The pretzel is a kind of German Biscuit. It is brittle and twisted, with a glazed, salted surface. Pretzel comes from the Latin word pretiola, meaning a small reward. The pretzel was first made by monks in southern Europe as a reward for children who learned their prayers. It was shaped to represent the crossed arms of a child praying.
The first commercial pretzel bakery in the United States opened in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1861. Pretzels were once twisted by hand, and a few bakeries still use this method. But most use twisting machines today.
– From the book “I Didn’t Know That!” by Lavinia Dobler, 1978
Interesting . . . a praying child. What do you think?
Filed under: God, mind, spirituality | Tags: Sneeze, spirituality, thoughts
Why Do We Say “God Bless You” or “Gesundheit” When A Person Sneezes?
Long ago ancient people thought that the soul or spirit of a person was in the breath or air in the head. Not understanding the human body, people also believed that a sneeze might expel this spirit unless God prevented it. So it was important to say immediately, “God Bless You,” or “Gesundheit” (good health in German), or “Salud” (health in Spanish).
If a person from the Far East happened to be near when you sneezed, he or she would quickly clasp hands and bow toward you. This was a way of saying, “May your soul not escape from you!”
– From the book “I Didn’t Know That” by Lavinia Dobler, 1978
Filed under: Friends, God, friendship, love, stupidity, thoughts | Tags: spirituality, Thanks
I received a card from the family of Theresa Hummel. I wanted to share it.
Perhaps you sent a lovely card,
Or sat quietly in a chair:
Perhaps you sent beautiful flowers,
If so, we saw them there.
Perhaps you sent or spoke kind words
As any friend could say;
Perhaps you were not there at all
Just thought of us that day.
Whatever you did to console the heart
We thank you so much, whatever the part.
Tribute to Theresa Hummel
November 27, 1932 — August 6, 2009
What Do You Think?
Sin is basically damage, a rupture in a relationship. It is not really about breaking a rule. Sin is doing something or failing to to something which results in harming a relationship (i.e., with God — not being conscious of God, not praying; with others — anger, gossip, lying; with yourself and with creation (littering, being wasteful, etc.).
Do You Agree?
Mortal sin is the most serious (e.g., murder, mutilation, grand larceny, adultery, destroying a person’s reputation, etc.). For a sin to be mortal it must be a serious matter; there must be sufficient reflection, and it is done with full consent of the will. Its matter is serious; it weighs upon the soul. It gravely affects your relationship with God and your neighbor. It deprives you of the state of grace. Venial sin, on the other hand, is less serious, not as mindful, but nevertheless, violates God’s law of love.
What Do You Think?
Filed under: Friends, God, friendship, love, nature, spirituality, thoughts
The mother of a good friend recently passed. She was blessed with good family and friends; and now she is blessed with God’s presence. There were two prayer cards at the funeral. Both are a tribute to her. May she see the light and rest in peace.
Prayer Card
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Prayer Card
God saw she was getting tired
And a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around her
And whispered, “Come with Me.”
With tearful eyes we watched her suffer
And saw her fade away.
Although we loved her dearly,
We could not make her stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.
Filed under: Friends, God, friendship, mind, spirituality, thoughts | Tags: family, Friends, life, spirituality
Over the past few years and decades we have increasing become a society that is based on consumerism and wealth. Success is gauged by the possessions you have. This has led to greed, excesssism, perhaps a decline in morals, values, ethic standards and other evils. Some might say that this bent on consumerism, etc., is partly at fault for our recent economic decline. Though a positive outcome of our current economic woes, is a resurgence and/or escalation of gratitude. This resurgence is one of recognizing, caring more deeply and giving thanks for the simpler things in life. We are seeing a surge in faith, more bonding with God, family and friends. This is true wealth! If you evolve accordingly, you life will more fulfilled, more satisfying and you’ll be happier. What do you think?
Filed under: God, mind, spirituality | Tags: God, Patience, Prayer, Religion, spirituality, Virtue
To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good.
E.G. White
We live in a fast paced world. We want it all and we want it now. (This approach may be what got us into this recent economic spiral, but that’s for another day, another post.) But sometimes now is not the best time. Learn patience. Patience is a virtue as the old saying goes. Expecting too much too fast is a bad thing. It results in disappointment, unhappiness, grief, etc. So learn patience, learn that now is not always best. God is watching out for you.
Filed under: God, love, music, nature, politics, spirituality, weather | Tags: America, Beauty, Thought
We sang this song in Church Sunday to celebrate Memorial Day. Is America still beautiful? How is it beautiful? What do you think?
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
I know, recently, I became hung up on quotes. They can just be so thought provoking and most often can’t be said better. Here’s so more and I promise . . . this is it.
To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance. Oscar Wilde
Taxes and life insurance are just about the same thing. You pay out the money, and someone else has the fun of spending it. Unknown.
If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.
Calvin Coolidge
When people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong.
Oscar Wilde
We must adjust to changing times and still hold to the unchanging principles. Jimmy Carter Inaugural Address
Only a life lived for others is the life worth while. Albert Einstein
We are always getting ready to live, but never living. Ralph Waldo Emerson
With God, all things are possible. State Motto of Ohio
Time is the least thing we have of. Ernest Hemingway
Excellence is born of preparation, dedication, focus and tenacity; compromise on any of these and you become average. John Chatterton
