Thankful!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you are surrounded by those you love and eat delicious food today.  But most of all, take a few moments to give thanks.  I'm thankful to you, my readers.  I'm kept this blog alive for over 15 years and I appreciate all the comments and all of you who silently read.

Friday Foodie

 

Since our day in Dublin, Ireland I have been wanting to make a European style hot chocolate.  I've searched through dozens of recipes and there seem to be two very distinct types - French and Italian.  The base for French hot chocolate, or Chocolat Chaud, is milk, while Italian hot chocolate, or Cioccolato Caldo, uses cream and corn starch to thicken it.  All the Irish hot chocolate recipes include liquor and I know that's not what we had!

For my first attempt, I chose the French Chocolat Chaud.  What better recipe than one from the French Cooking Academy.

Chocolat Chaud

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of full cream milk (I used 2%)

1 or 2 cinnamon barks

A few drops of vanilla essence 

1 tbsp of pure cocoa powder 

1 pinch of sugar

1 pinch of salt

100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 

 

Directions:

Heat the milk in a saucepan on a medium to high heat, adding the cinnamon bark and vanilla essence at the beginning.  I had vanilla extract, so I Googled vanilla essence vs extract and found that extract is less processed and provides a stronger and more pure vanilla flavor when compared to essence.  When the boiling point is reached, reduce the heat to a minimum, stir and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off.  You want to stir continually to keep the milk from scorching.

Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon. Add a good tablespoon of cocoa powder and stir in. Filter the milk, wash the saucepan before returning the milk. Turn the heat back on.
Add a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt.  FYI - a pinch is somewhere between 1/8 and 1/16 of a teaspoon.  Also, I was completely out of sugar, so I used Stevia.

 

Add the chocolate pieces and stir in gently until the mix is smooth and silky.

The chocolate can then be served, but if a thicker mix is desired, keep cooking until the desired consistency is reached.  I let mine cook for about 10-15 minutes.  The longer it cooked, the darker it got.

 

I got this pan from Amazon for the express purpose of pouring hot chocolate!  It worked like a charm.

This was amazing!!  It wasn't overly sweet, but was extremely rich.  We could definitely taste the cinnamon.  We topped it with whipped cream.  It would have gotten two thumbs up, but Les wasn't going to put his mug down!

Give this a try sometime during this holiday season, you won't be sorry!

Queen of Sheba ~ Woman of the Week

I started studying Herodias last week and decided I needed a more positive story to balance out the previous week!  I decided to take a look at the Queen of Sheba.

 

Verses: 1 Kings 10:1-13

 

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

I couldn't find anything about the family of the Queen of Sheba.  There is no mention of parents, husband or children.  There is quite a bit of disagreement regarding where she was queen - Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, and southern Arabia in modern day Yemen all claim her.

 

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

1 Kings 10:1 says, "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions."  I think the important part of that verse is not the fame of Solomon, but the name of the Lord.

 

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says, "His knowledge of the true God, the favor he was in with Him, the excellent wisdom he had received from Him, and what he had done for His honor and glory."

Expositions of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren put it this way, "The queen had heard the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, by which seems to be meant his reputation of being gifted with deep knowledge of the divine character as revealed to him. The questions which occupy earnest souls in all lands and ages were stirring in the heart of this woman-chief. The only way, in these old days, to learn the wisdom of the wise, was to go to them. So the streets of Jerusalem saw the strange sight of the long train which had come toiling up from Arabia, laden with its characteristic produce, gold and spices and precious stones, in the enumeration of which is reflected the wonder of the beholders at the unaccustomed procession. But better than all her wealth was the eager woman’s thirst for truth. Surely it is a very unworthy and unlikely explanation of her ‘hard questions’ and purpose to suppose that she came only for a duel of wit,-to pose Solomon with half-playful riddles. The journey was too toilsome, the gifts too large, the accent of conviction in her subsequent words too grave, for that. She was a seeker after truth, and probably after God, and had known the torture of the eternal questions which rise in the mind, and, once having risen, leave no rest till they are answered."

 

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

The Queen of Sheba is a beautiful example of being a hearer of the word and believing it.  She didn't come for an argument and she heard and saw for herself.

I Kings 10:4-10, "And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.  And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.  Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.  And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon."

It would be easy to focus on the outward trappings that she saw, but there was more to Solomon than just wealth.  More than once she says, "thy wisdom."  Her final conclusion was, "Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice."

 

Finally, in Matthew 12:42 Jesus speaks of the Queen of Sheba as He rebukes certain scribes and Pharisees: "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." 

Friday Favorite

Thirty three years ago today Les and I went to Yosemite.  It was the second time we had visited this beautiful park.  We hiked until we found a special spot.  It was there that Les asked me to marry him and I very wisely said yes!

The next day...

Les is still my favorite person on the planet.  No regrets, just lots of love and adventure!

Drusilla and Bernice ~ Women of the Week

We don't have any recorded words of either of these women, but what I did find about them was quite interesting.

 

Verses:  Acts chapters 24-26

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

Their father was Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great.  King Agrippa was their brother.

 

Herod the Great is the one in Matthew chapter 2 who was visited by the wise men and when the wise men did not return to tell him where Jesus was, he had all the children under the age of two killed.

 

Herod Agrippa is named in Acts chapter 12.  "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also." (vs. 1-3)  His life came to an end in that same chapter, "And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."  (vs. 12-23)

 

Between Herod the Great and Herod Agrippa was Herod Antipas.  He was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded.  He was Herod Agrippa's uncle, great uncle to King Agrippa, Drusilla and Bernice.

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

The Bible does not record much about either woman, but commentaries (and Wikipedia) had a lot.

