Tea vs. Coffee

Yes, I'll admit it, I am not the hard core tea drinker that my blog makes me out to be; I drink coffee too.  Before you stone me let me give my defense; Tea vs. Coffee.

Let us begin with tea: a delicious beverage hot or iced with many different flavors to choose from.  Of course there are the complications of black tea, green tea and the not even really tea at all herbal tea.   There are many pros for tea: tasty, soothing, no calories and fat, or sugar for that matter if you sweeten with honey.  There is only one con I can think of (and it is probably just me) and that is that tea is rather hollow, there isn't much to it, just tea and water (and the sweetener if you have any).  Maybe that is what you like about it, I don't know, it is probably just me. :)

Then there is coffee: the beverage that people cannot live without... supposedly.  Coffee is great in the morning when you need a good caffeinated shock.  It can be flavored in a million different ways from vanilla to caramel.  There have been so many variations made of it (the mocha, the Caffé Macchiato, the latte, ect.) that it is really rather ridiculous.  It has more substance then tea but that also comes with a drawback.  Yes, coffee has a con.  If you are like me then you have a half coffee, a quarter milk, and a quarter creamer (with a teaspoon of sugar too).  Don't ask me how many calories are in that; I don't really want to know.  However, if you are like my friend, then I suppose you are okay as she drinks it straight black.  Of course there is the whole "Is coffee good for you or not?" debate that has been going on for forever.  It changes every year so I won't even try and resolve that.

So there you are tea and coffee.  I like them both, that is legitimate you know. 

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Movie Review- Emma (2009 BBC Television Drama)

As a keen lover of reading Jane Austen's novels, I also enjoy watching movie adaptations of her books. There are quite a few that are just awful and then some that are okay and then there are those very few that are just WONDERFUL!!!   I was highly recommended to BBC's television drama of Jane Austen's Emma by several people so I went into watching it expecting great things.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, there were things I did like about this adaptation, really liked, but I felt like the cons outweighed the pros and that there is a better version out there.
I'll start with what I really liked about this version.  First off, I thought the Mr. Knightely was done incredibly well.  I liked him just as much as I do in the Kate Beckinsdale version of Emma (which in my humble opinion is the best movie of Emma).  As regards Mr. Knightley, I felt there were several lines he had that were really great and though not part of the book, were great additions.  I also like the portrayals of Emma's father and Mr. Weston.
Here is what I did not like.  The portrayal of Emma was completely wrong, which as she is the main character of the story, rather ruins it.  The actress acted her part far to indecorous. In that time period, NO lady would act as vulgar as this actress plays Emma.  Of course, if you are familiar with the story line of Emma you know that she is avery lively and sometimes slightly rude, but this was overtop and really unacceptable.  It isn't Jane Austen.  There a few other things that just didn't go with that time period that were not excusable if you had done any sort of research on the time period.  This is disappointing.
The adaptation wasn't horrible, but I really do think BBC made some indefensible errors.  If you are looking for a good movie version of Emma then watch the Kate Beckinsdale version.  It isn't as long as the television drama but it is true to the story and time period and an admirable adaptation.  It is Jane Austen. :)


Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Tea and Scones

Tea parties are pretty much a thing of the past unless, like me, as a little girl (if you are a guy forget it, your luck is out when it comes to tea parties) your mother let you have tea parties with your sisters or friends.  However, I look back on those days fondly and I wish tea parties weren't a thing of the past.  Even now I like to have my own mini tea party with a cup of tea and some cheese, cookies, or whatever other finger food is available.  One of my sisters' and my favorite tea time treats as children was hot apple scones.  There was something very English, and therefore very tea timeish about having our scones with tea.  Since then we have continued to make these scones, and we haven't only confided our scone making to our tea parties.  So for all of my fellow tea lovers I am dedicating this post and giving them a childhood favorite recipe of apple scones to enjoy with their tea.  If you are not a tea lover, you are missing out on the tea but you can still enjoy the scones for they are still just as tasty without the tea. :)

Apple Scones

1 medium cooking apple         6 T butter

1 C all purpose flour               1/3 C sugar

1/2 C whole wheat flour         1/4 C milk

1 1/2 t baking powder             2 T milk (see below)

Preheat oven to 400˚. Spray cookie sheet. Peel and chop apple. Measure flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and stir. Rub or cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in the sugar. Add the apple. Stir in the milk and make a ball of dough. Pat the ball of dough into a round shape about 1 in. thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges then place on cookie sheet. Brush with milk. Mix together ground cardamom, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle some on each scone. Bake for 20-25 min.* at 400˚. They are ready when golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!  
Makes only 8 scones so if you have a large family like mine then you may want to double or triple this. :)


*Note- You may need to adjust the time because I remember having a little trouble with it. :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Wisdom

A friend once told me that wisdom is experience, which I think is a good simple example but one that definitely needs to be expanded on.  What is wisdom,  why should you want wisdom, and how do you obtain wisdom?  Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, these three questions all intertwine.

