Thursday, December 26, 2013

New Year's Coming, Ready or Not

Bishop Rabb* said that Christmas comes ready or not. The same with the New Year. "Who knows what this coming New Year will bring?" We'll, I'm getting ready to bake bread in the New Year.  

This morning I began to research which kind of machine to buy. I looked at books on the subject of baking bread. I've been reading product reviews by people who are very familiar with bread making and machines that help the process along.

I want to work my way up to hand-kneading bread dough, making gluten-free and regular bread, polishing the dough with butter (I think that's yummy-good), and baking different shapes and loaves. As much as anything before breaking a fresh loaf will be the aromas filling the house!

It's another creative way to start a New Year ready or not.

And He took the bread, and gave thanks, and broke it... (Luke 22:19).


*/St. John's 
/Breadmaking video  
2013

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas



Jesus Christ

He came to proclaim good news to the poor,
to heal the broken-hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives and
release from darkness for the prisoners,
...to comfort all who mourn.

Emmanuel

"Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing...."

For our Salvation, Christ drank the cup of the sins of the world. 

For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross,
despising its shame. 


Lord Jesus 

The joy of the Lord is our strength!


Do not be afraid!



Scripture references: Isaiah 61:1-3; Hebrews 12:2; Nehemiah 8:10

Friday, December 20, 2013

Christmas Any Time and All the Time


In His hometown, Nazareth, Jesus was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He opened the scroll to the reading for the day, from Isaiah 60. He began to read:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me 
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4: 18, 19

When He had finished reading, He said, "This day this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 

Jesus said he came to help those who realized their need. These included the poor, the sick, the outcast and a few religious leaders who desired to hear HIm. What a blessed and favored bunch they still are!


Joy to the world, 

 the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King!

Blessed is the one who finds peace 
with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Opinari – think, reason, believe: Have a Christmas Essay: Most Important Elements of...

Opinari – think, reason, believe: Have a Christmas Essay: Most Important Elements of...: Try a Christmas essay about something special you like to do for others at Christmas.  Or, choose your own special topic! Writers  in Eng... 2013

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Essays: Creative Writing about Favorite Things

Try an essay about something special to you.  

Writers develop writing skills by tackling the simple essay, which is a short work of writing about a topic that intrigues or fascinates the essayist. An essay can be and often is a means of influence, encouragement, or inspiration. 
      
The most important actions for developing an English essay are to decide on a clear and manageable theme and to create a basic outline that fits the needs of the essay's development. Generally, the outline can have only a few parts:  

I. Brief and interesting theme statement, something introductory about a subject
   A. Paragraph with information about the theme and/or reasons for the writer's enthusiasm about the theme 
   B. Paragraph with a fitting example of A; can include also the writer's experience or enthusiasm
II. Closing statement or paragraph to bring the above parts together in a succinct and interesting way

A good beginning and ending are like the appetizer and the dessert that complement an entree that satisfies expectation and taste with nourishment to build up the entire body. Without interesting ideas on the pages we read, we soon miss the spark that fresh information brings or the mental nourishment of a good idea or story.   

Paragraph resource