ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
MARCH 21ST, 2008
TODAY'S THOUGHT
Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future; but faith is having the courage to dance to it today!
Author Unknown
TODAY’S ACTION
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.
Charles Dickens
TODAY’S QUOTE
Indoors or out, no one relaxes in March, that month of wind and taxes, the wind will presently disappear, the taxes last us all the year.
Ogden Nash
HAPPY FRIDAY !!
For many many years Good Friday was a Spring Break day for my family. It was a day that we all had off from school and from work. So my family would pack a lunch or plan to get take out some place and off we’d go. Sometimes we’d go to the Zoo or one of the parks and spend the day hiking around. All in all it was always a ‘good’ Friday.
I had kept up the habit of taking a vacation day on Good Friday until the last 2 years and now my boss has decided to take vacation at that time so there is no more Spring Break days or me. My first vacation day will come in April when hopefully we can get our campers opened up for the season.
I really do have 3 weeks of vacation time it is just that I have to spread it all out over the year taking some long weeks here and there. That is life in a one gal office. T
he weatherman says we are under a WINTER STORM WATCH starting this afternoon through Saturday morning. We’ll just have to wait and see which way the wind blows as to how much more snow we’ll be having.
I plan to leave for DS#’s house Saturday morning; however it may not happen til afternoon.
TAKE GOOD CARE ALL !
Have a great day all ! Another wonderful one on the Way !
TODAY’S PRAYERS
I have received two prayer requests from a dear friend. Her daughter’s friend is currently undergoing chemo and is having a really hard time. Please join me in praying for her. Also the same daughter is going though some rough times right now as her husband is deployed over seas and it is not an easy life for sure. I will be praying for them both that the dear Lord aids and comforts them in their time of great need.
I always pray… Thy Will Be Done Lord !
And as always….
Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.
Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
25 WORDS
God, I thank You for today, for the ways You will bless me, and for the ways that I will serve others in Your name
TO REMEMBER…
I am in the hands of God, and in God’s time all things will be made well.
TODAY IS…GOOD FRIDAY
The title for this day varies in different parts of the world: "Holy Friday" for Latin nations, Slavs and Hungarians call it "Great Friday," in Germany it is "Friday of Mourning," and in Norway, it is "Long Friday." Some view the term "Good Friday" (used in English and Dutch) as a corruption of the term "God's Friday."
This is another obligatory day of fasting and abstinence. In Ireland, they practice the "black fast," which is to consume nothing but black tea and water. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the rigid austerities of the Lenten fast had been greatly relaxed
Hot Cross Buns. The familiar hot cross buns are sweet rolls with the sign of the cross cut into it, and they are one of several traditional European breads marked with a cross for Good Friday. According to tradition, these buns originated at St Alban's Abbey in 1361, where the monks gave them to the poor people who came there. (You may have your own recipe for sweet-rolls to which you can add currants or raisins before shaping and cut a cross in the top before baking; or you can buy them.) These Good Friday buns were very popular, and were sold by vendors who cried, Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns! One a-penny two a-penny, Hot cross buns! If you have no daughters, give 'em to your sons! One a-penny two a-penny, Hot cross buns!
EASY HOT CROSS BUNS
4 cups biscuit mix (like Bisquick®)
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup diced candied citron
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk (approximately)
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
Confectioners' Sugar Icing
Combine biscuit mix, raisins, citron, cinnamon, and sugar. Add enough milk to make a soft dough, mixing with fork. Knead several minutes, until dough is elastic. Form into balls and place close together on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven. Whip cream with fork; add remaining sugar. Brush over tops of biscuits. Run under broiler to glaze. If desired, cool buns, then decorate with crosses of Confectioners' Sugar Icing
Good Friday was thought to be a good day for planting seeds (a reference to the Gospel about the seeds which must be planted in the ground to bear fruit as a metaphor for Christ's necessary death and His burial on this day) so if the weather permits, this could be a worthwhile activity
In the symbol of the Cross we can see the magnitude of the human tragedy, the ravages of original sin, and the infinite love of God. Lent is a particularly appropriate time to attempt to penetrate the true meaning of this sacred image represents through prayerful contemplation; and to study the traditions surrounding the Christian symbol of the Cross.
Looking at the Cross in prayer helps us to truly see it. Most Christians have crosses in their homes. Many wear a cross around their necks. Some of these are very beautiful, perhaps made of precious metal and embellished with jewels. The beauty of these devotional objects may emphasize the glory and the victory of Our Lord's Cross
TODAY’S TRIVIA
Today is Fragrance Day and Flower Day, always the first full day of spring.
Today is Good Friday (God's Friday), commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus, the oldest Christian celebration
Today is National Common Courtesy Day
Today is National French Bread Day
Today is National Memory Day
Today is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, sponsored by the UN
1747: During a violent storm at sea, 22-year-old English slave ship captain John Newton dramatically became a Christian. He abandoned the slave trade and became an Anglican minister for 43 years. He composed the song Amazing Grace
1790: Thomas Jefferson reported to President Washington in New York as the new secretary of state
1939: Singer Kate Smith recorded God Bless America
TODAY’S SMILE
I received this in an e-mail from one of my nieces the other day and thought it was worth sharing with you all.
A member of a certain church who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks the preacher decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, let him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minuetes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation.
As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the iniatial greeting.
The preacher glaced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.
We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
TODAY’S WORD
acerbic \uh-SUR-bik\, adjective:
Sharp, biting, or acid in temper, expression, or tone
Acerbic comes from Latin acerbus, bitter, sour, severe, harsh
TODAY’S REFLECTION
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.
Luke 22:8
God gives hope to each of us, and we are reminded of this hope each time Protestants celebrate Communion, or Catholics celebrate the Eucharist or Jews celebrate the Seder. Jesus had a special message for his disciples, as they celebrated this Last Supper together •
He warned them that he must suffer in the days ahead (Luke 22:15).
• He gave his disciples symbols — the bread and the cup — of his sacrifice for all of us (Luke 22:17-19).
• He gave his disciples hope for a glorious future in his kingdom (Luke 22:29-30). "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
That is the message Jesus would convey to each of us, each time we celebrate The Last Supper
The Last Supper is a constant reminder of the blessed gift of grace given to us by God
Guideposts http://www.ourprayer.org
TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC
It is good luck to break a dish on Good Friday
91 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER !
March 21st – FULL WORM MOON
As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart
Psalm 37:4
May there be a miracle in YOUR life today and may you have the EYES to SEE it!
I Love You All !!!
Be Blessed !!!
MA
MY HOMEPAGE
I believe we should live ‘ON THE BRIGHT SIDE’
MY JOURNALS
http://journals.aol.com/marainey1/GoodMorningSunshine/
To see archived ‘On the Bright Side’ Newsletters click on the link below: http://journals.aol.com/marainey1/ONTHEBRIGHTSIDE/
BRIGHT SIDE LOGO BY SON #6
http://www.littlerainey.com/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment