For Friday, December 23rd, 2022

 ON THE BRIGHT SIDE 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, 2022

The moments of our lives may be bright with possibility, dark with fear or sadness, or even plain everyday gray, but God's glory never fades.  May God's glory shine into the exciting lights, upsetting darks,  and boring grays of your every day.

Slightly adapted from one of my morning devotionals

'

86 DAYS UNTIL SPRING 

 Sunrise:  7:52 am

 Sunset:   5:03  

pm

Life is a special    

occasion!

Hallmark!

Today is Roots Day which is a celebration of our ancestors.  Many people take their family history and ancestry for granted, and never take the time to learn about the struggles and triumphs of their ancestors and the history of the family name. 

It’s our genealogy that makes us who we are today, so take the time to talk to older relatives about the past. You may hear some funny stories and learn a few things about your family you never knew before!

To celebrate today, start a family tree.  There are many websites that can help you create one for yourself.  Enjoy!

If you cannot see the bright side, polish the dull side

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.

Jonas Salk 

Thanks to someone in our family I have a lot of knowledge about my mom’s side of the family.  I found a list of ancestors on the internet going back to the 1700’s when they first settled in Virginia.  Back then West Virginia was part of the state of Virginia.  Many of them came from parts of Europe like England and France.  I even found I had an ancestor that was an American Indian.  

On my father’s side there wasn’t any such record, but we knew they had immigrated to America from Hungary.  One of my aunts was born on the boat that landed on Kelly’s Island.  My  grandfather had settled earlier in New York state but when my grandmother arrived they moved to the town in which I now live. My father told a lot of stories growing up in a neighborhood with lots of mixed immigrants from different places and they all spoke different languages.  Their church brought them together and taught them how to speak English.  The house they lived in is still there and I’ve driven by to see it.  They belonged to a Hungarian Reform Church, which is also still there and one of my aunts worked there for many years.  

So I have a very varied and mixed selection of ancestors.  All of whom worked very hard to have a better life from that which they came from.  Nice to know I have that in my background.  Everyone in my family has a good work ethic that was inherited from their ancestors.

They all lived through the great depression and that was what brought many of my West Virginia relatives to Ohio when WWII required many workers to produce what was needed at the time.

Some of them like my mom stayed in Ohio, but many went back home to West Virginia later on.  That’s why I had a farm to visit when I was a child.  

I’m a city child but have roots in the country and I will always think about it as home.  That’s what my mom always said when we’d go for a visit.  She said, I’m going home.

I didn’t spend as much time with my hungarian grandparents, but when I was little they also had a farm. My dad always said it was my grandmother who was the farmer since my grand father worked in the steel mill that was in Lorain Ohio.  Now that is pretty much defunct. Many of my uncles also worked there. My grandmother was a wonderful cook and baker.  I always got a bowl of chicken noodle soup when we’d visit and she’d always make nut rolls and poppyseed rolls for Christmas. Yum.  Everything she made was delicious but she didn’t leave any recipes behind.  Everything she made was in her head and nothing was written down.

This a day I usually cook. I share all the recipes I have and on the menu for today is: 

Toaster Oven Quesadillas 

Makes 1 serving

2 corn tortillas 

1/4 avocodo mashed

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup salsa

1 dash hot sauce to taste 

Lay tortillas on work surface.  Spread half of each tortilla with avocado. Top with pepper slices and cheddar. Fold in half and transfer to a foil lined toaster oven pan.  Set in toaster oven and toast until cheese is melted.  

Cut in half and serve with salsa and hot sauce if desired.

I will be making a couple of these today so I’ll have a leftover one to eat tomorrow for lunch.  They are very tasty, but I never use the hot sauce as I like my food mild.

Today is supposed to be the worst day of our winter storm with snow and high winds blowing, making the snow drift.  It’s a good day to stay in and keep warm.  Our temps will be in the single digits and the wind chill will feel even colder. 

Keep safe and warm everyone !  

I hope you all have  a FANTASTIC Friday!

COUNTING MY GIFTS 

Our ancestors are an ever widening circle of hope.

Toni Morrison

Counting at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for.  There is truly is always something to be thankful for.

 

10,902. for my ancestors who gave me roots 

10,903. for great memories to share 

10,904. for my family tree and all the wonderful people in my life.

Enter into His courts with thanksgiving — and in His presence is fullness of Joy!

PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

  

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

 

Almighty and eternal God,

Protect our military

as they discharge their duties

with the shield of your strength,

may the power of your love

enable them to return home in safety

that with all who love them

they may ever praise you for your loving care.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters and EMT’s.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

ADVICE FOR TODAY

In many ways, each of us is the sum total of what our ancestors were.  The virtues they had may be our virtues, their strengths our strengths and in a way, their challenges could be our challenges.

James E. Faust

A little smile, a word of cheer, 

A bit of love from someone dear…

 

Love,

ma