Wisdom, according to the dictionary is, "The quality of having experience (as mentioned before), knowledge, and good judgement."   That is more or less the definition also given in the Bible.  However, there still is a difference between what the world calls wisdom, and God calls wisdom.  Several times throughout the Bible the differences between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God are shown. In 1 Corinthians 1:20 Paul writes, "Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?"  In Chapter 3 of the same book in verse 19 Paul writes, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God."  So we can see what the wisdom of this world is, foolishness, but what is the wisdom of God like?  1 Corinthians 2:6-8 says, "Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory..."  God's wisdom is something we cannot understand, it is mysterious and unknown.  Romans 11:53 reiterates this giving more insight, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!"  What are the limits to God's wisdom?  There are no limits; they are unfathomable!  Solomon was the wisest man ever to live but did he have limits? Yes.  God is not like man; His wisdom has NO boundries. In Ephesians 9:10 it mentions the "...manifold wisdom of God..."  Manifold, numerous, how great is the wisdom of our God!

So now that you understand what wisdom is, why do you want wisdom?  Proverbs 1:7 says- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." It is obvious from this verse that as Christians we are called to pursue knowledge.  If we do not we are fools, and nobody wants to be a fool.  In Chapter 13 of Proverbs it talks about how blessed a man is who finds wisdom and how wisdom is better then precious jewels and nothing compares with it.  
 How does one obtain wisdom? The short answer is in Proverbs 2:6 where the Bible says that the Lord gives wisdom.  James 1:5 says, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  In John it says "ask and you shall receive."

Now you know what wisdom is, Godly wisdom, you know why you should want wisdom, so we aren't fools, and now you know how to obtain wisdom, through God.  Broken down it all looks so simple but as you and I know the Christian's walk isn't simple.  It is all very well for you to read this (or for me to write this) but it is the action that really counts.  Wisdom isn't easy, I know, but through God, all things are possible.  

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

The Ultimate Proof of Creation

This is a great video that puts Evolution to the test with the presuppositional apologetics method.  It is a long video but well worth the watch.  Please comment with your thoughts as I am always interested in what my readers have to say (though I know there isn't much I wrote for this post, it is the video you should be looking at).

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Celtic Music- Catchy tunes, Beautiful lyrics, and Great Heritage

My heritage flows back to a lot of German, a bit of English, a trace of American Indian, and a nice enough dollop of Irish and Scotch to make me feel justified in loving all things Irish and Scotch.  One of my favorite things is the Celtic music.  There is nothing I love more then sitting down for some writing while I listen to some Gaelic Storm, Celtic Woman, Orla Fallon or High Kings, or if I am listening to it on my Pandora station, a whole slug of other bands that I have no clue who they are.  What I love most about the Celtic music is the fun and catchy tunes, the beautiful and sometimes quite hilarious lyrics, and the great heritage they make me think of. I just can't resist tapping my foot on the floor or my fingers on the keyboard as I listen to the lively music. Of course there is nothing more fun then when the bands sing the lyrics in Gaeilge and I feel transported back a couple hundred years.  If you have never listened to a fun Celtic tune then I highly recommend you do. It beats a hard rock "song" any old day.
I heard a quote once, "There are two types of people in this world, those who are Irish, and those who wish they were." :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Beautiful

Have you ever had someone call you beautiful?  I have had it several times from my Dad.  He seems to believe the more times he tells me the more beautiful I get; he is woefully mistaken.  Now I am sure when whoever told you that you were beautiful they meant that you were physically beautiful.  However, has someone ever told you that you were spiritually beautiful?  I bet you hear that a lot less often; I know I do.  What does spiritual beauty look like?  Well when I think of spiritual beauty I think of the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.  The fruit of the spirit is:

