Friendly Letter Greetings and Closings

Greetings in Friendly Letters

• The greeting in a friendly letter is followed by a comma.
• Common examples of friendly greetings include:
  • "Dear Mary,"
  • "Hello, Mary,"
  • "Hi, Mary,"
• Affectionate greetings convey a deeper connection:
  • "My Dearest Mary,"
  • "Dearest Mary,"
• Loving greetings express strong emotions:
  • "My Beloved Mary,"
  • "My Darling Mary,"

Closings in Friendly Letters

• Closings also conclude with a comma.
• Friendly closings commonly used:
  • "Sincerely,"
  • "Truly,"
• Affectionate closings reflect warm sentiments:
  • "Fondly,"
  • "With fond regards,"
• Loving closings indicate deep affection:
  • "Love,"
  • "I love you,"

Variation and Personal Preference

• The choice of greeting and closing can vary based on personal relationships.
• The provided lists serve as guidelines for expressing levels of friendship, affection, or love appropriately in letters.

God's Call to Jonah

• God commands Jonah, son of Amittai, to go to the great city of Nineveh to preach against its wickedness.
• Nineveh is described as a significant city, indicating its size and importance.

Jonah's Attempt to Flee

• Jonah attempts to flee from God’s command by heading to Tarshish instead.
• He travels to Jaffa, where he finds a ship going to Tarshish and pays fare to board it.

Divine Intervention

• God sends a mighty wind causing a severe storm, threatening to break the ship apart.
• The sailors, terrified, cry out to their respective gods and throw cargo overboard to lighten the vessel.

Jonah's Indifference

• While the storm rages, Jonah is found sleeping in the ship's hold, displaying his lack of concern.
• The ship's captain urges Jonah to pray to his God for help.

Casting Lots

• The sailors decide to cast lots to determine the cause of their trouble, which falls on Jonah.
• They interrogate Jonah about his identity and actions, discovering he is a Hebrew fleeing from God.

Jonah's Revelation

• Jonah reveals his fear of the Lord, the God who created both land and sea.
• The sailors, fearful upon learning this, question Jonah about what action can be taken to calm the sea.

Jonah's Proposal

• Jonah instructs the sailors to throw him into the sea to quell the storm, acknowledging it is due to him that the tempest arose.
• The sailors initially try to row back to shore but fail against the turbulent waters.

Confrontation with God

• Desperate, the sailors cry out to the Lord, pleading not to be punished for Jonah's actions.
• They throw Jonah overboard, after which the sea calms immediately.

Transformation of the Sailors

• The sailors are struck with great fear of the Lord, leading them to offer sacrifices and make vows to Him.

Jonah's Divine Rescue

• God appoints a large fish (often referred to as a whale) to swallow Jonah.
• Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, symbolizing a period of reflection and potential repentance.