Tip of the Day 7/20/12

99 Days of Summer:  I hope that based on my tip for yesterday you have chosen a mini-vacation destination for an up coming weekend. My choice is Italy. I don't know that we will ever actually make it there, but I am putting together plans for us to enjoy a weekend immersed in the culture, food, and music. Here are my ideas so far. I am going to attempt to make some basic pasta. The owner of the little veggie stand down the road says it is easy. She said to serve it with veggies cooked lightly in olive oil for an authentic dish. A stroll on the beach will be like walking the shore of the Mediterranean. An evening at one of our local vineyards strolling the grounds will be a great addition to the atmosphere. Walking to our local grocer and buying fresh bread, cheese and meat, then dining out on the balcony is a perfect Italian breakfast. Renting Vespa's from the shop downtown will be a great way to spend the afternoon, followed by a late lunch at the authentic Italian restaurant in town. We will buy Italian Ice and Pellegrino to enjoy while we watch "Roman Holiday" and a Rick Steves guided tour. And to top it off we will read highlighted passages from 'Under the Tuscan Sun" out loud. Please share what your plans are. Maybe we will go "visit" your favorite destination.

 Word for Today, Charity: Sometimes I wonder why things come into my mind in the middle of the night and I lie here thinking about them. Last night the word charity came into my mind, so I contemplated it. Some translations of the Bible use the word charity instead of love in 1 Corinthians 13 which is often called the "love chapter" of the Bible. So, my thought was they are a definition of each other. The word was probably in my mind because the past few weeks I have been reading about Louisa Mae Alcott. Her father held some very odd beliefs, but one thing that he did right was while their family lived in virtual poverty they continually gave to others. Charity is something that is usually hard for the receiver to accept, but is something the giver believes they must do. This is a true picture of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice for us. It is hard for many to accept His free gift of love. It seems too good to be true and so beyond what we deserve. But Jesus chose to give us this free gift of love and it breaks His heart when it is rejected. Have you accepted His charity? "Such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." "That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." "Jesus went about doing good."