1. Love- God is Love (1 John 4).
2. Joy- We are to sing for joy at the work of God's hands (Psalm 92:4).  The joy of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6). 
3. Peace- Seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14). The man of peace will have a future (Psalm 37:37).
4. Patience- If you are patient you find favor with God (1 Peter 2:20).  
5. Kindness- Do not let kindness and truth leave you (Proverbs 3:3).  Kindness is desirable in a man (Proverbs 19:22). The kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).
6. Goodness- Christians are full of goodness (Romans 15:14).
7. Faithfulness- God is faithful (Psalm 89:2, Psalm 89:9).  We are to declare God's faithfulness (Psalm 40:10, Psalm 92:2)
8. Gentleness- God's gentleness makes us great (Psalm 18:35). The man of God pursues gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). With gentleness correct your enemies (2 Timothy 2:25).
9. Self-Control- Men who are lovers of self have no self-control (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

At the end of verse 23 it concludes, "... against such things there is no law."  So go, and be beautiful. :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Valentines Day... Singles' Awareness Day

I know Valentines Day was sooo two days ago but bear with me and my thoughts on this overrated and ridiculous holiday (yeah, I don't like it). Valentines Day is the holiday of chocolate, red, pink, fluffy teddy bears, gaudy hearts and love.  WalMart is literally iced in red and pink decor from as soon as the Christmas holiday is over to the actual Valentines Day.  For some reason every other business thinks they must follow WalMart's "standard" and also douse themselves in the red and pink standard.  By the time Valentines Day has actually arrived one is so sick of chocolate, red, pink, fluffy teddy bears, gaudy hearts and love that they are seriously considering celebrating Singles' Awareness Day with salad, blue, green, slimy frogs, brains and common sense. 

Actually, that doesn't sound too bad.  Salad- check, blue- check, green- not my favorite but it's okay so check, slimy frogs- again not my favorite but anything is better then fluffy teddy bears, brains- Oh yeah!, and common sense- most definitely.  Singles' Awareness Day here I come. :)

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

The Greatest Evidence Against Evolution

     In my studies of Creation vs. Evolution I have come across many proofs against evolution but the proof I have found the strongest and also  the easiest to explain is that of mutations.  Supposedly mutations is how Evolution is to have occured.  Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA and are quite real, but are they capable of evolutionary change?  To make the answer short, NO!  To explain: There have been no mutations observe to this day (and there have been many observed) that have ADDED information, only mutations that have LOST information.  I guess that would be evolution going backwards. :)
To conclude, Evolution is impossible because there is no method by which infomation is added to the genome.  Evolution: DEBUNKED.

Information gleaned from videos and articles produced or published by CMI and AIG.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Benefits of Working in a Library

     I work in a community college library as a student worker.  Hundreds of books (and I do not exaggerate) have passed through my hands.  While I work with them, whether it be changing their labels or breaking them in, I like to take a peek at them, see what kind of books people are putting out nowadays.  My findings are disappointing, that is to stay the kinds of books that people are writing nowadays are disappointing.  Sometimes I only have to look at the front cover other times I have to look at the inside flap but normally I can figure it out without having to go much deeper.  Personally, my thoughts are if I've seen one synopsis of a romance novel I've seen them all.  I can envision in fifteen years my teen aged kids asking me if they can read those types of books.  Thankfully I'll have had a little experience with knowing what all is in those books and will be able to explain my very definite "No."  
However, when I pick up one of those old books that just smell old and the pages crumble underneath my touch then I know I have picked up a classic.  It is those books I will hand to my children and those books that they will hand to their children.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

The Joys of Cooking, The Trials of Dishwashing

There are few things I enjoy more then cooking, especially when it comes to something like cookies, cake, brownies, pies and anything else that is sweet.  Bread isn't bad when it actually turns out and boring old main and side dishes aren't too bad either.  However, there is nothing so wonderful as getting to mix up a batch of cookie dough, tasting it at various intervals, just to make sure it hasn't spoiled since five seconds ago.  Then of course while you are baking the cookies you have to make sure the dough still tastes fine.  I suppose that is why you make an extra big batch so you don't end up short a dozen cookies.  Unfortunately with the joys of cooking come the trials of dishwashing.  I love cooking as much as I hate dishwashing.  Once I am done making my scrumptious dessert, dishwashing is last on my list.  However, they tend to just sit there until my conscience wears down on me and I slump back into the kitchen to wash them up.
I suppose that one has to take the rough with the smooth, or as in this case, a sink full of dishes with a cookie jar full of cookies.

A Favorite Cookie Recipie :)

Snazzy Snickerdoodles

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour                     1 C. sugar

1 tsp. cream of tartar                          1 egg

1/2 tsp. baking soda                            1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt                                        1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 C. butter, softened                       2 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 375˚.  In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and 1 cup sugar until well blended and creamy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stirring until soft dough forms. Do not refrigerate. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Roll dough into balls and then in sugar/cinnamon mixture & place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until cookies are set.  

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.