Winter Solstice 2014

Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It occurs when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is the lowest.  The Christmas carol "The Bleak Winter" refers to the Winter Solstice. 

I am holding tight to the hope that people will choose to be the light of compassion in a world of bleakness.  Yesterday while holiday shopping with the throng of hundreds at a nearby outlet mall, my daughter and I witnessed an act of egotism when a fellow shopper became impatient and agitated with an elderly woman paying for her purchases with a written check.  There ensued a verbal attack upon her antiquated method of payment.  The person lacked compassion and understanding along with the foresight that one day he would walk in her shoes.

Happy Winter Solstice and Merry Christmas in this season of Joy.  Hoping that everyone holds close to their family traditions, even in a season of change, and love one another just a little deeper.  We all have our personal battles on this journey, but we can unite and help one another.

 "In A Bleak Midwinter"
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breast full of milk, and a manger full of hay;
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him... give my heart.

Tomatillo

The tomatillo, or Husk Tomato/Mexican Husk Tomato, is a plant of the nightshade family.  While they are considered a staple in Mexican cooking, they now grow everywhere in the Western Hemisphere and are common in Texas gardens.

The fruit of the tomatillo is green and about the size of a large cherry tomato.  The inside is white and meatier than a tomato. They grow to maturity inside of a husk and range in size from an inch in diameter to the size of apricots.  The husks are inedible and should be removed before use.

Tomatillo Equivalent:
1 pound fresh tomatillos = 1 (11-ounce) can of tomatillos.

Growing Tomatillos:

When growing your own, they are ripe when the tomatillo fills out its papery husk but are still green in color. If they turn yellow, they are still useable but at this stage loose much of their tangy flavor.
The plants will grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet. They are generally available from May through November and are drought tolerant.
Some people will let them ripen until they are yellow-white; some even turn purple (the skin at least). The flavor of the fully ripe tomatillo is very sweet and adds an unusual taste to salsas.

Purchasing Tomatillos:

Choose small tomatillos. They are sweeter than the larger, golf-ball-size ones.
The condition of the "husk" is a good indication of the freshness of the fruit. The husk should be light brown and fresh looking (not shriveled and dried). Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos should be firm and free of defects.

Storing Tomatillos:

If you are not going to use them immediately, leave the husks intact, wrapped around the fruit like little paper bags. Either store on the counter or in the refrigerator. They should never be stored in air-tight containers. They will keep well for several weeks to a month. They may also be frozen whole or sliced.

Preparing Tomatillos:

Remove the husks before using as the husks are inedible. Tomatillos are very easy to cook with because they don't need to be peeled or seeded. Their texture is firm when raw, but soften when cooked. When growing your own fresh tomatillos, they are ready to harvest when the husks burst. Rinse before using as the tomatillo is covered by a sticky substance. Do not peel the green skin.

Cooking Tomatillos:Tomatillos can by very inconsistent in flavor, with some being sour and others tasting mild and sweet. If the tomatillos are to tart for your taste, try adding a little sugar to balance the taste.

Raw - Raw or uncooked tomatillos are often in Mexican sauces. They add a fresh citrus-like flavor.
Blanching - Blanching mellows the flavor. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole tomatillos (husks removed and rinsed) and boil for approximately 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and crush or puree as directed in your recipe.
Fire Roasting - Roast under the broiler, with a propane torch, or over an open flame such as a grill. Make sure the heat is quite hot before roasting. If the heat is not hot enough, the tomatillos wil turn mushy before being charred. The charred or slightly blackened skins will enrich your sauces with a smoky flavor.
Dry Roasting - This will produce an earthy, nutty flavor. Place the tomatillos in a heavy fry pan (preferably a cast iron pan). Turn heat to low and roast for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
 

Gratitude

At this season of Thanksgiving it is traditional to express our gratitude. Giving thanks has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to increase your personal well-being.  Gratitude has been linked to increased levels of happiness and life satisfaction.

