the vine issue 1 , 2013
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
ISSUE 1 2013
THE
Page 2
My dear brothers and sisters
the youth,
I’d like to congratulate you for
the 1st
issue of your new
youth magazine, The Vine.
Why this name? Let us try to
understand what our Lord
meant when He said ‘I am the
True Vine’ (John 15:1)
Jesus wanted His friends (not
only the twelve disciples, but
all of us) to know that He was
not going to desert them,
even though they would no
longer enjoy His physical
presence. His living energy—
His spiritual reality—would
continue to nourish and sus-
tain them just as the roots
and trunk of a grape vine pro-
duce the energy that nourish-
es and sustains its branches
while it develops their fruit.
Jesus wanted us to know that
even though we cannot see
Him, we are as closely con-
nected with Him as the
branches of a vine are con-
nected with its stem.
Our desire and energy to know and love Him; and to
tell others about Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as we are attached to Him, as branches
to a vine. This is why we must ‘abide’ in Him, remaining at-tached to the source of all spiritual life. May the Lord reward all the youth who worked extremely
hard to produce this wonder-ful work. May it be a source of blessing to us all.
I pray that you are all well
and full of the peace of the
Lord during this holiday. May
the Lord grant you a blessed
New Year 2014 & a Happy
Glorious Feast of Nativity.
St. Mark’s servant,
Abouna
Abouna’s Message
Page 3
Hello precious reader!
Let me first say thank you for pick-
ing me up. Today is your special day.
You happen to be one of a few to
have arbitrarily chosen me for a
read.
So- what ‘s this magazine all about?
The Vine is here to lighten up your
day with puzzles and the low-down
on upcoming haps. With more seri-
ous articles too, you're sure to learn
something wheth-
er you’re bored at
work, or pushing
your tray tables
up into the up-
right and locked
position.
The Vine will be
with you like
white on rice. Or
smell on nose.
So let's begin:
If I may, let us first take a moment to
remember the hallowing and noble
history of the 'magazine':
-In 1663, 'Erbauliche Monaths Un-
terredungen' became the first ever
magazine on this sweet planet. Oth-
er than sounding like a brand name
for industrial solvents, it marked an
important time for all, albeit only a
handful of people were literate
enough to read its contents let
alone its title. Nevertheless it was a
genesis for all. Featured articles in-
cluded how to avoid pirates on the
open seas, first aid tips for small pox
and cholera infections, as well more
helpful articles for women of age,
like "12 and unmarried: why it's
probably too late".
-Then came the proud Sir Sylvanus
Urban who in 1731 became the first
to use the term 'magazine', a word
derived from the Arabic ma-
khzan' (store-house) to refer to mag-
azines as being storehouses of infor-
mation. Lame right?
Wrong. What a wise man he clearly
was - a hero of the
print, dare I say.
Thus began a noble
tradition. One that
beat on strong toward
the current, used to
have a read of, swat
flies with, or as a
means of furthering
your social isolation by
looking busy on public
transportation so that
people won't talk to you.
You might be asking yourself at this
point, why The Vine? What's that
name all about?
Huh?
What?
What's with all these questions?
Unfortunately it takes up to 5 work-
ing days to have your queries an-
swered. But please don't let this dis-
courage you.
Also, we think you look pretty to-
day.
Page 4
TO CONTRIBUTE.
SEND YOUR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS TO
[email protected] TO SEE IT IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE
Page 5
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It has been a couple of weeks
since our Church has started
the Nativity fast – do you feel
any different? If the only dif-
ference you feel is the switch
from meat to fish and vegeta-
bles, and from milk to
soymilk; then you’re doing it
wrong!
From his book “The Spirituali-
ty of Fasting”, our late be-
loved Pope Shenouda the
third states that “fasting is not
hunger
for the
body, but
it is nour-
ishment
for the
soul.”
Nourish-
ing the
soul
needs a
lot of struggle, practice and
time. This is what our Church
provides for us during these
Holy fasts. This is also what
God provided His people to
do in the wilderness of Sinai:
“So He humbled you, allowed
you to hunger, and fed you
with manna which you did
not know nor did your father
know, that He might make
you know that man shall not
live by bread alone, but man
lives by every word that pro-
ceeds from the mouth of the
Lord” (Deuteronomy 8: 2-3)
Was God trying to punish His
people by only feeding them
after they hunger?
First we must understand the
type of food manna is.
Manna is heavenly food
that God sent to the Is-
raelites when they were
complaining about their
hunger in the wilder-
ness. It was nourishing
food, pleasant and
wholesome, nothing
compared to the food of
the earth. God wanted
to teach His people that
they didn’t need food; rather
they were in need for His
word to live. In John 6: 49-51,
it is clearly highlighted that
our Lord Jesus Christ is the
living bread, from which is
our source of eternal nourish-
ment.
Feeling Hungry?
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The Israelites were so fo-
cused on being lost in the
wilderness, they started to
worry about their future
and lose their faith in God.
This is very similar to our
state when we get so con-
sumed by worldly matters,
and forget to get our true
nourishment. When we are
away from God we will nev-
er be satisfied or happy;
thus we become hungry for
righteousness.
The feeling of hunger hum-
bles us, and helps us re-
member that our talents,
strengths and capabilities
amount to nothing without
God’s grace. Thus, God al-
lows us to feel hunger
when we are away from
Him, because it is only
when we are humbled that
our faith in Him increases,
and His work in us becomes
complete (1 Peter 5:6).
God allowed Moses to fast
forty days so that his faith
was sufficient to receive the
Word of the Lord. God also
allowed the Egyptians to
fast three days before their
faith was sufficient for God
to intervene and move the
Moukattam Mountain. We
are also reminded that in
order for God to work in
our lives, we must have our
faithful hearts (mangers)
clean and ready for His holy
coming. May this Nativity
fast be of great nourish-
ment for your souls, and
bring much blessing to your
lives.
Page 8
Maintaining healthy habits is an important part of living a satisfying life. Life these days can get very busy and with all
its hardships, food and exer-cise become the least of our priorities. However, we need to treat our body right in or-der to use our God given po-tential, and perform at an op-timum level whether it is at
school, work, or even during our holidays. Swap Sweets for Fruits! Be careful what you put in-side your mouth. Having food that contains high levels of
fat in the absence of fresh fruit and vegetables may im-pair your performance and long term health. Be aware of the danger of too many sweets. They are high in sugar, calories and fat, which do not provide sus-tained energy. The sugar may boost your energy for a short period of time and then leave you depleted in energy. When you feel the urge to eat something sweet, instead, have a banana, orange, strawberry or any other yum-my fruits. Don’t Miss Breakfast! Nutritionists stress the im-
portance of breakfast to beat lethargy and have a produc-tive day. Healthy breakfast, such as ce-
reals that are high in fibre, fruit, and dairy foods charge you with energy and to start your day. First thing to do is to make sure not to miss out on breakfast, so that you get energy and carbohydrates,
particularly complex carbohy-drates that sustain energy re-lease. An example of an ideal breakfast would be food such as high fibre cereals, with pro-tein like low-fat milk or yo-
gurt, an egg on toast, or a fruit smoothie. In your lunch, avoid eating too much as this can make you feel sleepy and inactive. Remember, whenever you eat, leave some space in your stomach. Keep in mind that a healthy and light lunch will increase your performance in. A healthy lunch might in-clude: wholegrain bread or toast for a sandwich, chicken breast, light tuna or salmon with brown rice and vegeta-bles, fruit salad or yogurt, kid-ney beans with rice and vege-tables, ham with low fat cheese, or hard-boiled egg
A Balanced Lifestyle
Page 9
with salad. If you choose rice or pasta, try wholegrain pas-ta or brown rice as it has more fibre which makes it a
healthy option. Snacking keeps you full for longer! Healthy snacks during the day, for example every two hours, im-proves your mood, as well as boosting
your per-formance, concentra-tion, and energy. According to the American Dietetic Associa-tion, adults who eat a small snack in the afternoon are likely to get through their tasks more quickly and effi-ciently. Go for healthy snacks such as: fresh fruits, low fat yogurt, nuts and dried fruits, hummus and crackers, and popcorn. But eating healthily is not
enough on its own to gain a balanced and productive life. Physical activity also must be considered to boost perfor-
mance. Always keep in mind the equation: eating healthy and physical activity can help improve your grades.
Why is ex-ercising im-portant? The bene-fits of physical activity ranges
from be-ing fit, maintain-ing a healthy weight, reducing
stress, achieving better sleep, and increased concentration. The ideal way to eliminate everyday stress is by doing physical activity you enjoy. Exercise stimulates the brain to release endorphins, which makes you feel happier, em-powered, and kicks your stress away for up to 24 hours.
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Ingredients
½ cup oil 1 cup sugar
¼ cup soy milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven at 180°C.
2. Mix the oil & sugar, then add the soy milk & vanilla ex-tract.
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Combine the wet & dry ingredients, and then add the chocolate chip.
5. Make tablespoon sized balls & place them on baking paper, then flatten them out a bit with your palm.
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
Page 11
Giving your
heart to Christ
Prov 23:26
Giving Alms
Luke 11:41
Spiritual
Meetings
Mat 18:24
Communion
John 6:54
Spiritual
Readings
John 5:39
Prayer
1 Cor 7:5
Fast with self-
control
1 Peter 2:16
Fast with
your feet
Ps 119:105
Fast with
your tongue
Mat 2:34
Fast with
your ears
Prov 23:12
Fast with
your
eyes
Mat 6:22
Fast with
your
thoughts
Eph 4:17
The Train of Fasting
Page 12
SUDOKU
Easy
Extreme
PUZZLES!
Page 13
"Fasting is the single greatest natural healing therapy. It is nature's ancient, universal 'remedy' for many problems. Animals instinctively fast when ill."
