We had a really horrdid time in EG last week. He spent the entire 2 hours yeling at 2 girls. In the meantime, this is what was forming in my head:

(To the Tune of Mistle Toe and Wine.)

Sleepy Time,
Give a bed an’ I’m fine.
Dreams start weavin’ in my mind.
With colours and spaces,
And dragons and faces,
A time to disappear from all things real.

A time for stories, and crackling fire,
A time when you can play the lyre.
Loose ends to tie up, a happy ending,
All ours in the making, just follow your dream.

UPDATE: The Snowflakes on WP is back! W00t!

I thought that since mommy draws such nice sketches of me that I would keep drawing myself so I can be as good as mommy someday. I spent all day just drawing myself. It is normally exhausting to do so much work like that but since I was drawing myself I always seemed to find the strength to keep on drawing. Hehehe ^^

Anyway, these sketches are an early Christmas gift for my mommy. Merry Christmas mommy! Yay! ^^

As you can see, first it is a picture of me playing mommy’s X-box. The next image is my interpretation of West Side Story with the Jets and the Sharks fighting. At the bottom, that is me as Indiana Jones. I think I make a better Indiana Jones than Harrison Ford does, I’m much cuter. Don’t you think? Hehehe ^^ Enjoy!

Okay, goodbye!

-Flurry

© Copyright 2008 S. Leuck & J. Leow. All rights reserved.

Exodus 15:2 (Amplified Bible) ~ The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God. 

Just the other day I met a young man while I was in a shopping queue. With sheer arrogance, he tried to jump the queue. I said to him in very polite manner, “Sir, there is an orderly queue. “ He looked at me with a frown on his face and barked at me, saying, “If you do not let me go in front of you, I will set the god of my juju ring on you!” At this, I looked at him and laughed, and then replied, “If your god can fit in the inside of such a tiny ring, I feel sorry for you. But as for my God, He made the whole universe, He is my all-powerful God! His power can never be contained in such a tiny ring like that, for He is an almighty, awesome God!” The look on his face was priceless. He was stunned into silence and walked away with his tail between his legs. 

The Bible says in Acts 17:24 (NIV), “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. We cannot try to put God in a box with our limited, earthly thinking, for He is far bigger then we could ever think, or imagine. He is the Mighty God! Far beyond our reach! Unsurpassable in power and justice, this is my God. 

My friend, God is a  faithful God, who is bigger, stronger and more powerful than anything; this is my God! He is strong to deliver, mighty to save, powerful to heal and sovereign over all, this is my God! He is my strength, my song, my shield, my high tower, my refuge, he is my joy and my salvation, and this is my God! My heart leaps like a gazelle, like a calf released from the stall with joy, as I confess His name and declare in our text for today in Exodus 15:2 (Amplified Bible), “The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God.” 

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

*Hearing that song in my head*

Still don’t have the decorations on the tree, but I ain’t doing it alone! Nobody seems concerned about it… so I’m not going to be either! At least it has lights on it. I do care about it having lights.

I have the stockings up and other decorations around now… and except for having to take down the ones on top of the entertainment center, to disinfect them after Tubby Tang barfed up hair-balls on them… the living room looks pretty festive!

This little scene was something I saw in a magazine once. They used sugar, but because we often have an ant problem in the winter… I opted to use epsom salt instead.

Just use any big wide mouth jar, put in the salt, sugar or whatever… then place your little creatures, trees or whatever in that. Very simple centerpiece.

I may have a bit too much “snow” in this one. But you get the idea.

Hope you are all having a good time decorating and planning your Christmas season too!

hi-d

During the holidays a lot of my artistic energy moves to the kitchen. Normally I don’t like to cook, but during the month of December I love to make sweets and treats. 

We tried this simple and fun recipe yesterday and it was a big hit.  All we needed was a bag of Snyder’s large pretzel rods, a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and some assorted sprinkles. We melted the chips in a plastic bowl and used a spoon to cover the ends of the pretzel rods.  After that you just sprinkle the end with colorful candies.  One extra thing I do is reach into the bottom of the pretzel bag and pinch up the bits of salt that accumulate in the bottom and then sprinkle that extra pretzel salt on at the very end.  Salty and sweet….yum.

My two youngest had a blast making these.  Can you believe I let my two year old near this melted chocolate?   

It was especially fun taking photos of the finished product!

These things are not only fun to make, but they really are good! They’d be even better if they were 2/3 covered in chocolate, instead of 1/3….something to try on our next batch!

A few days before our family moved to Russia for the first time in 1995, my mother took me to see the “Oliver” musical on the London stage. It was a perfect mother-daughter activity and a great way to say goodbye to England. I moved to Russia armed with the “Oliver” soundtrack and an indelible love for cockney accents, musicals, and food. I guess the latter doesn’t have much to do with “Oliver,” except that the musical confirmed my belief that food is, indeed, “glorious.”

Since then, I’ve seen a few of the Oliver Twist movie versions, including the 2005 Roman Polanski re-make. When I finally got around to reading the book a few weeks ago, it was difficult to separate the musical and the movies from the book. It turns out that in the book, Oliver doesn’t spontaneously break into a soliloquy about the existence of love, The Dodger doesn’t tell Oliver to consider himself at home while performing a choreographed dance around London, and Nancy doesn’t sing rowdy songs about her fine life with her prostitute friends in a seedy bar. I felt let down by Charles Dickens. I also felt slightly bored, because Oliver is a lot more interesting when he sings, dances, and speaks with a cute English accent.

So for the first half the book, I was all, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, Dickens, tell me something I DON’T know.” Then at some point about half way through, Dickens started to introduce new characters who had no part in the movies or the musical. My first instinct was to feel cheated by the entertainment industry for never giving me the full story, but my second instinct was to be happy that my experience of the musical and my experience of the book could be distinct from one another. I did come around to enjoy the original version of the story, even though it will never fill the place of Great Expectations in my heart. It remains my firm belief, though, that you can never go wrong reading a Dickens book in the winter time.

It is officially Christmas time! It snowed for the first time (well, ok so it snowed in October but that doesn’t count). The tree outside of the Ticket King St. Paul office has a dusting of snow and our radio is happily playing carols. I love this time of year, seriously my favorite (way better than my birthday). Today’s precipitation does have me thinking about my Holiday Gift List, which seems to be getting bigger and bigger on a smaller and smaller budget.

But,  this year I’m thinking my gifts are going to be almost all Twin Cities Events Tickets, that way I can go to all of the AWESOME upcoming concerts, games and events and still make it seem like I’m doing something good for other people

Today’s Gift Ticket Pick: MN Wild Tickets, cheap plus Wild Games are SOoo Much Fun!

This is what it looks like when I increase the ISO setting on my camera–pretty grainy.

But I guess I’d rather have the image grainy, than not have it at all.  Our Christmas baking is in full swing and the oven window is more entertaining than any cartoon 

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) ~ My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 

The Message translation of the Bible opens up this verse like this: “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 

When I am weak, then I am strong,

Grace is my shield and Christ is my song.  

Your emptiness is but the preparation for you being filled; your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up. Your moments of extremities are God’s opportunities to show Himself strong on your behalf. Many a saint has trodden the path of hardship and suffering which comes in its various forms, and God turned their moments of weakness into great victories of faith, which enabled them to face anything this world could throw at them. As they fully trusted in the His faithfulness, they overcame by His Divine gift of grace. Here is their testimony from Hebrews 11:34 (NIV), “whose weakness was turned to strength.” 

The Bible says 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NIV), “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Therefore, when we feel weak and are at our lowest point, it is at this pivotal point where we feel the strongest, because His power is made perfect in our weakness; we are clothed in His strength. His strength enables us to face any foe, any hardship, any short coming, knowing that His grace is enough, His grace is all-sufficient for us, for our strength in made perfect in weakness. His grace hath led me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. 

My friend, whatever you may face, may you face it with this confidence: His grace is sufficient of you, for His strength is made perfect in your weakness.  

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

The distance between Málaga and Córdoba will remain of 163 kilometres but the time due to cover it will be reduced of a half an hour. At Christmas time the two Andalusian cities will be 30 minutes closer thanks to the finalisation of the last stretch of the motorway (A-45), between Benamejí and Encinas Reales.

The Ministry of Development foresees that the road will be asphalted within the next weeks. The opening will be around 20^th December and this coincides with Christmas time, one of the high-peak date.The motorway will record between 11,000 and 21,000 vehicles per day, although these figures might increase during holiday periods and weekends.

This is an extra opportunity for tourists to visit Cordoba and its astonishing Mezquita (mosque) during a city break in Málaga and take advantage of every single moment spent in Andalucía.

John 6:9 (NIV) ~ Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. 

Out of the 5,000 people who were there, only one little boy was willing to give what he had to Jesus. Just one little boy, just one person from a crowd of 5,000 besides woman and children, gave what little he had to Jesus. God used his simple offering and met the needs of the 5,000 people besides woman and children, and they were all satisfied. Afterwards, the disciples filled twelve baskets full with what was left over. Imagine how much God could bless us and multiply our harvest of righteousness, with His abundance until our baskets are overflowing with His blessings, all because of our simple child-like willingness to give to Jesus what little we have. Even if you think you have nothing to offer God but your love, God will use it to bless the multitudes with whatever we give Him.

Kathryn Kuhlman once said, “One day I just looked up and said, ‘Wonderful Jesus, I have nothing, I have nothing to give you but my love, it’s all that I can give you, I love you with all my heart. I give you my body as a living sacrifice. If you can take nothing and use it, then here is nothing. It is not silver vessels that He is asking for, it is not golden vessels that he needs, He just needs you to say, “Yes.”’” 

You may go to a church full of people who faithfully attend every week to listen to the words of Jesus, just like the crowd who had gathered to follow Him and listen to His words. Now imagine what could happen if you were the only one who stepped forward and gave what little you have to Jesus. Then, God could use it all for His glory so the baskets of your church would be full, and everyone touched by a miracle from the hand of Jesus. 

My friend, you may be in a congregation of 30, 50, 100 or even a 1,000 people, but all it takes is just one person to be willing to say, “Yes,” to Jesus. To say to Jesus, “Please Lord, take what little I have and use it for the Kingdom of God.” Then, God will take what little you have and multiply it by a miracle to meet the needs of the multitudes. 

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

These are two of my favorite Christmas cards that I’ve made for Christmases past.  It was one of those rare times where I was able to create the exact thing (well, pretty close) that I saw in my head. For this first one I used one of my art “models” from a bridal magazine for Mary and then used a color copy of my baby boy to be baby Jesus in her arms.  I enlarged an old page of Bible text from Luke 2 for the background.  I used some sequins to dress up her wings and a “Love” sequin for her to hold across him, and a gold star for his head. 

A few of the sequins have fallen off, but I still love to look at it.  I only made a handful for my artsy friends who I knew would appreciate them, and of course, I kept one for baby’s album.

Another of my favorite hand-made cards was also made using color copies of my little boy, along with his sisters.  This card was inspired by Giotto’s frescoes–you’ve probably seen the ones, where the little angels flying through space are just heads with wings?

Little baby Jesus is all wrapped up and snug in his swaddling clothes, and the angels are joyfully adoring him.

As for this year’s card, I’m drawing a blank so far.  Either I have an epiphany of what I want to create, or I don’t make anything at all, which is what happened last year.  Hopefully, inspiration will hit soon!

So over Thanksgiving Break the SPCA had a great sale on Black Friday. Any black cat or black dog was free to adopt! I really hope a lot of people took advantage of this opportunity because there are so many lovable black cats and dogs that were there on my training day.

During my training session we got a tour of the shelter and in the break room there was an area that contained a few cat and dog toys. She explained to us how volunteers, staff members, and people of the community donate these toys for the animals which brings me to….PRESENTS FOR PETS!

During the month of December the SPCA is collecting toys for cats and dogs in the adoption center. Their hopes are to collect enough toys in one month to be able to last them for the entire year. A few toys that the animals enjoy are Kongs, toy mice without catnip, plush squeaky toys and ping pong balls. I really hope you all take the time to think of the animals during this season of giving and drop off something small to the shelter. One small toy can change an animals life and experience during this confusing time in their lives.

