Time to Consider

Received the following in an email. Since someone forwarded these words to me, the only attribution I can give it is to someone called  Tommyapex@aol.com.  So, to that unknown Tommy and to Marvin who sent it on to me...I say thank you.

As we look into 2013, we look at a block of time. We see 12 months, 52 week.  The gift of time is not ours alone. It is given equally to each person. And it's all is a gift from God. We have done nothing to deserve it, earn it, or purchased it. Like the air we breathe, time comes to us as a part of life.

Rich and poor, educated and ignorant, strong and weak—every man, woman and child has been given the same twenty-four hours every day. 

Another important thing about time is that you cannot stop it. There is no way to slow it down, turn it off, or adjust it. Time marches on. And you cannot bring back time. Once it is gone, it is gone. Yesterday is lost forever. Yesterday is lost, and tomorrow is uncertain.

We may look ahead at a full year's block of time, but we really have no guarantee that we will experience any of it. Obviously, time is one of our most precious possessions. We can waste it. We can worry over it. We can spend it on ourselves. Or, as good stewards, we can invest it in the kingdom of God.

The new year is full of time. As the seconds tick away, will you be tossing time out the window, or will you make every minute count?

A Sweet Stick

The Christmas Candy Cane originated in Germany about 250 years ago. They started as straight white sugar sticks.

A story says that in 1670, in Cologne, Germany, the choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral was worried about the children sitting quietly all through the long Christmas nativity service. So he gave them something to eat to keep them quiet! He asked a local candy maker for some sweet sticks for them. In order to justify the practice of giving candy to children during worship services, he asked the candy maker to add a crook to the top of each stick, which would help children remember the shepherds who paid visit to infant Jesus..

From Germany, the candy canes spread to other parts of Europe, where they were handed out during plays reenacting the Nativity.Sometime around 1900 the red stripes were added and they were flavored with peppermint or wintergreen.The candy cane has been mentioned in association with Christmas since 1874, and as early as 1882 was hung on Christmas trees

Sometimes other Christian meanings are giving to the parts of the canes. The 'J' can also mean Jesus. The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ and the red stripes are for the blood he shed when he died on the cross. The peppermint flavor can represent the hyssop plant that was used for purifying in the Bible.

Around 1920, Bob McCormack, from Georgia, USA, started making canes for his friends and family. They became more and more popular and he started his own business called Bobs Candies. (and yes, the apostrophe is left off intentionally) This is where many of our candy canes come from today.  What you might not know is that Bobs is also on record as having produced the largest single candy cane in history with an impressive sucker measuring 8 feet long and weighing over 100 pounds.  In 2005, Bob's Candies was bought by Farley and Sathers but they still make candy canes!

A Lighted Tree

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols. In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations.

Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. In 1846, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched standing with their children around a Christmas tree. What was done at court immediately became fashionable…the Christmas tree had arrived. By the 1890s Christmas ornaments ordered by German immigrants were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise.

The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree dates back to the Depression Era days. The first tree at Rockefeller Center was placed in 1931. It was a small unadorned tree placed by construction workers at the center of the construction site. Two years later, another tree was placed there, this time with lights. These days, the giant Rockefeller Center tree is laden with over 25,000 Christmas lights.

Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850. 98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska. The best selling trees are Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and White Pine.

The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington.  Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has given a Christmas tree to the President and first family.

What's a Christingle?

A Christingle is a symbolic object, related to the pomander, used in the advent services of many Christian denominations. A Christingle consists of:

• an orange representing the world
• a red ribbon around it
• dried fruits or sweets skewered on cocktail sticks pushed into the orange 
• a lit candle pushed into the centre of the orange

The word Christingle means 'Christ Light' and celebrates the light of Jesus coming into the world: but no one is really sure how Christingles came into being.

There are several stories told of how the custom was started. There is an ancient Welsh service called a 'Celenig' where Christingles are used and the Moravian Church (part of the Czech Republic) has held Christingle services for over 200 years. This is how some Czech people think the first Christingle might have been made:

Many years ago, children were asked to take a gift to put beside the crib in Church. One family had no money for gifts but were determined to take something. They found an orange which they felt would be okay, but were disappointed to find it was going mouldy at the top. However, they thought they would scoop out the bad bits and put a candle in the top and turn it into a lantern. Thinking that it looked a bit ordinary, one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle. They had difficulty getting it to stay in place, so fastened it with four small sticks, on the ends of which they put a few raisins. They took their lantern to church and were afraid of the reactions of the other children. 

However, the priest acknowledged their gift and told the congregation how special it was for the following reasons:

The orange is round like the world.

The candle stands tall and straight and gives light in the dark like the love of God.

The red ribbon goes all around the 'world' and is a symbol of the blood Jesus shed when he died for us.

The four sticks point in all directions and symbolize North, South, East and West - they also represent the four seasons.

The fruit and nuts (or sometimes sweets!) represent the fruits of the earth, nurtured by the sunshine and the rain.

Some children in the UK make their own Christingles and gather together to light them in a Church Services that raise money for children's charities.

A 'kissing' ball

A sprig of mistletoe hung over a doorway during Christmas remains one of the season's most beloved traditions and it has an ancient history. Known as a parasitic plant, mistletoe grows attached to trees, especially oak. Its Greek name means "thief," referring to its rootless existence. As a parasitic plant, mistletoe grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients. But mistletoe is also capable for growing on its own.

The mistletoe commonly used as a Christmas decoration (Phoradendron flavescens) is native to North America. There is also a European mistletoe (Viscum album)  which is a green shrub with small, yellow flowers and white, sticky berries considered poisonous. 

