day and age, having strangers under the roof of my home would be a little nerve wracking. Having them in for breakfast and snacks though, now THAT would be ok! The beautiful thing about B&B’s is the unique and individual attention to the guests that the inn keeper can give, and how they can display their own personal style in the meals they provide. If you have never stayed in one, please give it a shot. It beats hotels out for individuality and makes a visit out of town special in a way that the impersonal air of a hotel just cannot provide.
Mad Hatter Day– This is a great day to be silly! The Mad Hatter is a fictitious cartoon character from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The Mad Hatter was always acting silly, so on Mad Hatter Day it is fair and fitting to be silly yourself! The choice of October 6th is a logical date for this day. The Mad Hatter wears a top hat, and on the front of the hat is a slip of paper with 10/6 written on it. It is believed that the paper is an order to make a hat, and that it costs 10 shillings sixpence. (I have NO idea what that would be in American dollars.) Take advantage of a silly day and have fun.
National Orange Wine Day – Orange wine was originally made close to 6,000 years ago in Eastern Europe. The technique has been rediscovered, so it’s starting to show up in wine shows. Not surprisingly, this is a little-known style of wine, but it has a bold flavor and a beautiful auburn color. What is surprising is that there are not actually oranges in this wine at all. The wine comes by its colors naturally! It is fermented from white grapes and the orange develops through more skin contact during the fermentation process. The wine makers treat the white grapes like red grapes, preserving the bolder body and tannins, which results in a white wine that deepens into a brandy orange color. Ok, I REALLY want to find a bottle of this now!
National Plus Size Appreciation Day – Lately there has been a body positivity movement where people are being encouraged to accept and appreciate the skin we are in, and not to judge someone else by their size. I do believe that we need to love who we are, in this season in which we are living, and that we are not to judge others for their seasons also. HOWEVER with that said, I also believe that being excessive in size is not good for our health in any way, and that we should focus on being healthy in what we eat, in our movement each day and in what we feed our minds as well as our bodies.
World Communion Day – Today Christians around the world join together in celebrating World Communion Sunday. As Christians, we celebrate the sacrament of communion differently, just as we observe our faith differently, across the world and across our different denominations. Some Christians celebrate communion every time they gather together, other reserve it for once a month, or special occasions. I’ve gone to churches who do it both ways, and honestly, I felt it was more special to me to do it weekly – it kept the importance of the observance in the forefront of my mind and heart. Some communion celebrations use bread and wine, others use wafers and grape juice. And some use a combination of the two approaches. No matter how your particular church approaches the sacrament of communion, during the observance we are united as one, one body, one church. We recognize that in taking communion, we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Today we cross denominational differences and celebrate communion as one body of Christ.
Food Celebrations of the Day –
October 4 –
National Cinnamon Roll Day in Sweden (Kanelbullens Dag) – Cinnamon buns are almost a daily part of Swedish life, but today is their special day. The tradition of celebrating Kanelbullens day is a 13-year old tradition, though it fits in perfectly with Swedish culture and tradition. Cinnamon Bun Day was started in 1999 when staff at Sweden’s Hembakningsrådet (‘Home Baking Council’) were looking for a way to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. The idea was to create a day to celebrate Sweden’s home baking tradition by highlighting a traditional and much-loved pastry. The autumn harvest is high season for baking in Swedish homes, so it was the perfect time of the year for a festive day with a baking theme. It was important to keep with Swedish culture and choose something that everyone could participate in – which was easily done. Go into any bakery in Sweden today and you will find cinnamon buns in aBUNdance. (sorry – I couldn’t resist). We may not be in Sweden, but you can easily celebrate this day by going to your local bakery and getting a cinnamon bun in honor of this special tradition.
National Taco Day – Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi — famous for his Nathan’s hotdogs feats — also holds the record for most tacos eaten. He polished off 106 in 10 minutes in 2012. Alright, now that just makes my stomach hurt. I love tacos, but seriously? That’s just gross.
National Vodka Day – Every year on October 4th is the celebration of National Vodka Day. I’m not a big drinker, but even I know that vodka is an alcohol that can be used in a huge variety of cocktails. Vodka is made from the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes and even fruits. Traditional vodkas had an alcoholic content by percent of volume. In the United States products cold as vodka have an alcoholic content of 30% or more. That’s all well and good and is gobbledygook to those of us who don’t speak booze, but even we can recognize the names of delicious drinks we can make with it . . . Bloody Mary, Screwdrivers, Moscow Mules, White Russians, Black Russians and Vodka Martinis. Yum!
October 5 –
National Apple Betty Day – President Ronald Reagan was famous for his love of jellybeans, but did you know that Apple Betty (a type of crust-free pie) was also a staple at the White House during his two terms? I’ve never actually had Apple Brown Betty, but the recipe for Grandma’s Apple Brown Betty looks pretty simple – and I have all of the ingredients. It looks a lot like Apple Crispl
Rocky Mountain Oyster Day – This is a newer food celebration that originated in Colorado. Thank goodness! I wouldn’t want to celebrate this one – actually, I wouldn’t even consider it, even if it WAS going to be a “thing” everywhere! Do you know what a Rocky Mountain Oyster is? It’s a deep-fried bull testicle. Personally, I feel a bit of bile in my throat at the thought, but I suppose to each his/her own. Apparently, our ancestors were willing to eat whatever came their way, since food was scarce at times and they wisely used every part of the animals they slaughtered. I have to respect that, even if I do think it is gross. I get it, castrating the cattle when they were young was something the ranchers had to do, so rather than throw all of those “delicacies” away, they’d fry them up. They started calling them oysters because oysters are slimy, and when testicles are raw, they have a slimy appearance. Well, I’ll take their word for it because I genuinely don’t want to see. From what I’m reading they are actually full of vitamins, minerals and protein. Again, this is something I will just take their word on and continue getting any extra vitamins and minerals from other food sources. Y’all knock yourselves out on this one if you want to.
October 6 –
National Noodle Day – I would say that, for me at least, noodles have always been a comfort food. I love them cooked then tossed with butter and garlic (YUM), with sauce, or in soup! It’s a staple food that fills the tummy and is used in many different cuisines from around the world. A noodle is unleavened dough that is stretched, then cut into pieces, or made into shapes, cooked by boiling, pan frying or deep frying, and tossed with other foods and sauces. Since cutting out a lot of carbs in my diet I have also cut out most noodles, but I can tell you, when I saw this, I did feel an urge to have a cheat day and have a bowl of noodles. I’ve even been eating my Chicken Pho minus noodles lately! It’s still delicious, but I admit to feeling a little sad about it. I need to experiment with low carb noodles. I know I’ve seen a few recipes but haven’t wanted to go to that much effort for a fail. These experiments get a little expensive!
Well, I have been buried in my computer long enough, and should be social for awhile. Have a lovely rest of your weekend. God bless you and I’ll see you on Monday.
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Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com