While I was home for Thanksgiving my brother, sister and I were talking about getting my dad a pet for Christmas. We have a dog, Chance, and a cat, Chloe but we lost our other cat, Midnight, a year ago due to problems with her heart. So now without Midnight around Chloe has been going crazy. So what better way to find my dad a new cat than at the SPCA. I’m hoping to bring my brother and sister to the SPCA and look at a few cats and hopefully we can find the right one for us!

As a reader, you may be able to tell when I’m having a happy day or a bad day.. and, since the mood swings of unemployment can be so severe it’s virtually impossible to keep them out of my blog. 

So I’m sure, if you’re a regular reader, that on my crazy ranting days you are shaking your head thinking…. “geez.. there she goes again” or maybe “wow, this chick is truly nuts”.  And, while I wouldn’t argue against either of these statements at least you know that when I blog, I’m sincere. 

I write about whatever is on my mind.  Sometimes my entry is sparked directly by my unemployment struggles, sometimes by how I’ve spent my day, or what moron I’ve encountered at the supermarket or maybe something I read in the news.  Either way, my posts are usually very relevant to my immediate state of mind and they are influenced by my current activities. 

So, today as I read back thru some of my old posts, I’m struck by how mopey I might sound sometimes or how manic I can seem.  It just goes to show that after 5 full months of unemployment you can really run through an entire variety of emotions.  It’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone… .AND, an experience I’d never have fully understood until it happened to me. 

• There’s a glimmer of hope…… then it slips away
• I’m taken out for a free lunch …… then I have to pay my mortgage
• I get an interview….. then I’m told I’m overqualified..

It can take a toll on anyone…..  

So, as I approach the end of 2009 (good riddance I say).  I can’t help but reflect on how I’ve spent half the year….swinging from one vine to another… sometimes I fall, sometimes my hand slips, sometimes I smack into the wall but, 5 months later… I’m still swinging, and even on my low days I just have to remember that this too will pass.

I’m not getting all sentimental on you today…. I’m just trying to work out my new life in my head and I took some time to re-read old posts and it got me thinking about what a whirlwind year this has been. 

Today is December 1^st…. 

I’m excited for the holiday…. Christmastime truly gives me the warm fuzzies and I’m not going to let my unemployment drag me down.   Santa is coming soon, my house twinkles with decorations and, at least for today, I’m happy!

The arrival of December marks the beginning of our advent calendar! No, I didn’t  make one this year  :)

I kept my eyes peeled for several weeks before I decided on one.   This one was my absolute favorite.  I found it at Barnes and Noble.  I love all the details! The design is so classic and I love the rich colors and really deep three-dimensional quality.    It’s very sturdy, not flimsy like some I’ve had in the past. 

We opened the first little door today…

Heres to a glorious month, remembering our Savior’s birth!

Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV) ~ Nothing is too hard for you. 

Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV), “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” The depth of this awesome question reaches far beyond my feeble mind to a place where I turn to God to help me grasp this life-changing truth, to enter into a greater realm of faith where I can believe God for anything. Where my soul cries out, “my ELOHIM ADONAI is my God, He is an all-powerful God and nothing is to hard for Him. When we go back ten verses of Scripture, we can read the answer to the question in Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV), “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” 

Nothing is difficult for God to do! There is no sickness He cannot heal.

There is no obstacle He cannot overcome. There is no stronghold He cannot bring down.

There is no wall He cannot breakthrough. There is no soul He cannot save.

There is no backslider He cannot reach. There is no enemy He cannot defeat.

There is no miracle He cannot do.

For the Bible says in Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV), “Nothing is too hard for you.” 

Kay Chance once penned this faith-filled song with these powerful lyrics: 

Ah Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power,

Ah Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thine outstretched arm.

Nothing is too difficult for Thee; nothing is too difficult for Thee,

O great and mighty God, great in counsel and mighty in deed,

Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, nothing is too difficult for Thee. 

God asked the question in Genesis 18:14 (NIV), “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

There is no barren womb God cannot open and bless.

There is no Egypt experience that God cannot deliver you from.

There is no mighty work God will not do for you.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, God cannot do!

In childlike faith we come to Him and sing the old Sunday school song with a heart full of joy, believing in His awesome promise:

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing that He cannot do! 

My friend, we have this in God, confidence to approach the throne of grace, to seek His unmerited favour, knowing the blessed truth which is found in our text for today in Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV), “Nothing is too hard for you.” There is no impossible situation He cannot make possible! For our God is an awesome God, who is strong to deliver and mighty to save! With God all things are possible, for there is nothing too hard for Him and nothing He cannot do. 

God bless you my friend, Matthew.

I just ate an orange and for some reason, it inspired me to write another blog. I welcome all who would like to listen to my rambling, but if not, that’s okay too; I understand that it’s hard to listen to a person whose mind is going a mile-a-minute.

-To do list for the week: finalize my resume, get my English term paper done, study for my math exam, research and do my extra credit essay for math (anyone know how the heck communications and/or English is used in math?), attempt to do my principals of design homework….a bunch of other stuff that takes up my time when I should exploring what life has to offer while I’m still young and in NYC. AHHHHHH!

-Texas BBQ on Fulton Street is definitely worth the $8 for a meal. Actually, it’s worth about $20 and your first child…I’m seeing a new replacement for my late night Dominos fixes.

-I really need to go to Trader Joe’s and buy some more oranges. I love fruit, but oranges seem to be my favorite lately. Last month, it was apples, but now the winter is nipping at my taste buds and demands a new flavor (why it’s orange, I have no idea).

-My blow dryer finally broke. Dead. RIP. I bought a $10 hair dryer from Lot Less (also a bargain hut right across the street from Texas BBQ) that’s pink and has “cutie” and “girls are awesome” written all over it. I feel like I’m five.

-I also got these cool slipper footy sock things that go up to my knees and have little poms poms at the end of them. Immediately after buying them, I changed into shorts and braided my hair, put them on and danced to the Christmas soundtrack from Home Alone.

…Sometimes I wonder why people are friends with me.

When you think of Christmas, do you think of fun times and celebrations with loved ones? Or do you groan at the thought of all the things you need to do? This Christmas, let’s focus on the good times and fun, and get organised for the festivities with tips and handy hints that will make your life a whole lot easier.

1.  Get decorating

Kick the fun off early by getting others involved in putting up the tree and decorating your home. Make an occasion of it with family or friends and play Christmas carols as you do it. It doesn’t really matter whether you do this a few weeks before Christmas or when you get the time. Just make sure you do it before December 25 and enjoy the process!

2.  To card or not to card?

Some of us love the tradition of giving Christmas cards, while others dread the idea! There’s no rule that says “thou shalt send Christmas cards”, so if the concept brings up feelings of stress, it’s best not to send cards at all. If you DO wish to send Christmas cards, create a system that makes it easier:

• Create a list of recipients with names and addresses of the people (personal/business) in a Word Document or Excel Spreadsheet – however a handwritten list works just as well.
• Forget the hassle of writing and posting cards – save some trees and send an e-Card. It may not be as personal, but is still a thoughtful option and handy for overseas recipients
• Try one of the many online eCard providers, some are free – go to www.pingg.com or www.hallmark.com or do a Google search to find your favourite.

3.  Plan for overseas mail

You’ll need to allow extra time to send cards and parcels to friends and family in other countries. Plan and schedule your overseas mail in advance by visiting your national postal service website where you can check airmail delivery times, options and restrictions for cards or gifts. For Australia Post go to http://www1.auspost.com.au/international/.

4.  Christmas shopping made easy

You’ll save time, money and unnecessary stress when you plan your Christmas shopping trips. Follow these tips and notice the difference:

• Draft a Christmas Gift List with the name and gift ideas for everyone you wish to buy for. Take the time to think this through or ask for suggestions and you will save time wandering aimlessly at the shops
• Do your research first – browse Christmas catalogues, websites or make a few phone calls BEFORE you hit the shops so you know exactly where to go first to save time and money
• Buy gifts early to avoid the crowds – leaving it to the last minute is rarely fun!
• Take advantage of extended Christmas shopping hours
• Take up the option of in-store gift wrapping, especially if it’s free or by donation
• Shop online and have your gifts delivered to your home or directly to the recipient. Here are some great online shopping sites: http://www.snowgoose.com.au/, http://www.amazon.com/,  http://shop.abc.net.au/, http://www.redballoondays.com.au/, http://gifts.myer.com.au/

5.  It’s party time!

Planning a Christmas party or get-together? Do it early. People have busy social calendars at this time of year, so the earlier you send invitations the better.

• Decide on your venue, food, drinks and entertainment
• Draft your guest list and invite your guests
• Keep it simple! Ask guests to BYO or bring a plate. Try www.pingg.com for a great way to create email invitations and keep track of RSVP’s.

6.  Have a happy holiday

Make your holiday arrangements early to avoid disappointment and pay less. Other things to consider include:

• Arrange for your pets to be looked after, mail to be collected and plants to be watered
• Get a house sitter – it’s a time of year to be extra mindful of security, so ask family and friends if they know anyone who would be willing to mind your home or try these websites www.happyhousesitters.com.au, www.houseminders.com.au
• Pack your bags early – create a list in advance and give yourself plenty of time to pack well.

7.  Make your guests feel at home

We all want our home to look its best and this time of year means visitors and overnight guests. Take time to:

• De-clutter the house ready for visitors
• Clear out the spare room for overnight guests and make it a nice place to stay
• Tidy the garden.

8.  Stay healthy and happy

It’s important to look after your health and wellbeing with some strategies for a stress free Christmas. Consider the ways you can look after yourself, including:

• Keep a check on your food and alcohol intake – while still enjoying yourself
• How and where can you create opportunities for some quiet time
• Lessen the burden of long car trips by planning stops along the way
• Organise small get-togethers instead of one large gathering
• Decline some invitations and arrange to get together after the Christmas rush
• Avoid the relative who pushes your buttons or simply smile, breathe through it and keep on enjoying yourself anyway
• Spend time with those you love
• Most importantly, keep your expectations in check. You can’t control everything so relax and go with the flow.

9.  Get organised for next year

If you’ve followed any of these tips you’ve got some great tools and resources for next year too. Keep them and create a folder (on your computer or in a filing drawer) with files that include your card and gift lists, postal resource, event and holiday arrangements and any documents you’ve created. When November rolls around next year, you’ll already have most of the work done!

10.  Don’t go it alone

This may seem daunting or like there is a lot to cover, but you don’t need to do it all and you don’t need to do it alone either. Professional Organisers specialise in helping everyday busy people like you set up systems and assist with the tasks that are just too much for one person. You’ll save time, feel more organised and relaxed, and really be able to sit back and enjoy the Christmas lunch, parties and socialising coming up in the weeks ahead.

There’s a lot to organise leading up to Christmas, and you can never start too soon in getting ready for the festive season – or in your life in general. Whether you use one of these tips or all of them, I hope this information helps you get organised early and enjoy a stress-free, memorable Christmas.

Got some tools and tips that could help others enjoy an organised Christmas? Please click ‘add a comment’ at the top of this post.

Deuteronomy 28:2 (NIV) ~ All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God. 

All these blessing will come upon you and accompany you when you obey the LORD your God. Such a simple verse to understand yet, the outworking of this verse for many people seems a difficult price to pay. In a nutshell, obedience brings the blessings. 

What are “all these blessings”? Well, let us take a little look and see from Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26:  God’s blessing inside the city, God’s blessing in the country, God’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks; God’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God’s blessing in your coming in, God’s blessing in your going out.  He will grant you peace, and five of you will chase a hundred and one hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. God will look on you with favour, God will keep His covenant and you will walk with your head held high. God will grant you abundant prosperity; you will always be on top, for it is God’s will for you to be the head and not the tail. 

Just imagine all these blessings are waiting to not only come upon you, but also accompany you, all the days of your life, if you would simply obey His covenant. His covenant blessings are conditional, when you do your part and walk in obedience to God, God will honour His part and allow all these blessings to come upon you. 

My friend, oh, for grace to trust Him more. Lord, as we obey and walk in your truth may all these blessings come upon us. Lord, open the floodgates of heaven and let your blessings pour down upon us, so that all these blessing can wash over every area of our lives. Grant us Your favour and let all these blessings come upon us, and accompany us, all the days of our lives for now and ever more, thank you Lord. 

