Advent Scriptures for today...
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass," Zechariah 9:9.
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| The painting "The Dream of St. Joseph" (circa 1770s) by Anton Raphael Mengs. Public domain |
"But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins," Matthew 1:20-21.
Handel's Messiah time again...too bad I can't sing it like in younger days. Since there's nobody to hear it but me, I belt it out like a good opera star...all jesting aside...Old Testament prophets foretold the major events of the Savior's life...I can't begin to imagine the faith it took for Joseph to go against cultural convention and religious tradition to accept pregnant Mary as his wife. God knew what sort of man Joseph was and knew Joseph's faith was strong enough for this calling.
Praying for...children all over the world, peace on earth, and good will toward all men...I think peace on earth is possible in the hearts of all followers of Jesus Christ, but not many others following the wrong master. Taking a break from Grandchild of the Week throughout December as always.
Jesus' Word..."Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," John 14:6. I'm so very grateful that my parents brought me up in the Christian faith even if church going wasn't part of the program. I'm grateful that Jesus revealed Himself to me that I might follow Him back to the Father. Loving life is much easier with a vision and plan.
Cucina Fresca...I've been using up all the produce in my fridge. I tend to over buy and may never get used to cooking for only two. Costco has some fun, low-cost veggies. Lately, they carried baby patty pan squash. I can't believe how tasty it is compared to zucchini, which is another favorite. If I ever get a chance to have a veggie garden again, I'm going to grow green and yellow patty pan. It is good diced in salad, but it's out of this world in calabacitas. Calabacitas are diced summer squash, red bell pepper, and corn seasoned with garlic, onion, powdered mild chilies such as California and Ancho steamed in a couple tablespoons water for 5 minutes or so. I also add a handful of moringa leaves for extra nutrition; it doesn't alter the flavor much. We like to eat calabacitas with fajita style mushrooms for an amazingly filling dinner. Tomorrow I'm going to make mushroom and asparagus fried rice
Movement...loving our return to the 50/10 principle, where we take a brief walk or other activity each hour for ten minutes. It's amazing how this clears the mind and whittles the waist. Still doing ginjoga, light dumbbells, and hula hooping most days. I can sure tell, when I let movement slide. Laziness causes pain; now isn't that something.
Bibliophilia...Read a cute book that Grandma loaned me this week, Dear Mad'm by Stella Patterson. If I had the courage, I'd live in a cabin in the woods like Stella. Maybe I will some day. Also read Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, which we excellent until all the fantasy hocus pocus at the end. Also read Goethe's Hermann and Dorothea, translated by JB Harris, which was lovely. Still enjoying and slowly savoring the Life with Fred series. Working through Rex Barks with a mentee, I am having a blast. Who loves grammar! That would be me.
Family History...I've been working on genealogy quite a bit lately. It's especially exciting, because several of my stalled out lines recently linked to the work of other genealogists in the world wide community. Computerizing genealogy has removed much of the drudgery and problems of the old researching methods. So anyway, I'm a direct decedent of Mary Queen of Scotts, Henry VII, Charlemagne, oodles of knights, barons, lords, etc, and Mary Thawkila Chickasaw King of the New Windsor Chickasaw Settlement whose father was Squirrel Chief King of the East Cherokee Nation. Now to find the Hebrew blood link. How could I not be Jewish with these features. As a young man, my paternal grandfather was denied a rental home, because the owner said he wouldn't rent to a jew. Protest his lineage as Irish all he wanted the potential landlord wouldn't capitulate. Grandpa finally found something else for his young family. He told that story more than once in my hearing.
Sound of Music...so glad I took up the uke...it's quite enjoyable to sing hymns in the mornings and not get a violin neck/head ache...Some think the uke a toy. Actually, it's a miniature 4-string guitar and can be every bit a real instrument. It all depends on one's goals and drive. I play to accompany my hymn singing, which is quite enough. I don't need to prove anything to anyone, when I play for personal enjoyment and praises to God.
From My Pen...enjoying writing down my daydreams again...writing stories allows me to explore and research ideas without upsetting real life...I've built some pretty amazing homes and farms in my mind without even breaking a sweat. My biggest problem is refusing to give my characters any problems. They may lead quiet lives, but they are happy.
Garden Gate...got a clementine mandarin and planted another moringa...hope to plant guandules and a gold nugget mandarin next week...sprouts still going strong...zucchini plant in my window is full of blossoms but so far no fruit...
