Monday, September 22, 2025

Rosh Hashanah - Day of Trumpets


Rosh Hashanah, sometimes called the Jewish New Year, is being celebrated this week. In 2025, Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Monday, September 22nd and goes through Wednesday, September 24th. My family is not Jewish, but as Christians we see the truth of the Messiah in all the Jewish feasts. 

According to the Torah, the New Year actually begins with Passover, but Rosh Hashanah also signifies an opportunity to reflect and then to start anew. This day is also known as The Day of Trumpets or The Feast of Trumpets, and is the start of a ten-day period of repentance in preparation for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). In Leviticus 23, God tells Israel: "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts."

The blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) summoned the people of Israel to gather, whether for a sacred assembly, to break camp and move, to prepare for war, or to listen to the word of the Lord. The sound of the shofar commands attention and reminds us of the solemn necessity of turning back to God during these holy days. 

This assembly known as The Day of Trumpets was a special sabbath with offerings and preparation that would turn the people back to God. It is a day linked to atonement, with God's instructions in Numbers 29 specifying, "a male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you." There were other kinds of offerings by fire made as well; offerings not made today because there is no Temple or Tabernacle. 

The Torah reading is about the patriarch Abraham's journey and willingness to obey God and offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. But God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead! And we know that God has also provided a sacrifice for all of us - his own Son, Jesus the Messiah. God always provides!

It's traditional to eat fruits, honey cake, and apples dipped in honey. These sweet foods are a reminder of the biblical celebration described during the time of Ezra, when the people were instructed to "Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can't provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord." (Nehemiah 8:10) Round or braided Challah is another traditional treat for Rosh Hashanah, and one I particularly love. 


Challah (makes two braided loaves)
(Recipe based on the one in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois)

 Add 3/4 tbsp yeast, 3/4 tbsp salt, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter to 7 ounces lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Mix together, then stir in 3-1/2 cups unbleached flour with a wooden spoon. Don't knead, just mix with the spoon, although you might need to use your hands a bit. Lightly cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about two hours at room temperature. The dough should rise and then collapse or flatten a bit on top during that time. Then put it in the fridge for about an hour to make it easier to work with (or you can keep it up to five days covered in the fridge if you don't want to bake it right away). 

Dust the dough with flour and cut off about half of it (size of a grapefruit or so) to make one loaf. Stretch and turn the piece of dough quickly into a ball and put it on a cutting board dusted with flour. Divide it into thirds using a knife. Roll each third into a ball and then into a rope. Braid the three ropes together, starting from the middle and going to one end, then turning the braid and braid from the middle to the other end. Let the braid rise on a cookie sheet that has been lightly greased or covered with parchment paper for an hour and twenty minutes. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350*F and brush the loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the challah cool before slicing and eating.

*********************

There is a custom called Tashlich (which means 'casting off') that is symbolic of seeking and offering forgiveness. Take a bag of breadcrumbs to a pond or lake and take turns with your family members tossing crumbs into the water and watching them float away. Micah 7:19 says that God "will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." This is also a good time to reflect on whether we have wronged anyone and need to ask their forgiveness.

 It's customary for Jewish people to greet each other with the wish "may your name be inscribed for a good year", or a simple wish for a sweet year:

L'Shana Tova!

"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us and sustained us and brought us to this season." 
~Traditional Jewish blessing for Rosh Hashanah~

Just as the trumpet summoned Israel from ancient times, we look forward to the day when the trumpet will sound indicating the Messiah's return to gather all his people.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. ~I Thessalonians 4:16-17

*********************

This post is adapted from the original on Homeschool Coffee Break, which is based on a previous article which appeared in October 2016: From the High School Lesson Book: Rosh Hashanah

From the High School Lesson Book - Rosh Hashanah on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com - including a recipe for challah


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Sunday, September 21, 2025

Scripture and a Snapshot - The Trumpet Call




For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

~I Thessalonians 4:16-18~

L'Shana Tova!





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Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Life of the Party



A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!


Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1.  Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle, which side of the middle do you lean towards more?

Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity/fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion . . .what's your favorite kind of party?
 
I'm not totally the life of the party, but I lean towards that side, and how far I'm leaning depends on the type of party and how well I know others there. I think I'd describe myself as a reserved extrovert so I won't grab the mic and dominate at karaoke or start a conga line, but I'm happy to meet and talk to people, tell stories around the table, play games, etc.