God bless you my friend, Matthew

A Christmas time is a very special season, in which we can forget for a moment about  everyday matters and we have occasion to spend more time than usually with our family and friends.
It is also a great time of fulfilling dreams and wonderful opportunity for showing love our family and friends.
However in spite of this wonderful mood, for me Christmas time connects above all with unforgettable tastes and flavors.
Since I was youngster, I loved the blend of aromas of Christmas Eve dishes and festive baking combined with the scent of freshly cut Christmas tree.  But among all this blend of scents, there is one very special to me, namely hypnotizing exotic scent of citruses, the apple, the cinnamon and the spice carnation wafting sweetly all over the house.
When I was a kid, citruses or the cinnamon were luxury and they were unusually difficult to get, so when they already appeared at our home I was enchanted with them. Today, although these all products became commonly available and essentially they lost the charm of novelty, I still wait for the holidays to come to feel the whiff of the orange, mandarins and limes, which stuffed with carnations are exuding the supernatural aroma.
The apples with a red blush nicely smell in different composition as well as pears in combination with vanilla beans and sticks of the cinnamon. Real delight quoting memories from the childhood…
Since I began being interested in a cooking and started to know culinary traditions of other nations, I discovered astonishing differences in festive dishes, for example:
- in Norway during the Christmas Eve pork ribs are served (in a Norwegian manner Ribbe) and cooked sheep’s meat (in a Norwegian language named pinnekjøtt) or special dish prepared from salted and cooked fish which is served with bacon. This dish is called Lutefisk.
- in France a Christmas dinner is most important, with pâté of goose’s or duck’s liver, with oysters and smoked salmon. Commonly during the Christmas Eve a meat is being eaten, especially of a turkey.
- in Denmark during the Christmas Eve a roasted duck is served and then rice with almonds.
- In Austria a carp or a duck are on a Christmas Eve table, and in Germany sausages and the potato salad…
In Poland, the majority still cultivates traditional dishes, however not every family is following culinary traditions rigorously. Personally, I think that frequent introducing of surprising novelties into our festive menu, especially those inspired with tastes from different parts of the world, brings shocking taste and aromatic experiences.
For instance to this year’s dishes I intend to smuggle tastes from Alsace (apple tart) or roasted duck (frequently a pheasant appears instead of the duck) which appears on the Danish Christmas Eve table. Although ducks and pheasants appear commonly in Poland, they have never become present in the Polish traditional Christmas menu. As additions I will propose delicious German ham from the Schwarzwald or Prosciutto di Parma (famous Italian ham from Parma) as well as chorizo sausages in the red wine (Catalan sausage).

Taking all above into consideration, during this year’s holidays, on the table in my house the following dishes will appear:

- poultry aspic
- stewed dish made of sauerkraut and mushrooms,
- raw loin,
- country ham,
- Parma ham,
- Schwarzwald ham,
- chorizo in the red wine
- hare pate
- duck or pheasant with russets,
- borsch with ravioli,
- carp (but for me salmon because the carp has too much bones as for me),
- croquettes with the meat ,
- dumplings with kale and mushrooms ,
- dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms,
- vegetable salad,
- herring in cream
- marinated herring
- boiled wheat with poppy seeds, raisins and honey,
- compote of dried fruits,
- poppy-seed cake,
- home-made bread with nuts ,
- Georgian white wine,
- Alsatian apple tart,
- festive gingerbreads
- citruses
and probably some more food that somebody bring with.

It is important always to try new things…

E’ quasi Natale ed è tempo di scegliere cosa regalare a chi.
Quando faccio i regali, io, sono molto selettiva.
Scelgo con attenzione cosa regalare.
E scelgo in genere cose che penso possano piacere all’altra persona.
Non mi piace prendere roba a caso.