 “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

Gratitude shouldn't be just for Thanksgiving - it can transform you to live the length and width of your life.  Human nature is inclined to look towards the negative, but keeping a daily Gratitude Journal will help to focus attention on the positive things in life.  Choose topics relating to experiences, opportunities, relationships, possessions, challenges/difficulties and sights.  Journal the effects of the situation on your senses - sight, smell, sound, taste and touch.  Then add the emotion you felt - joy, trust, anticipation, surprise, amusement, courage, pride, respect or love.

"Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago.  Watch for the new thing I am going to do.  It is happening already - you can see it now!  I will make a road through the wilderness and give you steams of water there.  Isaiah 43:18-19

How to properly serve grapes

While attending a recent breakfast buffet at my apartment complex, I realized that oftentimes grapes are not properly served.  Rather than dumping a big cluster in a bowl, try serving grapes in the following manner:

1.  Wash the grape cluster in a colander and drain.

2.  Using kitchen scissors, cut the grapes into small bunches of 6-8 grapes.

 

3.  Pile the smaller clusters on a serving platter or bowl and they will magically return to one big beautiful bunch.

Your guests will be delighted that you were thoughtful enough to make it easier for them to enjoy their favorite fruit!!

Curve Balls of Life

In this postseason of the ALCS and sweep by KC Royals, it seems only natural to talk baseball lingo.  Baseball calls it a curve ball for a reason:  you just don’t know where some pitches will land.  Life inevitably throws us curve balls, unexpected circumstances that remind us to expect the unexpected. How do you react when life throws you a curve ball?  Do you tense up?  Do you go with your original plan, regardless?  Or do you adjust to the curveball life sends you? Next time, try doing the following:

1.  Relax – in baseball, the secret to hitting the ball is to relax.  It’s the same in life.  If we go through life worried, nervous or fearful of when the next curve ball is going to be pitched, we won’t fully enjoy life.  Relax and seize the moment!

2.  Pick up the spin on the ball – A good hitter gives careful attention to the balls coming out of the pitcher’s hand.  If you are truly focused, you can pick-up the spin on the baseball and notice that it’s a curve ball.  With some practice, you can anticipate the direction of the curve, and then be ready for it.  In life, if we pay careful attention to the smallest details in our life, we open our minds up for bigger things.  Be mindful of changes and to the change in direction in order to address the ball being pitched.

3.  Slow down – The mechanics of a batter’s swing is all in the timing.  You need to be able to judge the ball’s speed, otherwise you’ll never hit it out of the park.  To hit a curve ball, you need to slow down, stay balanced and keep your eye on the ball.  Take a deep breath, slow down, evaluate and investigate before making a decision of taking a swing.  Don’t let yourself react blindly to the curve ball. 

4.  Swing through the ball – In baseball lingo this means striding forward and watching the ball hit the bat.  Oftentimes batters open up their stance when thrown a curve ball and pull their head out of the hitting zone.  If you do this, you will be lucky to hit the ball.  In life, sometimes we need to move forward with the confidence that we are moving in the right direction.

Curve balls can be thrown at us at any time in our lives – sudden loss of loved one, loss of job, loss of health, loss of finances – just relax and react to the curve ball by keeping your eye on it and not allowing it to pull you out of the strike zone.  Whether you hit it out of the park or a base hit – you still got a hit.  Then it’s on to the next pitch in the next inning of the game of life.

 

Evil Violence

This past week I was indirectly affected by a dear co-worker/friend losing her husband and mother-in-law in a heinous act of violence.  My friend and her husband had recently celebrated their fortieth anniversary – and their marriage was blessed with a bond that exceeded love.  Their immediate and extended families were the vortex of their relationship.  Sundays were spent having dinner at the home of her mother-in-law.  My friend’s words were, “We had the most blessed life.  We always used to say that if we were to die today, we would die happy.”

This unfortunate loss was at the hands of a convicted criminal with a violent history.  While a gun was involved in these deaths, gun control is an important issue but is not the root of the violence. Our society seems to have acquiesced to the inevitability of violence.  We hope that law enforcement can do a better job, that more thorough background checks will keep dangerous weapons away from criminals, and that the next crazed shooter won’t be in our neighborhood.

These examples deal with violence at its tipping point, not at its source.  The biblical narrative of the first heinous act of violence happened in the second generation of humanity – Cain murdering his brother Abel – in an act of jealousy.  Unchecked jealousy, left to grow and deepen and intensify, leads to acting out in violence.  In other words, violence is often the tipping point after resentment turns to rage.  If we choose to NOT do what is right, then sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you MUST master it.    

Violence is the result of a pathology of the soul.  Violence does not begin with standing armies, generational ethnic hatred, long standing social inequities.  Violence is as close to us as our own hearts.  “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”  (Genesis 9:6)  This scripture links to the fundamental reality that violence against human beings is wrong.  There is a worth, a value, a dignity, to every human life that makes selfish or wanton violence a moral offense.

Violence – like all sin – comes out of the human heart.  External stimuli can certainly affect people and deep psychological wounding certainly conditions people, and a culture of violence gives permission to be violent.  But the instinct and choice to act out in violence comes out of the heart.

We are called to be peacemakers.  We need vigilance, not vigilantes.  We need to close the gap with people rejected by others; connect with the wounded before they lash out and wound others.  We need to bring down the level of tension and stress around us by living in shalom – peace.  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with ME!!!

Cucumbers – Seeded and Peeled

 

 

Cucumbers – the Cool Cuke

A cucumber is a climbing plant of the gourd family, native to the Chinese Himalayan region.  The plant produces a long green-skinned fruit with water flesh, usually eaten raw in salads, cooked in soups, blended in smoothies or pickled in a brine.  Cucumbers are a good source of vitamins A, B, C, potassium and electrolytes.

When seeding a halved cucumber use a spoon to scoop the seeds from a cucumber cut in half.  When a cucumber has been quartered, remove the seed with a chef’s knife.

 

Wash the cucumbers in cold water

Cut the cucumber in half or quarters lengthwise.  Use either a spoon or chef’s knife to remove seed.  Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. 

 

  

Labor Day

Americans celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday in September.  The holiday was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  It is a national tribute annually to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The celebration of Labor Day is often observed in the forms of a street parade, festivals, picnics, cook-outs, outdoor games and gatherings with family and friends.  Most Americans view Labor Day as the symbolic end of the summer.  Large numbers of potential customers take advantage of weekend sales by retailers. 

In whatever manner you choose to celebrate Labor Day, pause and take a moment to reflect upon the labor privileges of Americans.  My personal labor heritage includes coal miners, entrepreneurs, railroad workers and union workers.  Their strong work ethic has provided a sound base for generations to come.  On Labor Day, I will reflect upon their lives with an enormous amount of gratitude for their invaluable personal contributions to the labor force of America.

Unmangled Mango

A mango is a fleshy yellowish-red tropical fruit cultivated in India.  It is eaten ripe, or used green for pickles or chutneys.  “The king of the fruits”, is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavor, fragrance, taste, and health promoting qualities. 

The typical “mango” shape is oval or round with an outer skin that is smooth and green that turns into golden yellow, crimson red, yellow or orange-red when ripe.  Fresh mango season lasts from April until August.  Internally, the mango flesh is juicy, orange-yellow in color with a centrally flat, oval shaped seed (stone).  The mango fruit is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Preparation and serving method:

Wash mango in cold running water and dry outer skin.  Cut the fruit lengthwise into three pieces so that the middle portion consists of husky seed.  Slice through the skin to separate the skin from the pulp.  Chop pulp into desired sections.

Mango fruit can be eaten alone, as an addition to fruit salads, pickles, jam, relish or smoothie. 

 

 

 

 

Right To Protest

As an American and member of the “Baby Boomer” generation, I am all too familiar with one of our most basic rights:  the right to assemble, protest, and petition.

The founders of our great nation wanted to break free of the tyranny of a nation that denied them the civil liberties that they believed all people were granted when declaring independence on July 4, 1776.  The ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791 reaffirmed their faith in independence from governmental tyranny.  Freedom fails to survive when those in power make exceptions to the First Amendment for speech or criticism that they dislike.

In the years following WWI, Americans feared the Communist Revolution in Russia would spread to the United States.  Thousands of people who were deemed to be “radicals” were arrested without warrants or regard to constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure.  A small group of people decided to take a stand against these civil liberties abuses, and thus was born the American Civil Liberties Union.  The ACLU is committed to fight for freedom and the protection of constitutional rights for generations to come.

Social change movements erupted in the 1960s, with varying degrees, that changed government policy and how most Americans live today.  The protesters believed in a more direct democracy and so took direct action – public marches, picketing, sit-ins, rallies, petition drives, and teach-ins – winning converts to their causes and changing public policies at the local, state, and federal levels.  They contributed their time, energy, and passion with the hope of making a better, more just society for all.

In recent weeks, a young unarmed African-American was shot and killed by a white police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.  This incident has fostered protesters to demonstrate amidst actions of looters, vandals and others seeking to inflame tensions.  It is disheartening to see a Midwest suburb with a population of over 21,000 become a war zone on national media.  The lives of those involved in the incident have needlessly been forever changed.  Decisions were made that fateful day, based on emotion, fear and what was thought to be facts.  Now, countless lives have been needlessly affected – businesses have been destroyed, jobs have been lost and values/safety has been compromised.  The recent actions have not contributed to a better society for all – it has served as an open forum for anger.  My heart is heavy that we have so little value for one another in action and deed. 

Can a peaceful protest truly exist when the topic is riddled with such fierce emotion?

Turkey Burgers

 

                                         Spinach Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers
                                        
                                         Ingredients:
                                         1 lb ground turkey
                                         1 egg, lightly beaten
                                         1/4 C thawed frozen chopped spinach
                                         1/3 C Panko breadcrumbs
                                         3/4 C crumbled goat cheese
                                         2 tsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
                                         ketchup/mustard/lettuce/tomato for garnishment

                                         Directions:
                                         In large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, thawed spinach, bread
                                         crumbs and seasoning.  Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add
                                         the goat cheese and mix again until combined.

                                         Heat up a grill pan over medium heat.  Spray with nonstick spray or add a
                                         drizzle of olive oil.  Form six patties from the turkey mixture and cook for
                                         about six minutes on each side.  Serve warm with whole wheat buns and
                                         favorite garnishments.

                                         YUMMY!!!
                                         

Finding Your Own Voice

“Ask for what you want, and be prepared to get it.”  Maya Angelou

 Our voice is our essence, so create it with tone, style, tenor, pitch and personality for the world to see.  Finding one’s voice is a continuous quest of retuning as the essence of who we are is ever changing.

Here are some tips:

1. Be assertive and direct vs demure and unsure
When ordering at a restaurant, do you say, "I’d like the grilled chicken” vs “Could I have the grilled chicken?"  What's the difference? The first way is assertive and direct while the second way of asking is demure and unsure; it's as if you're asking for permission. In the future, if you want something -- whether it's a raise at work or to have more sex at home -- then say it with confidence!

2. Speak Up -- But Don't Engage in "Up speak"
Up speak is a rising intonation at the end of a sentence.  Using up speak essentially turns every sentence into a question. Popularized by California teenage girls (a.k.a. "Valley Girls") in the 1980s, this cutesy yet annoying way of speaking still exists today. Surprisingly, it has made its way into an older generation of women. Don’t be guilty of making a good and solid point only to up speak causing your words to sound uncertain.  So, next time you're making a strong point, listen to yourself. Make sure your voice is reflecting your inner strength.

3. Grow a Pair!
Whether we're talking about testicles or breasts, you've got to grow a pair! Use assertive language and stand up for yourself.  Don’t allow your audience to intimate your knowledge. Channel your inner goddess to access your core strength to advocate for yourself. Take out words that imply inferiority such as "just" or "only" (i.e. "It's just an idea" or "I'm only an assistant") and use more assertive language (i.e. "I have a great idea" or "I'm a well-qualified assistant"). Pay attention to the volume of your voice. Are you talking in a low tone so that others can't hear you and don't take you seriously? Raise your volume and make your points loudly and clearly.