According to David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary, "Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ: Felix wanted his wife to hear Paul’s testimony, either as a curiosity or so that she could advise him. After all, he claimed to have insufficient evidence for a decision.  Drusilla was reported to be of great beauty, and Felix seduced her away from her husband, enticing her to become his third wife. The lax morals of Felix and Drusilla help to explain the topics on which Paul spoke to them."

 

One common theme about Drusilla was that her son died in Pompeii when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  Some even said that she died there.  Acts 24:27 says, "But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound."  "Felix' room" means Festus became governor instead of Felix.

The following chapter, we read about Bernice.  Acts 25:13 says, "And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus."  All my life I had assumed that Bernice was the wife of king Agrippa.  Every commentary I read said that she was his sister.  Most also stated that the two of them had an incestuous relationship.  Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible says, "She had been married to Herod, king of Chalcis, her own uncle by her father’s side. After his death she proposed to Polemon, king of Pontus and part of Cilicia, that if he would become circumcised she would marry him. He complied, but she did not continue long with him. After she left him she returned to her brother Agrippa, with whom she lived in a manner such as to excite scandal. Josephus directly charges her with incest with her brother Agrippa."

 

Acts 25:23 says, "And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp."  Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible describes it best, "These children of Herod Agrippa made this pompous appearance in that very city where, a few years before, their father, for his Pride, was smitten of God, and eaten up by worms! How seldom do the living lay any of God’s judgments to heart!"

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Both women had the opportunity to hear the Apostle Paul first hand.  They could have chosen the way of truth.  In Drusilla's case, her husband trembled when he heard Paul, but said, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."  The convenient time never came for Felix and I have to assume it never came for Drusilla either.

Acts chapter 26 records Paul's words to Agrippa.  Verse 23 says, "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."  Agrippa responded to Paul with these well known words, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."  Verse 30 says, "And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them," so it is clear that she also heard Paul's words.  

If I've learned anything about women of the Bible, it's that they have had great influence in the lives of their husbands (or lovers as is the case with Bernice.)  If either of these sisters had been moved by Paul's words, I believe they would have spoken up or at least tried to persuade Felix and Agrippa in private.

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Pastor White preached an awesome message on Sunday morning.  His text was Proverbs 9:1, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars."  His title was "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom."  I was all ready to find those pillars in Proverbs, but he took us to the book of James instead.  James 3:17 says, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

Pastor White pointed out that James is considered the New Testament book of wisdom.  I reread it this week and there is so much there.  I won't try to recap his message, but I wanted to share from some of my favorite commentaries what these seven pillars mean:

 

Through the Bible Day by Day (F. B. Meyer):

Notice this exquisite string of qualities-like a thread of pearls-that characterize true wisdom: First, pure; then peaceable-this is God’s order, never peace at any price. First the holy heart, then the quiet and gentle one. Mercy and good works follow, “free from favoritism and insincerity”; and as the peace-loving soul goeth through the world, dropping the seeds of peace, those seeds produce harvests of righteousness. Those that in peace sow peace, shall reap a harvest of righteousness, the fruit of peace.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible:

Is first pure - Ἁγνη· Chaste, holy, and clean.

Peaceable - Ειρηνικη· Living in peace with others, and promoting peace among men.
 

Gentle - Επιεικης· Meek, modest, of an equal mind, taking every thing in good part, and putting the best construction upon all the actions of others.
 

Easy to be entreated - Ευπειθης· Not stubborn nor obstinate; of a yielding disposition in all indifferent things; obsequious, docile.
 

Full of mercy and good fruits - Ready to pass by a transgression, and to grant forgiveness to those who offend, and performing every possible act of kindness.  Each temper and disposition producing fruits suited to and descriptive of its nature.
 

Without partiality - Αδιακριτος· Without making a difference - rendering to every man his due; and being never swayed by self-interest, worldly honor, or the fear of man; knowing no man after the flesh. One of the Itala has it irreprehensible.
 

Without hypocrisy - Ανυποκριτος· Without dissimulation; without pretending to be what it is not; acting always in its own character; never working under a mask. Seeking nothing but God’s glory, and using no other means to attain it than those of his own prescribing.

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible:

first pure; it is pure in itself, it is free from everything that is earthly, carnal, or sensual, or devilish; it produces purity of heart, of life, and conversation; and is the means of keeping persons pure and chaste, and free from impure lusts, lusts of uncleanness, pride, envy, wrath, etc. which prevail in carnal and unregenerate men:

and then peaceable; it inclines and engages those who have it to live in peace with the saints, and even with all men; with those of their own household, with their neighbors, yea, with their enemies: 

 

it is also gentle; or makes men gentle, moderate, and humane, so as that they bear, and forbear; they bear with the infirmities of the weak; readily forgive injuries done them; do not rigidly exact what is their due, but recede from their just right for the sake of peace and love; and do not bear hard upon others for their failings, but cover them with the mantle of love:
 

easy to be intreated; or those who have it readily yield to the superior judgments and stronger reasonings of others; and are easily induced to hope and believe all things, and entertain a good opinion of men, and their conduct; and are far from being proud, arrogant, obstinate, and overbearing:
 

full of mercy and good fruits; of compassion and beneficence to the poor; feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the widows and fatherless in their affliction; and doing all other good works and duties, both with respect to God and man, as fruits of grace, and of the Spirit:
 

without partiality: to one another; or making a difference between them; showing no respect to persons; bestowing upon the poor and indigent, without any distinction: and
 

without hypocrisy; either with respect to God or man; not making show of that which they have not, or do not intend.

I know that I can't be any of these things without help from above.  James gives us the answer for that as well in James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."