Commonly seen on apple, the rarer oak mistletoe was venerated by the ancient Celts and Germans and used as a ceremonial plant by early Europeans. The Greeks and earlier peoples thought that it had mystical powers and down through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs. It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac.

The mistletoe of the sacred oak was especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. The custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions. In the Middle Ages and later, branches of mistletoe were hung from ceilings to ward off evil spirits. In Europe they were placed over house and stable doors to prevent the entrance of witches.

Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites.  One belief was that it has power to bestow fertility.

In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century English credited mistletoe with a certain magical appeal and created a kissing ball.

Tradition decreed that when a young lady stood under a ball of mistletoe at Christmas time, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, she could not refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. Thus if a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life.

If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect to marry the following year.

Celebrate with a 'burning'

Burning a Yule log is probably the oldest Christmas tradition there is and a part of traditional Yule or Christmas celebrations in several European cultures. It started even before the first Christmas.

In the fourth century AD when Pope Julius I decided to celebrate Christmas around the Winter Solstice, the Solstice Yule log tradition continued but the fire came to represent the light of the Savior instead of the light of the Sun.

The Yule log was originally an entire tree, carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room. The fire used to burn the log was always started with a remnant from the log that had been burned the previous years festivities.Personal faults, mistakes and bad choices were burned in the flame so everyone's new year would start with a clean slate.

The first mention of the Yule log in Britain is a written account by the clergyman Robert Herrick, from the 1620s or 1630s. It was brought into the farmhouse by a group of males, who were then rewarded with free beer from the farmer's wife. The log's role was primarily one of bringing prosperity and protection from evil

In traditional Serbian Christmas celebrations, the log is solemnly brought into the house and placed on the fire on the evening of Christmas Eve. It is believed that its warmth and light symbolize the coming of Christ.The burning of the log is accompanied by prayers that the coming year may bring much happiness, love, luck, riches, and food. The log has to burn all night. Remains of the log are cherished, and in some traditions, the keeping of the remnant all the next year signified God’s  protection would remain across the year.

In Germany, the log is referred to as Christklotz, Christbrand or Weihnachtsscheit ("Christ-log" or "Christmas-log"). Kindled on Christmas Eve, the log in German tradition functioned as a lightning charm.

In Appalachia, as long as the log, or "backstick" burned, you could celebrate. Often a very large "backstick" was chosen and soaked in a stream to ensure a nice long celebration. In the early nineteenth century, American slaves didn't have to work as long as the Yule log burned. Almost everywhere, the fire was started with that bit of the last year's log, to symbolize continuity and the eternal light of heaven.

The expression 'Yule log' has also come to refer to log-shaped Christmas cakes, also known as chocolate logs or Bûche de Noël. It was an innovative French pastry chef (in the late 1800s) who came up with the idea of replacing the real 'yule' log with a cake that was log-shaped.

The dessert is usually in the form of a large rectangular pound or yellow cake spread with frosting and rolled up into a cylinder - one end is then lopped off and stood on end to indicate the rings of the "log."

Just what is 'figgy pudding'?

Every year about this time, thousands of people around the world become curious about “figgy pudding.” The term figgy pudding comes from the Christmas carol, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," which includes the line, "Now bring us some figgy pudding" in the chorus.

The history of figgy pudding dates back to 16th century England. "Pudding" is old English slang meaning dessert. Many old English after-dinner coffee cakes are referred to as pudds or puddings. Its possible ancestors include savory puddings such as crustades, fygeye or figge (a potage of mashed figs thickened with bread), creme boiled (a kind of stirred custard), and sippets. Actually, figgy pudding is more of a cake than a pudding. Construction-wise, it's akin to carrot cake or spice cake.

To create a figgy pudding, you must count on an interminably long cooking time, collect an exotic ingredients list which includes a cringe-inducing dependency on saturated fats for texture. There are numerous recipes for this pudding, from a traditional steamed version similar to modern bread pudding to a pastry-covered blend of figs, dates, fruits and spices. Nearly all recipes call for three or four hours of steaming. The indirect heat generated by the boiling water cooks the dessert evenly and slowly.

Chopped figs are added for flavoring and texture, along with chopped dates or apples when available. Heavy cream, eggs, sugar and milk help to create the custard. The spices are similar to carrot or spice cake: cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Pure butter and shortening cannot be substituted.

William Woys Weaver, in his The Christmas Cook, c 1990, Harper Perennial, suggests that mid-19th century American cooks who could not afford imported figs from Italy or Spain used "tomato figs": tomatoes cooked in brown sugar, then sun dried.

Three or four hours later, the unveiling of a pudding was often a defining moment for the cook. The dessert would be either a solid success or a soggy mess. The figgy pudding should always be served warm. If you can't serve it fresh out of the oven, it will taste just fine to warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Want to give it a try? Here’s a typical recipe:

Figgy Pudding By Chef James Thomas

16 ounces dried figs

1 3/4 cups milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat milk and chopped figs over medium-low heat but do NOT bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The milk will soften the figs.

3. In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs one minute on high. Reduce speed to low and add butter, bread crumbs, orange peel, and warm fig mixture.

5. Slowly incorporate flour mixture. Beat until just blended.

6. Pour the mix into the greased bundt pan. Level top as much as possible. Cover the mold with a piece of aluminum foil greased on one side, greased side down.

7. Place the mold in a roasting pan and place on oven rack. Fill with hot tap water 2 inches up the side of the mold. Bake for 2 hours or until the pudding is firm and it is pulling away from the side of the bundt pan.

8. Remove the pudding from the water bath. Remove the foil and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding. Invert bundt pan onto a serving plate and remove mold. It should come away easily.

9. Serve with a hard sauce.