The Contagiousness of Complaining

Years ago I worked in an office with a lot of other women.  In fact, I worked in several such offices and one thing was always common.  If one woman started complaining about something—everyone else joined in with their complaints.  It was as if the very act of complaining was contagious.

Many was the time I would go to work feeling quite content with the world and all that was in it.  I would go to work determined to be a positive influence and show a contented spirit.  Then break time would roll around and I would share the company of other people and when the complaining started, my positive spirit took damage.  Before I knew it, I was focusing on the negative things of life – the hopeless things I could do nothing about – the terrible and heartbreaking things that threatened all happiness and peace of mind.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn't perfect by any means.  Often, I was the one complaining first.  Often I didn't go to work with a positive attitude or a loving heart.  The same was true for my attitude and spirit at home.  It only took a little of the poison produced by complaining to spread the disease throughout my family.

One person can wield a lot of power and never even know it.  They can set the stage—the atmosphere for their surroundings with the simplest of negative comments and before you realize it, the entire household or office has caught the contagiousness of complaining and you have an epidemic on your hands.

In Exodus you can read about the Israelites being freed from Egyptian slavery.  God did miraculous things in order to get them released from Pharaoh’s control.  He sent incredible plagues yet protected them from the results and parted the Red Sea for them to pass safely.  Yet in spite of this, just days out of Egypt they started complaining. And that complaining spread quickly to make a most unhappy whiny bunch of folks.  They complained about food, water, housing, health, their surroundings and the list goes on and on.  I like to think I would have been one who wouldn't have complained…but I know better.  I would no doubt have been right there with the loudest – voicing my opinion.

One of the worst places I've seen for complaining—a place where it spreads terrible damage—is in the church.  

 The people attending complain about the sermon or the color of the carpet or the fact that pews have been replaced with chairs.  They complain about the lack of classes and community outreach or they complain because there are too many classes and too much focus on outreach. They complain about the music and the translation of the Bible that the pastor uses. The pastor and teachers aren’t immune to this disease either. They complain about the people and their lack of understanding or interest.  They complain about the size of the congregation, the small amount in the offering plate, the size of the building, and the list goes on and on.  Sometimes they complain about the complaining.

The one place where complaining should be absent is the very place where it breeds the most contempt.  And why is that?  Because that’s the very place Satan wants to corrupt.  God’s people, gathering to worship and honor God, and draw closer to Him in praise and prayer. Satan hates it when we do that and longs to tear us apart and destroy that fellowship.  And with complaining—he does just that.

Having caught this sickness more than once, I can say without any doubt that there is only one cure and that is a heart transplant.  We need God to put into us a new heart—a heart that is focused on Him—a heart that seeks to separate us from the world and all its negativity.  Complaining is a part of this life, just like other disease and sickness, but just as we take precautions to avoid other sickness—we need to take precautions against complaining.  So I thought I would share with you, just a few ideas for avoiding this contagion.  

       Avoid contact with the sick.  If you must deal with the sick as we all inevitably must, take precautions.  Cover your ears to shut out those ugly comments. Cover your mouth to keep from absorbing the disease and sharing it with others.  Cover your heart in God’s Word.

      Take in plenty of nutrients to ward off this sickness.  Spend quality time drinking heavily of God’s Word.  Inhale and exhale the praises and wonders of all God has done.  Get plenty of rest in the Lord.  Exercise the fruit of the Spirit.  

      Be aware of your spiritual condition.  If you feel yourself coming down with a complaint, seek immediate help from the Physician.  Confess your ailment and wash your spirit regularly.  Eliminate all pollutants that lend themselves to feeding the sickness.  Set yourself apart.

We have to live in this world where disease runs rampant and complaining isn't the only sickness we should take a stand against.  So the final word of encouragement is…educate yourself.  Educate yourself about the various diseases that can damage, even kill the spirit.  Know what negative influences are out there seeking to destroy you.  You can’t avoid what you don’t know exists.  But once you do understand the dangers then fight against them. 

Remember, your “spiritual” health is at risk, as well as those who are around you, and “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Handel's Messiah

Oh it's Christmas time and once again the beautiful strains of Handel's Messiah can be heard in some of the most unexpected places.  I absolutely love Messiah.  It's some of the most amazing music and of course the Scriptures are very dear to the heart.  In researching about Messiah and Handel, I came across some interesting tidbits and wanted to share them with you.

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel was born in Germany in 1685. His father wanted him to study law, but George Fideric had an aptitude for music. His mother bought him a harpsichord, which they kept up in the attic, secret from his father and by the time he was twelve, Handel had written his first work.  Later, after his father’s death, George Frideric tried to study law, but he had no interest. Music was too important to him. In 1712, Handel moved to England and never returned to Germany. It was here that Handel wrote the masterpiece he would be remembered for – Messiah.