4. Don't Beat Around the Bush
Bushes are for landscaping, but when it comes to conversations, women tend to beat around them more than men. Women attempt to protect others' feelings, and in doing so often come across as being indirect. Don’t add on qualifiers at the beginning of sentences i.e. "I know you've probably thought of this idea before, but..." or "I was wondering if maybe you might have time to..." Many women fear coming across as too aggressive or bitchy if they are direct. Adopt a tone of voice that is serious yet not defensive or punitive, then you will be heard.

5. Stop Apologizing Needlessly
Women have a tendency to apologize more than men. A heartfelt apology is great when there is something to truly be remorseful about, however many women have developed a habit of apologizing. They apologize when they are trying to move past someone on the sidewalk (instead of saying, "Excuse me"), and even apologize when someone bumps into them. They apologize for making a point in a meeting that is not in agreement with another point ("I'm sorry, but I just don't agree!"), or asking for something they want ("I'm sorry, but could you please tell me the time?").

This habit of over-apologizing undermines a woman's credibility and confidence. The next time you want something, don't apologize for it -- just ask!

Use your voice. You don’t embark on a quest for your voice just for the sake of beauty — a noble pursuit, but it’s not enough.  You must use your voice to express yourself, to help others, to change the world:

Simplicity vs Complicated.

Minimal vs Consumer

Content vs Discontent

People are internally motivated by four needs:  to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy.  When they overlap, you have voice-your calling, your soul’s code.

 

Foodie - Jicama

“The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth.”  Frances Moore Lappe

In the third stage of my life journey I am aspiring to be a Foodie – one who embraces the enjoyment of good food and wine!  The taste buds are sensory receptors for flavor.  I don’t strive to be Julia Child reincarnated.  I am pursuing culinary tastes and learning – how to cut a mango, how to eat jicama, how to make flavored vinegars and dressings, how to chop an onion, how to use a mandolin, etc.

So follow me on my ‘Foodie’ journey…..

   


Jicama – Mexican turnip with taste closer to an apple

Wash and peel the jicama with a vegetable peeler.  Use a sharp knife to halve from the top to bottom and slice the jicama into small sticks, discs, chunks or wedges. 

Dip – combine the following:

½ C reduced-fat sour cream

Zest and juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon chili powder

2 scallions, finely chopped

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Transfer dip to serving dish surrounded by jicama sticks.  Yummy!!

 

 

 

 

 

In Memory of Papa

July 16th commemorates the 112th birthday of my maternal grandfather, Rutherford Birchard Hayes!  He was born o July 16, 1902 in Green Ridge, Missouri. He served in the Army during WWI at the young age of 21 and was stationed in France.  He retired in 1967 from the Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Company after 39 years of service.

He was a caregiver to his first wife who died after a long illness from tuberculosis.  They had one daughter, Nadine Hayes Sands.  He married Nellie B. Thompson in 1927, and they had one daughter, Ruth Barbara Hayes.  I always thought it was intriguing that my mother and grandfather had the same initials.

Fond Recollections of my Papa:
I was blessed to get his blue eyes from the gene pool!!  And my dimples, well he told me to tell people that is where the angels kissed me.

He always had life savers stashed away in his suit coat pockets for distracting this fidgety little girl during church.

Piles of sand and gravel surrounding a cement mixer - he was always constructing a porch, patio or sidewalk.  Those mounds of sand and gravel provided hours of fun.

Lots of summers spent fishing and swimming at Gardner Lake.  He purchased a wooden boat and dubbed it “Duffy-Pen” for my brother and me to troll around on the lake.  Fourth of July he purchased an array of fireworks for a display over the water.

Fall fun attending the American Royal Parade and Rodeo.  He and my grandmother would get us out of school early for an afternoon of roping and barrel races.  It was so much fun, and I enjoyed this event with my own daughter.