Capita che non tutti abbiano le stesse accortezze, non voglio accusare nessuno eh, però magari qualcuno si limita a fare regali tanto per presentarti un pacchettino nel caso tu ti presenti col tuo.
E in quel caso l’espressione è sempre la stessa: “uau!chebello!grazie!”.
Io, quando ricevo un regalo -anche se si tratta di un cuscino di raso con i pizzi- lo spacchetto, ringrazio, e lo metto da una parte perché è comunque un dono, e penso che magari chi me l’ha regalato c’ ha messo l’anima per sceglierlo, e quindi mi accontento. Magari non ne vado pazza eh – che quando mi piace qualcosa purtroppo si vede, che sono troppo espressiva- però lo tengo.
Invece ci sono persone che ti fanno la faccia “uau!chebello!grazie” e che poi appena te ne vai incartano di nuovo il regalo e lo danno ad un’altra persona. I famosi “Ricicli”. :/
Opinabile, ma vabeh.
Io non sono una controllina di quelle che vanno a vedere se tu usi o non usi il regalo.
Mi limito a dartelo e poi pace.
Non ti vengo a fare blitz per vedere se l’hai ri-regalato ma, per forza di cose, magari ci sta che salta fuori.
E se lo scopro magari può capitare che ci resto male.
Dico questo perché questa mattina ho scoperto che mia madre ha riciclato una cosa che le era stata amorevolmente regalata da me.
E questo mi porta a pensare al post di qualche giorno fa, in cui si parlava del nostro rapporto.
Ci sono rimasta di *merda*, ma non per il lato economico della faccenda, è proprio non apprezzare il gesto secondo me. Non apprezzare e sminuire il tutto.E guai a farglielo notare.
Io non mi ci perdo nemmeno più a spiegare sta roba che tanto non serve a niente con gente del genere, però pensandoci bene, credo proprio che quest’anno nei regali sarò molto molto molto spicciola -un po’ forzatamente – e un po’ per questo motivo.
Ma ti pare che uno si scervella e poi il risultato è quello? Eh no. Non si fa.
E’ che io a fare i regali “freddi” non sono capace.
Dannazione.

Hebrews 3:1 (NIV) ~ Fix your thoughts on Jesus.

Five times in Scriptures the word “fix” is used by God to give us direction. God gives us a clear direction to keep our focus fixed upon His will; for us to permanently maintain our focus, our centre of attention, firmly on God.  

1. Deuteronomy 11:18 (NIV),”Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds.”   

Here, we are admonishes to keep our hearts and minds, our intellect and the very fibre of our being, always feasting on the word of God, constantly meditating on His word and doing His will.    

2.  Proverbs 4:24-31 (NIV), “Fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

This verse cautions us to keep our direction on the right path, to follow only His ways, to not be side-tracked by distractions, but to stay on the firm path of the King’s highway.  

3.   2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV), “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

This is a reminder to keep looking through the eyes of faith to God, and the things of heaven. For the things of this world will pass, but the eternal things of God will never fade or pass away. Keep you focus in the centre of His will.  

4.  Hebrews 3:1 (NIV), “Fix your thoughts on Jesus.”

Your thoughts can be the hardest battleground to fight for. Nevertheless, when you keep your thoughts fixed on Jesus, He will guard your heart and mind and keep you pure. When we fix our thoughts on Jesus, we do not dwell on the negative things of this world, but rather the positive attributes of the Kingdom of God.  

5. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV), “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.”

There is no one more beautiful than Jesus to fix your eyes upon. Let us fix our eyes on His ultimate sacrifice on the cross of Calvary for our sins. Fix our eyes upon His glorious resurrection; fix our eyes upon Jesus, the Lover of our souls. Fix our eyes upon Jesus to be saved, healed, delivered and set free. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus in our time of need. Fix your eyes on Jesus at all times. 

My friend, as the Bible says in five different occasions, each with a practical and life-changing meaning, “Let us fix” our hearts, our minds, our gaze, our thoughts and our eyes constantly upon God’s word, the things of His kingdom, His direction, things that are eternal in heaven, but most of all, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and never take them off Him. 

Michael Frye once wrote these wonderful words all about Jesus being the centre, with our eyes, thoughts, hearts and minds fixed upon Jesus. 

Jesus, be the centre, be my source, be my light, Jesus,
Jesus, be the centre, be my hope, be my song, Jesus,
Be the fire in my heart, be the wind in these sails
Be the reason that I live, Jesus, Jesus.

God bless you my friend, Matthew