Amazingly, “Messiah” came at a time in his life when the 56-year-old Handel was facing bankruptcy and complete failure. He also had serious health problems.

But 1741 proved to be the turning point. A friend of his, Charles Jennens, gave him a libretto (a text for an opera) for a sacred work. It contained 73 Bible verses, focused on Jesus, Messiah and King of Kings, both from the Hebrew and the Christian Bible. 

Handel began composing on August 22. He grew so absorbed in the work that he rarely left his London home, and barely even stopped to eat. Within six days Part One was complete. In nine days more he had finished Part Two, and in another six, Part Three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all, 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkably short time of 24 days.

Near the end of his composition Handel’s manservant entered the room to find the composer had 

tears in his eyes. Handel cried out, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself.”  He had just finished writing the “Hallelujah” Chorus. 

When Messiah was completed Handel wrote the letters "SDG" at the end of the manuscript —Soli Deo Gloria   = To God Alone the Glory

“Messiah” was first performed in Dublin in 1742 as benefit concert for charity.  It was often performed for various charity events that never failed to raise money for the poor, orphanages and hospitals.

The Church of England, however, criticized Handel for using Scripture in his work. They believed Scripture should remain in the Church.   Even after Messiah was becoming well-known, as great a religious figure John Newton, composer of the hymn "Amazing Grace," preached often against the "secular" performances of this biblical oratorio.

However, a year later, King George II was present at the first performance of “Messiah” in London. Some say that the monarch fell asleep and at the opening of the “Hallelujah” Chorus, he got up thinking it was for him. Others say that he was so moved by the grandeur of the orchestration that he rose in awe. Whatever the reason, he stood, and that has been the custom ever since—everyone is to stand during the “Hallelujah” Chorus. About 100 years later, even the weak, aged Queen Victoria, who sat in her wheelchair struggled to her feet as the chorus began and the choir sang, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” She said, “No way will I sit in the presence of the King of kings.”

At that first London performance, Lord Kinnoul congratulated Handel on the “excellent entertainment”. Handel replied, "My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them. I wish to make them better."

A few days before Handel died, he expressed his desire to die on Good Friday. He wanted this he said, "in the hopes of meeting his good God, his sweet Lord and Savior, on the day of his Resurrection." He lived until the morning of Good Saturday, April 14, 1759. 

His death came only eight days after his final performance, at which he had conducted his masterpiece, Messiah.  Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey, with over 3,000 in attendance at his funeral.  A statue there shows him holding the manuscript for the solo that opens Part Three of Messiah.  On it, the words of Handel’s heart, "I know that my Redeemer liveth."

Orange-Saffron Stamp Cookies and Me

So, I've never claimed to be a great cook.  However, once in a while something comes to my attention and begs to be given a chance.

Such was the situation when I saw a recipe in Midwest Living Magazine for Orange-Saffron Stamp Cookies.   Here's a picture that they showed.  Now doesn't that just make you want to bake?

Furthermore, they had my attention by starting the entire recipe with a little bit of information on Saffron - clearly one of the most expensive seasonings you can buy - a 1/2 tsp was about $9.00

Saffron comes from the stamen of crocuses as pictured here.

That lovely little red strand is the saffron.  When you have a pile of it - it looks like this.

And when you combine it as in the recipe with 2 Tbsps of Milk - it turns everything an amazing yellow color.  They actually used saffron as a dye.  But I dye-gress. 

So I purchased my ingredients and settled into making these wonderful cookies.  The recipe has you mix up the dough and refrigerate it for ease in handling.  Then you roll the dough into balls and press them down with a cookie stamp.  I only had a couple of brand new craft stamps for ink and just fyi - those don't work with the cookie dough.  So I just pressed my cookies down and away they went into the oven.

They came out all orangey like the above photo and looked amazing. But there was one important thing I learned.  Something that I thought I had already established, but wanted to make sure because these cookies looked so amazing.

I DON'T LIKE SAFFRON.

Sigh.  What a disappointment.  I'd only ever used saffron before in dinner rolls - it was a Swedish recipe and I was sure I would love it - but I wasn't impressed and didn't care for the taste.  I was sure, however, that cookies would be different.  I really haven't met a cookie I didn't like. I suppose now I have and it was an expensive lesson to learn.

But in keeping with my mother and grandmother's advice of "You can always make something better by adding frosting" I coated those suckers with an powder sugar frosting with orange and it did improve them considerably.  All of this to say - sometimes things just aren't what they appear to be and our expectations can be easily defeated.  Oh well, live and learn.  I saw another recipe for holiday cookies that bears some consideration so maybe I'll give that a shot next week.

However, if you've a hankering to tray this saffron recipe - here's the website:

http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/orange-saffron-stamp-cookies/

God Bless You!