National Ice Cream Day | JOY for Today

JOY is ice cream on a hot day. Pause for a moment and allow yourself to imagine it. Experience the taste of that perfect flavor melting on your tongue. Cooling you from the inside out. Soothing still as you ready yourself for another taste. Yes, Friends, JOY tastes of ice cream. Yet, sweet though ice cream may be, we know of something even sweeter.

Vanilla Ice Cream image courtesy of Peakpx.com

Ice Cream Day Offerings:

• Did You Know... Five we didn't.
• Wolfe Stew Connects Musings from the Mrs.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by ice cream.
• Activity Suggestions Recipe suggestions - in a bag, historical, and machine-made.

Did You Know:

1. Ice cream originated in China? Well, most people agree on that, possibly because it included an addition of milk. However, drinks cooled with snow were referenced by King Solomon (970-931 BC) in the Bible (Proverbs 25:13) and Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) loved snow-cooled drinks flavored with honey and wine. Around 200 BC, there are references to ice houses in China serving milk and rice mixtures that were frozen in the snow. Then, the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907 AD) heated milk with flour and camphor, placed the mixture in metal tubes, and froze it in ice pools. In the 11th century, Persians started mixing sugar, flavorings, and water to create "sharbat," now known as sherbet. This cool treat made it's way to Europe after the Crusades. (PBS)
2. Thomas Jefferson recorded the first American ice cream recipe? Most likely, the recipe came from his time in France or from his French butler. Also, there are at least six references to him serving ice cream during his presidency, often served inside a crust or pastry. (Monticello)
3. President Ronald Reagan, in 1984, designated July as "National Ice Cream Month"? And the third July Sunday he named "National Ice Cream Day." The proclamation begins stating: "Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States. It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food." (The American Presidency Project)
4. Chocolate, vanilla, and . . . are the preferred flavors? The first two are predictable but the third, surveyors could not agree on: strawberry, butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, and "other" (an option beyond what the survey defined) all tied for the third place spot. (Newsweek)
5. There is such a job as "Professional Ice Cream Taster"?  These tastemasters assess the ice cream for quality of flavor, texture, color, smell, and appearance. They may also invent new flavors and products or serve as a marketing representative. What's fascinating: Dreyer's 30-year taster, John Harrison, still prefers vanilla over any other flavor. (Payscale)

We'd Love to Know:

Which fact is sweetest to you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

When I asked the Mr. to remind me of his favorite ice cream flavor he promptly replied with, "Mint chocolate chip!"

"Butter pecan," I corrected.

"True. Well, I really do like cherry, too. You know, that's the thing about ice cream, there's a flavor for every mood." 

There's a flavor for every mood. 

As I consider that, I find it to be true. Generally, I'm a vanilla girl - a slow-eating, savor each ridiculously small bite, vanilla girl. Why mask ice cream's flavor with mix-ins? To do so is an insult to the simplistic, yet divine, offering of ice cream.

But, there are times I crave other flavors: chocolate for comfort, mint for refreshment, cookies and cream for nostalgia, and coffee because... coffee.

Do you know that God knows exactly what "flavor" you need? He understands your moods and wants you to come to Him in every mood. I struggle with this. I have a hard time approaching God in my ugliness. I tell myself that He deserves my joy, not my hurt, and do not even consider approaching Him when I'm reciting my personal playlist of lies.

But the truth is, God longs for you to approach Him in all your moods. He's waiting with the perfect flavor to match each mood: for your sorrow He offers joy, for your ashes He trades beauty, and for your heaviness He exchanges praise (Isaiah 61:3). When you choose to, when you surrender your objections and showcase your vulnerability to God, I firmly believe you'll experience a love more satisfying and soothing than that carefully-selected pint of mood-matched ice cream. That's how our battles are won: through surrender.

If you struggle to surrender to the help God longs to provide, you're not alone; I struggle, too. In an effort to develop our willingness to surrender, we've crafted a GROWTH for Today calendar with daily, surrender-focused exercises that are short, but impactful. Let's allow ourselves to savor the God who knows precisely what we need at this (however ugly) moment. Welcome to the fight, Warrior!

We'd Love to Know:

What ice cream flavor matches your current mood?

Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by Ice Cream

Verses

• "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 KJV
• "As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters." - Proverbs 25:13 NKJV
• "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103 KJV
• "We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company." Psalm 55:14 KJV
• "And God is able to make grace overflow to you, so that, in all things and at all times, having all you need, you may overflow in every kind of good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 MOUNCE

Quotes

• "Ice cream is happiness condensed." - Jessie Lane Adams
• "It is a grave error to assume that ice cream consumption requires hot weather." - Anne Fadiman 
• "Life is like an ice-cream cone; you have to lick it one day at a time." Charles M. Schulz
• "Don't let your ice cream melt while you're counting somebody else's sprinkles." -Akilah Hughes
• "I love revision. Where else can spilled milk be turned into ice cream?" - Katherine Paterson

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote would you print on ice cream packaging?

National Ice Cream Day Activity Suggestions

Our Nephew's Suggestion:

"Eat ice cream!"

Make it on your own:

• In a bag with Children's Ministry
• On the stove with Thomas Jefferson's recipe courtesy of Monticello
• In an ice cream maker:
• More complex, aged custard recipe from Baker Bettie 
• Easier, versatile, five-ingredient recipe from Barefeet in the Kitchen

Or buy a flavor that matches your mood.

We'd Love to Know: 

How you'll celebrate National Ice Cream Day?

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Come back next week for...National Parents Day!

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.