Bible verse

1 Peter 1:7

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

Bible Verse

1 Peter 1:1-3

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ²who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. ³Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

The month of Love or Valentine’s Day is this month.

Valentine’s Day Red Rose Bouquet, Two Dozen, Vase Included

Valentine’s Day, True Love Bouquet, 28 Stems, Vase Included

Valentine’s Day, Rainbow Tulips, 30 Stems, Vase Included

1800Flowers Mothers Day Magnificent Pink Rose and Lily Flower Bouquet with Vase (18 Stems) by 1-800 Flowers

Get loved ones beautiful flowers to make their day. These are from Walmart.

#valetinesday #love #gifts

December 30 is Bicarbonate Of Soda Day. Also known as baking soda, sodium bicarbonate is one of the most commonly found chemical compound in households.

©iStockphoto.com/Geo-grafika

While the origins of this holiday are unknown, we can all safely assume that whoever created this holiday, not only wanted to give a shout out to one of the most used chemical compounds in the history of mankind, but also wanted to encourage people to use it more and more in their daily lives.

Multi-Purpose Household Item

Commonly used these days in baking, cleaning, polishing old silverware and treating heartburn, bicarbonate of soda was used by ancient Egyptians for painting.

Known by Many Names

The compound’s scientific name is sodium hydrogen carbonate, but it is known by many other names around the world. Some of the common ones are baking soda, cooking soda and bread soda.

How to Celebrate?

• Learn about the history of the manufacturing and use of baking soda.
• Learn what other things you can use baking soda for.
• Build a baking soda and vinegar volcano at home.

Did You Know…

…that baking soda is a very versatile household product? Use it to deodorize your fridge, to clean tea and coffee stained cups and teapots, and clean household surfaces.

December 29 is Pepper Pot Day, an unofficial holiday that honors the stew famously associated with George Washington’s army during the American Revolution.

©iStockphoto.com/dulezidar

Made of tripe, vegetables and pepper, pepper pot soup, also sometimes known as Philadelphia pepper pot, has for long been the subject of many American revolution legends. Rumor has it that the soup was responsible for helping George Washington’s army win the American Revolution. During the war, many farmers chose to sell food to the British. This created a shortage of food for the Continental Army. The cooks in the army cooked whatever they could find their hand on in a stew and saved the day by feeding soldiers pepper pot.

Different Versions

Versions of the stew can be found in Guyana and other Caribbean countries, where it is reserved for special ocassions like weddings and holidays. The Caribbean version of the stew does not use tripe, and has hot peppers as one its main ingredients.

It is thought that the Philadelphia pepper pot may have been inspired in many ways by the cuisine of Caribbean slaves and immigrants in America.

How to Celebrate?

• Make a big pot of pepper pot stew at home and invite your friends and family to enjoy it with you.

Did You Know…

… that tripe usually comes from 3 of the 4 chambers of a cow’s stomach?

Tired of all the holiday activities? Need a break before the New Year fun begins? Get your family and friends together for a quiet and fun night in on Card Playing Day.

©iStockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages

Held annually on December 28, the day celebrates card games and aims to bring together family and friends after a busy holiday season.

How to Celebrate?

• Learn a new card game.
• Host a card game night. Keep it simple, get take-out or pop a few frozen pizzas in the oven and get playing.

Did You Know…

…that the earliest known records of playing cards exist from the 9th century during the Tang Dynasty in China?

Put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door and ban all interruptions on December 27 because it is No Interruptions Day.

©iStockphoto.com/Kenishirotie

Holiday season tire you out? Ready to recharge your batteries before the New Year? While the creator of this unofficial holiday is unknown, it is very clear that they intended to create this holiday as a way to encourage people to take some time off for themselves and get ready for New Year’s Eve festivities and the New Year.

Disconnect

In a world where there are plenty of distractions both at work and at home, it is sometimes important to disconnect and concentrate on the tasks at hand. These tasks could be as mundane as catching up on sleep, getting some me-time at the spa, or as important as putting some time in strengthening your relationships with family and friends, or finishing up work and projects for the year.

The High Cost of Interruption

Interruptions at the workplace are one of the biggest causes of lowered productivity and high costs. A study done by Dr. Gloria Mark at the University of California, found that on average people are interrupted about 20 times in an hour at work. Such interruptions can be in the form of phone calls, emails, co-workers stopping by to chat, and new tasks being handed off the worker. In addition to reducing productivity, interruptions in the workplace can cause higher stress levels and general dissatisfaction with work. In many workplaces such as in the airline or health industry distractions can have catastrophic consequences.

The holiday is sometimes celebrated on December 31.

How to Celebrate?

• Switch off your phones, disconnect your internet and do something you really enjoy doing – knit a scarf, read a book or work on your car, all without any interruptions.
• If you have been distracted at work, take this day to try and increase your productivity. Inform your colleagues that you will be working all day and would appreciate that you be bothered only in case of an emergency. Unplug your office phone, set an out of the office response to emails and concentrate on finishing up your tasks.
• Sometimes life’s daily interruptions can affect our relationships with friends and family. Take this day to concentrate on your closest relationships. Do something special with your loved ones – go for a hike or a picnic and leave the phone behind. Spend quality time with your friends and let them know that your uninterrupted time is theirs today.

Did You Know…

…that there is an academic field called interruption science that studies the effects of distractions on productivity?

On December 26, take out your best stationary and write thank you notes to everyone you need to thank because it is Write a Thank You Note Day.

©iStockphoto.com/MarkgrafAve

‘Tis the season to exchange gifts. It is also the season to be grateful and thankful. So sit with a cup of hot chocolate and left overs from your Christmas dinner and say thank you.

Hand-written, Text or Email

Thank you notes are very simply notes and letters of appreciation and gratitude. Thank you notes are traditionally hand-written, though in recent years it is acceptable to send a thank you note through email or by text.

Thank you notes are usually sent in a variety of professional and social situations such as after a job interview or after receiving a wedding or a birthday gift.

How to Celebrate?

• Hand write thank you notes. Be sincere and write from the heart. The recipients will appreciate having their efforts acknowledged.
• If you can, why not add a small handmade gift for some of your recipients to thank them for their thoughtfulness?
• If you don’t have the time, an email thank you note is better than sending no such note.

Did You Know…

…that the term thank is thought to come from the Old English word, þoncian meaning to reward?

Grav-Mass Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated annually on December 25, the birth anniversary of English physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton.

A play on Christmas, the holiday is a celebration of science and reason. It is also considered to be a secular alternative to the Christian holiday.

Grav-Mass refers to the Gravitational Constant and Mass, two key components of Newton’s law of universal gravitation.

Science Fiction Origins

The holiday was the brainchild of computer programmer and Internet rights activist, Richard Matthew Stallman. He was however, not the first one to use the term grav-mass, also sometimes spelled as gravmass or gravmas. It is believed that it was first used in a short story called Merry Gravmas by science fiction writer, James Hogan.

Newtonmas

A similar holiday called Newtonmas is also celebrated on December 25. Rumor has it that Newtonmas was first celebrated in 1890, 248 years after Newton’s birth, by the members of Newton Association. These fans of Newton met for the first time at Imperial College and spent Christmas Day exchanging their ideas and thoughts about Newton’s works and theories.

Sir Isaac Newton is one of the most significant scientists of all times. He was responsible for formulating the laws of motion and gravity, and along with Gottfried Leibniz, he is credited for inventing the field of calculus. In addition, Newton worked extensively in the fields of optics and alchemy.

How to Celebrate?

• Celebrate the life and times of Isaac Newton by sharing scientific ideas and discoveries with each other.
• Stallman, the inventor of the holiday, recommends decorating one’s Christmas tree with apples – the fruit that Newton credited for giving him the idea about gravitation.
• Make science and physics related parodies of Christmas carols and sing them.
• Greet people by saying “Merry Grav-Mass to you”, and respond by saying “may the Force be proportional to your acceleration”. These greetings come from Hogan’s short story.
• Send Grav-Mass Day greeting cards that say “Reasons Greetings to you”.

Did You Know…

…that technically we should be celebrating Newton’s birthday on January 4? This is because when he was born on December 25, 1642, the Julian Calendar was still in effect in England. This date converts to January 4, 1643 in the Gregorian calendar

December 24 is Eggnog Day, a day to celebrate, and drink a delicious cocktail of eggs, milk, cream, sugar and spices.

Originating in England, the drink has now become associated with Thanksgiving in the United States and Christmas time in many parts of the world.

Alcoholic Beverage

Traditionally, some kind of alcohol is added to eggnog, though non-alcoholic recipes also exist. In the United States, bourbon or whiskey is the spirit of choice, while in the United Kingdom, sherry or brandy is usually added to the beverage.

Eggnog Riot

While eggnog has occupied an important place during holiday social gatherings in many parts of the world, excess consumption of the drink has led to chaos in at least one particular situation. In 1826, during a Christmas party at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York drunk cadets got involved in a brawl after drinking large amounts of eggnog. The event is popularly remembered as the Eggnog Riot.

How to Celebrate?

• Make eggnog and share with friends and family.
• Make an adult version of the beverage by adding alcohol to it.

Did You Know…

…that according to some, the name eggnog comes from the Middle English word noggin? The word refers to a wooden mug used to serve alcohol.