Wednesday Medley for January 30

From Baptist Bible Hour

Somehow it's Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Medley hosted by Terri at Your Friend from Florida!   Terri asks the questions and bloggers come up with their own answers. 

 Wouldn't you like to join in?  It's easy, and could make for a fun blog post on a wintry day.  Just head over to Terri's blog, get the questions, then copy, paste, and answer them on your own blog.  Then you can go back to Terri's and link up, if you like.   Here goes!  But first a word, or several, concerning the vitally important

NATIONAL CROISSANT DAY

In the United States, National Croissant Day is observed each year on January 30th. Croissants are a buttery, crescent-shaped rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside ... 

 Credit for the croissant we know today is given to an Austrian military officer, August Zang. In 1939 he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris introducing France to Viennese baking techniques.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Stop by the bakery for a fresh, warm croissant or try making your own using this recipe: Croissants recipe.

Now for Terri's questions:

1.  Well, I do love croissants when they are fresh, but day-old croissants need to be turned into a donut.  I happen to really like the croissants that have a donut-like glaze on them!  Sugar overload but so good.  So... do you like croissants?  What is your favorite way to eat them?

I do like croissants but very seldom eat one.  Probably my favorite way would be stuffed with chicken salad.  The chicken salad mixture must include some sweet pickles to balance out the richness of the croissant.  Dunkin' Donuts (now just Dunkin' as they try to forget their beginnings) occasionally produces a specialty croissant donut which is just outrageously delicious as well as unhealthy.  I had one once ...  Oh!  And I can't forget the wonderful breakfast sandwich on a croissant which I enjoyed with my daughters at McAdoo's in Elko, Nevada this fall:

2.  Speaking of food... How do you handle stress?  

Here is my goal for handling stress: to turn to God's Word and/or healthy activities -- walking or other exercise, crafting,  reading, even sleeping, if necessary -- in response to stress, rather than to food.  Emotional eating is a definite reality for me, and there was a time in my life where I actually thought -- silly me! -- that I had it completely conquered.  Now I know I am still susceptible to it.  Hence my goal, which I don't always meet.  Sometimes chocolate is still the answer.

Like this Chocolate Pudding for One, for example.

Photo from Taste of Home

That said, I must add that in times of extreme stress, like a death in the family or other very serious situations, I tend to lose my appetite.  Go figure.

3.  Out of the negative emotions of greed, anger, jealousy, and hate, which one would you say affects you the most?

Of those four that you listed, I would say the only one I really tend to struggle with is anger.  Left to myself, I could have a very short fuse indeed.  I try to keep this character flaw on my radar screen and make it (like emotional eating and other issues) a matter of regular prayer.  I find God's Word a real help with this.  For example, Proverbs tells us that the person who is soon angry deals foolishly.  James reminds us to be "swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath".

By Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

4.  Out of the positive emotions of compassion, positivity, enthusiasm, and initiative, which one is your biggest strength?

This question is a bit more difficult.  I feel as if I am lacking in every one of these areas (especially compassion), but yet in the Lord I am continually growing and changing,  so perhaps they evidence themselves more than I think.  I am going to say positivity, because it is possible to look at every situation in a positive light when we remember that God is in control, working all things after the counsel of His own will, and that He is always good.  And I do find myself more and more looking at things from that vantage point.

One of my favorite Scripture graphics from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

5.  What do you get every time you go grocery shopping, other than the staples such as bread, milk, butter, flour, sugar...

 Let's see. Almond milk; cheese sticks; bananas; apples ... that might be about it.  There are other things I buy regularly, but for every week I guess those would be the constants on my list.

6.  Please tell us something random about your week so far.

Another snow storm predicted for today (I'm writing this on Tuesday)! Five to ten inches predicted.  A random but interesting fact is that January 30 was my parents' wedding anniversary.  Today would have marked 70 years of marriage!

So ends another Wednesday Medley!  Stay safe and warm, everyone!