Handel’s father, Georg Handel, was a barber-surgeon, a term for physicians in the middle ages who did surgery and cut hair. Surgery was primitive and dangerous due to no anesthesia and no antibiotics to treat infection. Most surgery was done to treat war injuries.
Even though Messiah tells the story of Jesus, whose life unfolds in the Bible’s New Testament, many of the lyrics come from the Old Testament, like this passage today from Psalms. Several Isaiah passages referring to Jesus are also songs in Messiah .
We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. For the lyrics, he used words from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.
Handel’s father, Georg Handel, was a barber-surgeon, a term for physicians in the middle ages who did surgery and cut hair. Surgery was primitive and dangerous due to no anesthesia and no antibiotics to treat infection. Most surgery was done to treat war injuries.
Faith Hope and Love, graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, affiliate link
I appreciate all of you who follow this blog; there are numerous other blogs to choose from so I am honored you chose to spend some time here. A special welcome to all my new followers from this past month.
(This post contains affiliate links which, by paying a commission if used for a purchase, help fund this blog. )
To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, links are on the left side bar here and the Home page. Thanks so much.
I hope you can take advantage of the warmth to be outdoors doing fun and healthy activities-walking, biking, swimming, gardening, playing with kids. I’ll share some posts to help you do those activities safely.
In the northern half of the earth it’s finally spring all month long. Warmer, longer days are pleasant but can bring new health challenges and opportunities.
I hope you can take advantage of the warmth to be outdoors doing fun and healthy activities-walking, biking, swimming, gardening, playing with kids. I’ll share some posts to help you do those activities safely.
health issues that occur in the spring and summer, like seasonal allergies
events that occur in April or that we remember this month
water safety
faith, hope, and love
And in the faith, hope, and love selections we’ll remember Christians’ observance of Easter
April 19-remembering Oklahoma City
On April 19, 1995, a domestic terrorist left a bomb in a truck in front of the federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; I had lived there for 7 years while in medical school and residency. 168 people died, including 19 children. Until 9/11/2001, it was the largest loss of life due to terrorism on U.S. soil.
The incident was shocking and traumatic to our entire country but especially here in our state. Oklahoma is usually a peaceful place; we deal with tornadoes and floods but not bombings. So every year we remember the victims, their families, and especially those who rescued the wounded , and the survivors who rebuilt their lives.
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
thanks for exploring with me
I appreciate all of you who follow this blog; there are numerous other blogs to choose from so I am honored you chose to spend some time here. A special welcome to all my new followers from this past month.
To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, links are on the left side bar here and the Home page. Thanks so much.
You will find links to the Timely Topics on the Home page and on the right sidebar on every post (you may need to scroll down to find them on a mobile or tablet)
Featured image
The featured image at the top of this post is a beautiful dogwood tree. They bloom in the spring here in Oklahoma.
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Observed by Catholic , Orthodox, and Protestant Christians, (although the dates may differ) Lent is a time of spiritual reflection, contemplation, renewal, and commitment.
The practice of fasting is one of the Christian Disciplines.
What is fasting?
Simply put, fasting means to refrain from foods and/or drink either partially or completely, for a specified time periods. Religions other than Christianity also practice some form of fasting.
Traditionally, one observed Lent( the weeks that precede Easter) by avoiding certain types of food (particularly meat, eggs, and milk products). In some traditions, partial fasts were observed where participants would eat only one meal on certain days. Another way to fast is to avoid all food for a specified time frame, usually one day.
Many who observe Lent today are not as strict. Often they choose to abstain from a particular food or particular behavior such as television or social media during Lent.
The purpose of fasting during Lent is to refrain from something to redirect the time and energy on our relationship to God.
Medical fasting
You may be more familiar with fasting for medical reasons.
We physicians frequently ask patients to fast for 8-12 hours prior to performing certain blood tests. The meaning of the result may be different depending on how long ago the patient had eaten. This is the case when we test for diabetes (sugar or glucose) and hyperlipidemia ( cholesterol and triglyceride).
Another common time for medical fasting is prior to surgery or procedures, especially those done under general anesthesia. Many people become nauseated at this time and may throw up or regurgitate stomach contents. If these get sucked down into the lungs it can cause respiratory distress and lead to pneumonia, both serious complications of surgery. Having the stomach empty of food and liquid can minimize this risk .
There is evidence now that intermittent fasting may aid in weight loss. Dr. Monique Tello discusses intermittent fasting for the Harvard Health Blog at this link.
This tradition begins with the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. Ashes are put on believers’ foreheads during religious services as a sign of repentance.
The practice of putting ashes on one’s head is an ancient sign of mourning that was often done at funerals or similarly sorrowful occasions. In this case, the ashes represent sorrow over our sins and the pain and death caused by sin.
Whether you formally observe Lent or not, we may consider this as a time to slow down, quiet the noise in our lives, open our hearts, and listen for new inspiration for using our gifts to create new ways to serve others.
“For even the Son of Man (Jesus ) came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Last year I experienced Lent with this devotional book by Alicia Britt Chole and I recommend it to help you observe a spiritually meaningful “fast” during Lent.
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Every day offers a meaningful consideration of Jesus’ journey and then invites readers into a daily fast of heart-clutter, the stuff that sticks to our souls and weighs us down.
Amazon
Thanks for exploring the HEART of health with me.
The photos in this post are from Lightstock-quality photos and graphics site- get a free photo here.
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I appreciate all of you who follow this blog; there are numerous other blogs to choose from so I am honored you chose to spend some time here. A special welcome to all my new followers from this past month.
To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Thanks so much.
March comes “in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” -at least where I live. But March also concludes with Doctors’ Day on March 30, a day to recognize physicians and their service to our health needs.
March comes “in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” -at least where I live. But March also concludes with Doctors’ Day on March 30, a day to recognize physicians and their service to our health needs.
Rather than waiting til the end, I will share stories by and about physicians all month long here and on social media.
March timely topics include
winter health concerns
spring health issues
sleep changes due to Daylight Saving Time change
faith, hope, and love
And in the faith, hope, and love selections we’ll remember St. Patrick and meditate on devotions for Lent.
Good-by Google+
Sometime in April the Google+platform will end. Thanks to all of you who followed and shared my posts there. Please continue following me here and on other social media.
I am most active on Facebook and Pinterest, but you can also find my blog posts at Twitter and LinkedIn.
with my thanks
I appreciate all of you who follow this blog; there are numerous other blogs to choose from so I am honored you chose to spend some time here. A special welcome to all my new followers from this past month.
To start following Watercress Words , use this form to get an email notification of new posts . Please find and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, links are on the left side bar here and the Home page. Thanks so much.
You will find links to the Timely Topics on the Home page and on the right sidebar on every post (you may need to scroll down to find them on a mobile or tablet)
Here are some affiliate links you may find helpful. Thanks for considering.
Life lessons from the late Catherine Marshall to start the Lenten season #judgenot#Lent#fasting
Did you notice that Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fell on the same date this year? What a coincidence that a day when people often give or receive chocolate was also a day that some people choose to give up chocolate for 40 days.
What happens during Lent
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Easter. (Easter also falls on an interesting date this year, April 1. ) Many Christians do something to observe this time as a spiritual refresher, like fasting from a certain food or drink. I’ve heard of people “giving up” a range of things during Lent, like television, video games, social media, news, sports, or music. Some people “take up” a certain practice, like prayer, Bible study, or service projects.
“meditation of my heart” photo from Lightstock.com– stock photo source (affiliate link)
A “critical” lesson
One of most interesting examples of fasting I’ve heard of was from the late Catherine Marshall. Mrs. Marshall wrote a memoir about her husband, Peter Marshall who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate. She also wrote a best selling novel Christy.
In a story reprinted in Spiritual Classics, Catherine realized she was too critical, tending to judge people and situations harshly and negatively.
Matthew 7 :1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
(The word “judge” used here is analogous to “criticise.”)
So she felt her “assignment” from God was:
“For one day I was to go on a “fast” from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.”
At lunch with her family that day several topics came up that she had definite negative opinions about but she refrained from speaking up. Even though she felt lost without her usual sharp interaction, she said no one else seemed to notice.
“The federal government, the judicial system, the the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations.”
She thought about a young man she knew whose life had gotten “sidetracked”, and suddenly realized her negative attitude toward him wasn’t helping. As she began thinking about him in a more positive way, she saw ways that his life could be turned around that she had not considered before. Her new attitude seemed to create an ability to see a new vision for his life that she hadn’t been able to before.
She related 5 things that she learned about a critical attitude.
It focuses us on ourselves and makes us unhappy.
It can distort our perspective and destroy humor.
It blocks positive creative thoughts God will give us about situations.
It impairs relationships with other people, perhaps causing them to be critical also.
It blocks feelings of love, good will, and mercy from God’s Spirit.
Whatever you decide to do to observe Lent, look for something that will restore or increase your joy, creativity, positive relationships, mercy, and love.
I would love to know what you do to observe Lent. Please leave a comment, or if you prefer to stay anonymous, send me a private message.
This passage from Matthew is from the Sermon on the Mount. Other posts from the Sermon include these links-
If you have ever attended a live performance of Messiah, you probably stood up during the Hallelujah Chorus. That tradition dates back to King George II of England who according to tradition, was so moved during this song that he stood to his feet. Since he was the king, everyone had to stand with him.
Often referred to as the Hallelujah Chorus, this passage is the most recognized part of Handel’s Messiah. We associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. He drew the words of the songs from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.
If you have ever attended a live performance of Messiah, you probably stood up during the Hallelujah Chorus. That tradition dates back to King George II of England who according to tradition, was so moved during this song that he stood to his feet. Since he was the king, everyone had to stand with him.
19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
Often referred to as the Hallelujah Chorus, this passage is the most recognized part of Handel’s Messiah. If you have ever attended a live performance of Messiah, you probably stood during the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. That tradition dates back to King George II of England, who according to tradition ,was so moved during this song that he stood to his feet. Since he was the king, everyone else had to stand also.
We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. He drew the words of the songs from Scripture, choosing passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.
– find more at 