Christmas – my grandfather retired from Procter & Gamble and growing up there was always a picnic basket with a ham, fruit, Cracker Jacks and a box of Russell Stover’s candy.  He and my grandmother would always purchase one big ticket item for us – portable stereo, small television, electric blanket or dressy winter coat.  My grandfather could make the best mashed potatoes and pumpkin/pecan pies all from scratch.  YUMMY!!

My grandfather lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on November 19, 1973.  He was 71 and I was 21.  He was a vital part of my life, growing up living next door.  He wasn’t a perfect person, but he was a person that shared his bounty with others – family and friends.  I decided one day to glean his good traits and carry them forward into the generations to come “Be ye kind one to another”. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom and Independence

On July 4th, the United States celebrates its 238^th birthday, declaring our independence from Great Britain.  The Declaration of Independence gives the three examples of “unalienable rights” of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, being given to all human beings by their Creator and for which governments are created to protect.  Over the years, many individuals have sacrificed their lives, families and futures to protect these rights.

On this Fourth of July, we might celebrate our freedom and independence by participating in various activities:  barbecuing, congregating with loved ones, attending a parade or watching fireworks and enjoying our precious free time.  But July Fourth is also a time to reflect, take stock and appreciate the deep freedoms we enjoy every day in our country.

Freedom quotes:

“Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation and freedom in all just pursuits.”

“Freedom is never dear at any price.  It is the breath of life.  What would a man not pay for living?”

“This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope.  So it was in the beginning.  So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.”

The New Colossus   by Emma Lazarus (1883)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles.  From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips.  “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

 

Father's Day

Father’s Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June.  It is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers and father figures in their children’s lives.  Father’s Day was inaugurated in the United States in the early 20th century with the first celebration in 1910 at the YMCA, Spokane, Washington originated by Sonora Smart Dodd.  In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made the first presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day; and six years later the day was made a permanent national holiday by President Richard Nixon.

A father has such a vital role in a family – his example of love and respect to his wife teaches a son how to respect women and a daughter how to be honored by a man.  I oftentimes feel our society neglects this important family dynamic.  Christian fathers are to sacrificially love their children.  A child knows that a father cares for them by making them a priority.  Cultivating relationships with each child requires time, discipline and intentionality.

I was blessed to have a caring and loving father with strong values and faith.  I have the distinct pleasure of still having my father’s daily influence upon my life, while many of my friends must call upon the sweet memories.  A father’s relationship with his daughter is important because he’s the standard for what she will expect of a man and a lifelong partner.

The common roles of a father or The 5 P’s:

·         Participator/problem-solver (social/emotional/psychological needs)

·         Playmate (high-energy, physical play)

·         Principled guide (instill socially desirable behavior)

·         Provider (tangible resources – food, money, shelter, material possessions)

·         Preparer (of life’s challenges through family values and morals)

 In order to pass on our faith and impact future generations, a father should spend quality and quantity time with each child.  When we leave a godly legacy we can look back with great satisfaction of a job well done.

A Father's Love

You were the man who loved me first
The one who sat me on your knee.
You kissed my cuts and gave me hugs
And built that house up in the tree.
Even when you scolded me
You let me know your love
You told me all I need to know
About the stars above.
Thank you dad for all you did
And for loving me.
You showed me just how special
A father’s love can be.

 

 

Memorial Day Celebration

John 15:13 Greater a love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Today is Memorial Day – a day of celebrating the spirited lives of those we remember and honor for serving in our armed forces.  The holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May.  It was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Confederate and Union soldiers.  During the 20^th century the holiday was extended to honor all Americans who died in military service.

On this holiday weekend many people visit remote cemeteries and memorials of their ancestors and rekindle relationships with kinfolk.  Oftentimes Memorial Day is considered the beginning of summer, as picnics and cookouts abound to celebrate the memory of our loved ones. 

I am thankful for the service of my family – grandfather, uncles, husband and members of my extended family.  Their dedication to our country through their service has protected the freedoms that our ancestors fought for and we continue to enjoy to this day.

THANK YOU!  WE LOVE AND HONOR YOU ALWAYS!!!!