Elson Haas, M.D. in Staying Healthy with Nutrition
ABSTINENCE
GIVING ALMS
BLESSINGS
SELF CONTROL
DEVOTION
FASTING
FORTY THREE
HEALTH
HOLY SPIRIT
HUMILITY
IMPLORE
KIAHK
MARY
MERCY
NATIVITY
WILL POWER
PRAYER
PURITY
REFOCUS
SPIRITUAL FOOD
UNITY
WORSHIP
Page 14
"Fasting is the greatest remedy-- the physician within."
Philippus Paracelsus, one of the three fathers of Western medicine
Page 15
Maze
Page 16
World Football
Controversy surrounding the
Balon D’or saga continues as
FIFA extend the voting peri-
od by a week on the night of
Portugal’s emphatic 4-2 ag-
gregate victory over Sweden
following a hat-trick from
Portugal’s Ronaldo. The Por-
tugal skipper is favoured to
win it this year due to his
scintillating form which has
seen him put away 67 goals
during the calendar year,
eight of which have come in
just five appearances in the
Champions League. This also
comes on the backend of
Sepp Blatters debatable com-
ments which he made in
front of a theatre full of stu-
dents claiming Ronaldo re-
sembled a “Commander on
the pitch who spends too
much money on his hair” be-
fore getting out of his seat
and impersonating a military
commander which is in stark
contrast to the comments he
made about Ronaldo’s rival,
Messi or as Blatter would see,
The Good Boy followed by
him revealing that he prefers
Messi over Ronaldo. Ronaldo
has now opted out of attend-
ing the FIFA Gala which will
be held in Zurich after it
seems FIFA gave contenders
Ribéry and Messi, much bet-
ter profile right ups than
they did Ronaldo which
would seem to be the final
straw for the 28 year old as
the player also says he has
no interest in meeting with
the FIFA president subse-
quent to Blatter revealing he
intended to speak to
Ronaldo in private following
his remarks.
The odds seem in Ronaldo’s
favour however as four-time
Balon D’or recipient Lionel
Messi will be out of action
until early January due to a
thigh injury which has
haunted him for the past
eight months. French and
Munich talisman,
World Sport News
Page 17
Franck Ribéry has also been
ruled out of action till the
end of November due to a
cracked rib which he sus-
tained on duty with the
French national team. The
winner of the annual award
will be announced on Janu-
ary 13th
.
World Cup Qualifiers
It was to be a disappointing
Wednesday for all Egyptian
and New Zealand football
fans as both nations bowed
out of the world cup qualifi-
ers after failing to overcome
huge first leg deficits. Egypt
had the gargantuan task of
overturning a 6-1 first leg
defeat following a stellar
performance from the quar-
ter finalists of the 2010
world cup. Egypt managed
a 2-1 second leg victory as
Amr Hassan and Mohamed
Nagy Gedo grabbed a goal
each however it was Ghana
who secured the finals spot
(Agg. 7-3). The New Zea-
land All Whites also had a
mountain to climb follow-
ing their 5-1 defeat at the Az-
teca and it seemed promising
for the All Whites after a very
strong start however the pre
match hype was short-lived
after Mexico grabbed the
lead in the 13th
minute after
a brilliantly worked move
and it was to be all downhill
from there and seemed to
get worse following a Jeremy
Brockie penalty miss. The All
Whites fought valiantly how-
ever Mexico ran away the
winners 4-2 on the night
(Agg. 9-3).
Information accurate as of
24th November 2013
Page 18
General 7 & 4 prayers (Praises of the Blessed Month of Kiahk) :
Saturday 7:00 - 10:00pm, commencing 14 Dec 2013 Nady (Summer Holiday Activities): Tuesdays & Thurs-
days 7:00 - 10:00pm, starting 24 December. Primary School
Annual Sunday School Camp 02 - 04 Jan 2014 at Motu Moana (see Medhat Gayed for more information)
Summer Competition “Come to Me” commences De-cember – the end of January
Intermediate & High School
Summer Competition commences from Fri 22 Nov 2013 - Fri 31 Jan 2014
University & Graduates
Summer Competition commences Fri 06 Dec 2013 Youth
Annual NZ C.O.C. Youth Camp 08 - 11 Jan 2014 at Pa-rua Bay Christian Youth Haven located at 1 Wharf Road, Parua Bay, Whangarei. Get your camp con-sent form and payment in by the 22
nd of December!
(Please see Fouad Youssef for more information) REGULAR SERVICES
Liturgies : Fridays (Arabic/Coptic) 9:30 - 11:15am ; Sat-urdays (Arabic) 8:30 - 10:30am ; Sundays (English/Coptic) 8:15 - 11:15am
Vesper : Saturdays 7:00 - 8:30pm followed by Midnight Praise (Tasbeha) 8:30 - 10pm
General Prayer meeting : first Tuesday every month 7:00 - 8:15pm
Family meetings (open) : Tuesdays 7:00 - 8:15pm Deacon's Hymn lessons : Tuesdays 7:00 - 8:15pm
Announcements
Page 19
PHOTO CORNER
Hey kids!
Colour this in, rip it
off and submit it
with your name to
The Vine upstairs
and be in to win!