I guess dinner parties would be my favorite from the list, because a celebratory dinner could be for any number of occasions, and could be indoors or outdoors, casual or dressy. Getting together with folks and sharing a meal is one of the best ways to build friendships and community. 
 
2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list?

Good relationships usually improve with age. There aren't guarantees, but a good marriage builds strength with each weathered storm, shared joy, and renewed commitment. Good friendships get better as you add memories and shared experiences and get to know each other better.

 3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don't you?

 I look forward to my birthday every year and enjoy the day, but I keep it low-key. My birthday is right after Christmas so the best part is that usually my family is all around. But the downside to my birthday is that it's a lot all at the same time - kind of jammed in with all the holiday things. I do like to be celebrated by spending time with my family and some friends if possible, so dinner out and eating whatever dessert I want to is usually enough party for me. If it works out that I can go out with a couple of friends at some point as well, that's a bonus.

The plate says "Cherish the Moments" although of course it's
a good idea to cherish Mom as well.


4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month.

 An internet search turned up these tidbits:

  • ether first used in childbirth - Jefferson, GA in 1845 (so it wasn't for my birth haha) 
  •  in 1903 the song "Sweet Adeline" by Richard Husch Gerard and Harry Armstrong was first sung. As you might guess by the name, it was a barbershop quartet favorite, and inspired the name of the women's barbershop organization founded in 1945, Sweet Adelines International



And as you might also guess, I found that particularly fun since I'm now a member of a Sweet Adeline chorus myself. Scioto Valley Chorus won the Regional Championship in March and we are currently preparing for our fall show, "Dare To Believe", coming up on October 5th. If you're in the Columbus area, you are cordially invited to come hear us and say hello!

 

5.  Share two good things about your life right now.
 
 I think my chorus and my church are two really good things in my life these days. I mean, there are so many good things that it's hard to decide how to name just two, or name two that are broad enough to include lots of aspects of goodness. Being in the chorus is a good thing because it's so much fun and so rewarding in many ways. Our church family is great and I feel like we are contributing positively there and we belong.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The weather has been keeping us guessing lately! We were starting to get those brisk foggy mornings and hints of autumn, even some rain, and now this week the temperatures are back in the mid 80s. I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't make use of the pool the last weekend it was open, but it wasn't all that hot then. Now you could make a case for it being pool weather, but the pool is closed. Believe me, I'm not complaining, it's just amusing. Probably happens every year, but if it wasn't for the weather, what would we talk about?

We're talking about "Making and Keeping Promises" in the current Wednesday Quotes link-up which you can find here: WQ - Keeping Promises. Stop by and share a few thoughts and quotes! The current Everyday Images photo link-up is open until next week. 

What kind of party is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!



From this Side of the Pond

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Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

WQ - Keeping Promises



The value of a promise is the cost to you of keeping your word. ~Brian Tracy

Half the promises people say were never kept, were never made. ~E.W. Howe

Being of no power to make his wishes good:
His promises fly so beyond his state
That what he speaks is all in debt; he owes
For every word.
~William Shakespeare

When my kids were young, I made myself a promise . . . well, let me correct that, because the whole point was to be careful what I promised . . . I set a goal for myself that I wouldn't make promises to my kids that I couldn't keep. It was little things, but I didn't want to promise we'd stop at McDonalds on the way home, or go mini-golfing on Saturday, or whatever it was, because circumstances might change and I didn't want to break my word. It was silly, I suppose, because in a way it was just semantics. But it was important to me that I followed through when I said I would do something, be it a fun treat or a consequence for disobedience. 

We must not promises what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot. ~Abraham Lincoln

It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises. ~Chief Joseph

(I can't help this song running through my head as I look at this theme, so I'm going to share my earworm with you. Please enjoy this blast from the past.)



 Broken promises lead to broken trust and broken hearts. I don't want to cause that hurt to anyone, least of all to my family. It's better to consider promises carefully before making them.

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep. ~Denis Waitley

We can make all kinds of promises, but unless we are committed to the follow-through, they are just empty words. In order to keep promises, we need to be thoughtful about giving them, and committed to keeping them. Integrity means being trustworthy, being a person of my word, keeping commitments and promises. 

Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. ~C.S. Lewis

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. ~Abraham Lincoln

Often, when we think of promises, we think of love and marriage. That journey sometimes starts with a promise ring, after all, and I still remember my boyfriend giving me a promise ring! That takes the relationship to the next step, and then the engagement (and engagement ring) makes an even more serious promise. I think at that point it becomes a different kind of promise. There is a commitment level in the wedding vows that goes beyond just a promise, which can be a one-sided thing. There are solemn promises being made by both the bride and groom in the wedding ceremony that makes it a covenant.


Proper wedding vows are more a promise of mutually binding future love than a declaration of your present love. ~Timothy Keller

Fidelity to one's marriage vows is absolutely essential for love, trust and peace. ~Ezra Taft Benson

*********************

Being human, it's sometimes hard for us to keep every single one of our promises, even when we have the best intentions of doing so. Thankfully, we have a perfect example of promises kept in God. He has always been faithful to keep his promises and to fulfill the covenants he makes with us.

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The LORD always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
~Psalm 145:13~

For every one of God's promises is "Yes" in him [Jesus Christ]. Therefore, through him we also say "Amen" to the glory of God.
~II Corinthians 1:20~


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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive


Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me. 
And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking. 
~Gregory Maguire~

Wednesday Quotes 2025 Themes
January 8 - Planning Ahead/Setting Goals
January 22 - Winter Sleep
February 5 - Love Inspires Us
February 19 - Staying Balanced
March 5 - First Impressions
 March 19 - Looking After Yourself
April 2 - Competition
April 16 - Spring Colours
April 30 - Morning Routines
May 14 - Memorable Vacations
May 28 - Telling Your Stories
June 11 - Summer Fun
June 25 - Patriotism
July 9 - Hobbies
July 23 - Being Adventurous
August 6 - Spirituality
August 20 - Writing Letters
September 3 - Chocolate
September 17 - Making and Keeping Promises
October 1 - Autumn/Another Spring
October 15 - Daily Bread
October 29 - Night Skies/Stargazing
November 12 - Good Manners
November 26 - Celebrating Holidays
December 10 - Winter Wonderland
December 24 - Holiday Memories


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Sunday, September 14, 2025

Scripture and a Snapshot - Whom Shall I Fear




The LORD is my light and my salvation―
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life―
of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

~Psalm 27:1, 4-6~

In memory and honor of faithful servant Charlie Kirk, who is now present with the LORD he loved, and among the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. May we follow his example of courage and compassion and godly purpose, trusting that the LORD will keep us safe in his dwelling also.





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©2006-2025 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Everyday Images #70



Welcome to another installment of my challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I find that I notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases that I'm focusing on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week.

August/September Prompts - Everyday Images #70
~~~~~

nature
books
technology
monochrome
evening and/or morning
warning

~~~~~
nature



books - Behold, the chaos that is my bedside table:



technology - I think the glass side of our computer is pretty neat. It changes colors.



monochrome - This butterfly did a very good job of blending in on the leaf, so I think this could be considered a monochromatic photo. I'm not sure whether it's yellow or green though.



evening and/or morning - hazy purplish sky with the moon in the evening, and bright sun in a blue sky as I was leaving for work in the morning.




warning



And a few bonus photos:

The last Saturday of August we went to a "tailgate" party to watch the Buckeyes football game, and tried to blend in.




Then walked at Glacier Ridge and went out for dinner with the kids.



Went to the Greek Festival in Columbus on Sunday . . . 




. . . and to Cincinnati to see our Blue Jays play the Reds on Labour Day.





This past Saturday we checked out the hiking trail at Delaware State Park.



We were a little surprised to discover Monarch caterpillars still around this late in the season, but what do I know about butterflies?!




Scioto Valley Chorus got to stand on our new risers at Monday's rehearsal!


If anyone needs a gift idea for me, I found this bird matruschka at an antique mall on the weekend. I didn't ask to see it so I could check what birds were inside, because it was priced a bit outside what I was willing to spend on the spur of the moment. 


I am sharing my photos every other Thursday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.


Everyday Images will continue in 2025, every other Thursday, and the link-up is open for two weeks. 

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Click here to enter
September Prompts - Everyday Images #71
~~~~~

neighborhood spot (quarterly)
ink
smooth
checked
sunrise and/or sunset
at home (monthly)

~~~~~


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 ©2006-2025 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation.  We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat