Eye on Faith: Eye on Seasons

Showing posts with label Eye on Seasons. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Please pass the charoset

Passover Table
(Photo by datafox)

The “life is short, eat dessert first” crowd might favor the charoset on the Passover platter. Although this sticky mixture of fruit, nuts, spices and wine is there to symbolize “the mortar used by Hebrew slaves to build Egyptian structures,” it is the sweetest-tasting item there.

Other components, such as the salty-tears karpas (parsley), the bitter-ordeal maror (horseradish), and the sacrificial shankbone (or bloody-looking beets) can seem far more daunting.

Nevertheless, the seder night is different from all others because it commemorates the giant shoulders that so many have been standing upon. Life itself is bittersweet, yet filled with miraculous treasures.

Resources

https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/passover/learn-about-passover-seder-plate

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Christmas in October

(Photo by Gerbil)

Some say, “Life is short, eat dessert first.” Others say, “Find more joy, celebrate Christmas now.”

Britney Spears is one of those others. She’s got her tree up already and intends to find that joy. After all, it’s been 13 long years since she felt this free to do so.

While celebrating Christmas, she’s also celebrating freedom from her father’s control over “her business and personal affairs.” With this freedom comes a certain amount of fear – fear of losing it again. So why not celebrate the here and now by getting into the Christmas spirit?

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/britney-spears-explains-why-she-074238779.html

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Vacuum-packed Evening

Not a biological creature was stirring... (Photo by Stephanhoehne)

Christmas Eve is often exciting enough without calling 911.

But when living with a robot, you never quite know what will happen next. After a sleepy couple had gone to bed, they awoke with a start. Something was clattering in the night, and it didn’t sound like Santa.

The couple dialed 911, and the sheriff’s deputies soon arrived. The culprit was soon discovered: a wayward robotic vacuum that had somehow “started and gotten stuck.” Once stuck, it beeped and banged until help arrived. Wouldn’t you?

Resources

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/26/robot-vacuum-911-intruder-call-north-carolina/40888067/

Friday, December 20, 2019

O Holy Escape

(Public Domain)

When 67-year-old Penn Pennington was recently admitted to the hospital with an aggressive form of lymphoma, his compassionate nurse knew just what to do.

Since Pennington is a musician and she loves to sing, 24-year-old Alex Colazzo suggested that they jam together. Their

impromptu video of O Holy Night, with Pennington on guitar from his hospital bed and Colazzo chiming in with lead vocal, has now gone viral on Facebook.

Pennington called this experience an “escape” from grim circumstances. Come to think of it, isn’t that what the very best of Christmas offers?

Resources

https://www.bing.com/search?q=Tennessee+nurse+patient+music+duet&filters=tnTID%3a%227253265D-1A3B-4276-96B1-D37D91F8020C%22+tnVersion%3a%223313863%22+segment%3a%22popularnow.carousel%22+tnCol%3a%2216%22+tnOrder%3a%22a8c13272-a336-4b57-a3e6-98a9a96c7821%22&FORM=BSPN01&crslsl=2268&efirst=15

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Christmas Wisdom

Eastern Screech Owl (Photo by Greg Hume)

Owls have long symbolized wisdom - and, in a profound

sense, so has Christmas.

So it’s not surprising that a Georgia screech owl nestled

into a family’s live Christmas tree, especially since that tree was decorated with “about a dozen owl ornaments.”

When one of these “ornaments” suddenly moved its head, the jig was up. Wildlife authorities were called, and this visitor was safely lured back to the forest. This is a family that obviously gives a hoot about God’s diverse Creation.

Resources

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/19/owl-in-familys-christmas-tree-may-have-been-there-for-days/