Head-dibs

"YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." (President Franklin D. Roosevelt's entire speech here )  USS Arizona under attack Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is your opportunity to show your support for veterans who are still alive from the Pearl Harbor bombing.  Take advantage of the day to respect and honor to those who give and gave themselves in service to our country and its security every day. 

Not so much an American holiday, but our present day (no pun intended) Christmas traditions are connected to this historical figure. Ἅγιος Νικόλαος (Saint Nicholas) was born in Greek territory in southern Turkey around 270 AD and died on this day in 343 AD. He is buried in Italy (a church is dedicated to his memory there) . . . or in Ireland (as indicated by a tombstone that supposedly marks his grave). "Obeying Jesus' words to 'sell what you own and give the money to the poor,' Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships." ( St. Nicholas Center ) One fact to remember: in his days, Christians were killed or imprisoned for their faith. Bishop Nicholas did not escape this persecutio...

Yes, there really is such and thing, and today's the day for it (not to be confused with International Bath Day on June 14). Let me put your mind at ease, as someone may be wondering I could support a thing such as a Bathtub Party. Depends what you're thinking, I guess. I'm confident the day does not advocate a gathering of friends in tub, though without doubt few revelers may try. If this were a political party (in this day and age, you just never know) I might consider joining but I'm sure a Bathtub Party is not political.  If we were in England, we would call this "Bathtub Day" (no party). Legend has it that the bathtub was introduced to England on this day in 1828--or was it December 7? Of course one finds this difficult to believe considering the existence of Greek and Roman tubs and the fact that Romans did make their way across England in the early Hundreds A.D. . . . Greek bath in Nestor's Palace Regardless, based on what I've read ...

" . . . Brave, gotta call it brave To chase that dream across the sea Names, and they signed their names For something they believed Red, how the blood ran red And we laid our dead in sacred ground Just think, wonder what they think If they could see us now It’s been a long hard ride Got a ways to go . . ."

The Land of Freedom One of the great blessings we enjoy in the United States of America is freedom. We all have the freedom to live our own life, choose our own path, and use our abilities for our own gain as well as for the good of others. We have the freedom to choose our leaders and the freedom to worship God without fear of interference from the government. Freedom’s Cost All of these freedoms are great blessings, but they were not won without a cost. Our forefathers took a stand for these freedoms and defended them, whatever the price. Since then, countless brave men and women have stood up to protect this great country, to secure its freedoms, and to promote the cause of freedom around the world. Many of them have paid the ultimate price, and we honor their sacrifice. A Greater Freedom There is an even greater freedom which can be possessed and enjoyed by every person on the face of the earth, regardless of their social standing or nationality. This is freedom from ...

Thank you.

The road to Canadian independence from England began on July 1, 1867, when Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada were united into a single country as the result of the Constitution Act. The goal of total independence took nearly a century to achieve because many Canadians considered themselves British. The first official celebration of independence was recorded in 1917 and the government instituted July 1 as a holiday in 1958. It is common (Canadian) knowledge that the country overall celebrated its independence all together for the first time in 1967, at the 100th anniversary of the Constitution Act. This year, Canadians enjoy a three day weekend!

Next time you eat a “Danish,” repent. Great Prayer Day is a Danish holiday that began in the 1600’s. The liturgical calendar was packed with days of prayer and repentance and someone got the idea (difficult to pinpoint “who”, as many countries share the same calendar) that it would be easier to condense all these days into one; hence, the “Great” of the Prayer Day. Danish bakers particularly sought to make life easier for their customers by making special loaves that could be easily warmed on the Prayer Day--less work, more prayer.  Make certain to spend time today and every day before the Lord, keeping “short accounts.” Repentance means turning from sin to the finished work of Christ by faith. God forgives those who repent. We pray because He loves to hear from those who are His children by faith. Enjoy a Danish, and enjoy time with God today!

When you hear the name “Saint George,” and the picture of a knight killing a dragon comes to mind, then you’ve got the right idea. St. George is considered to be the patron saint of many European kingdoms and countries though (as it often goes with historical figures), he is remembered most by the most romantic tales than by his true historicity. Various histories agree that George was born to a Greek family in Israel nearly 275 years after Christ and include his subsequent following in his father’s footsteps by serving in the Roman army. There are indications that Emperor Diocletian knew George’s father, so that helped; that is, until Diocletian banned Christianity. George was martyred for rejecting the new Romanism and for holding on to his faith as a follower of Christ. The story of St. George killing the dragon is rich in symbolism: first, one recalls the biblical imagery of the defeat of Satan, described as “that great dragon” in scripture. This imagery glorifies Christ b...

Happy New Year--again! Our friends in Thailand have had one wet weekend, celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year ( "สวัสดีปีใหม่" ) One feature of the day is always more fun for the younger generations while the older folks take what they can, as light as they are able. Starting the New Year means starting clean and fresh, so tossing water at one another by nearly every means possible marks the three days of festival. Buckets, garden hoses, pots and pans, even water balloons and water guns of various types keep everyone fairly doused. The symbolism (of course) is washing off the filth of the previous year and starting over. Recent years have seen a boost in tourism in Thailand as people travel to become, shall we say, “culturally immersed” in the hottest month of the year. Someone once asked, “how does one avoid getting wet during Songkran?” No satisfactory answer comes apart from “don’t throw water and babies, the elderly and people driving.” Is it really that ea...

Today is Arbor Day. If you associate this day with planting trees, then you’ve pretty much nailed it (not sure if pun-intended, but it works). “Arbor” is Latin for “tree.” I just learned that Arbor Day is observed world-wide--this is not just an American thing. While I’m thinking of it, isn’t it sort of ironic that Hallmark doesn't make this card-worthy day? Perhaps they are just going green . . . Seriously, this is about the time of year planting of trees is favorable, so millions of trees will be planted. I can’t help but reflect how important trees are to mankind. When God created everything, He intended for man to be nourished by sustenance from the ground. “And out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food.” (Genesis 2:9a). The LORD God clearly tells man, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely.” (Genesis 2:16). The weight of the Hebrew reads more like this: “eat heartily from every tree of the garden.” Now, I...

"Māgha Pūjā,  Makha Bucha, or the  Full Moon of Tabaung  . . .  is an important  Buddhist festival  celebrated in  Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos on the full moon day of the third lunar month (this usually falls in February). The third lunar month is known in the Thai language as Makha (Pali: Māgha); Bucha is also a Thai word (Pali: Pūjā), meaning 'to venerate' or 'to honor'. As such, Makha Bucha Day is for the veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon day of the third lunar month." (source: Wikipedia) This is a day Buddhists strive not to sin, to do only good and purify the mind. This worldview is not understood with ease, being a kind of atheism that rejects the belief of a personal God yet is deeply concerned with maintaining purity with a non-personal Universe. Simply put (as much as one is able), the founder of Buddhism observed a world of suffering and evil under the watch-care of a personal God and he ...

Starting today through February 24 is the Jewish holiday, “The Feast of Purim,” or “The Fast of Esther,” recalling the events that led to and resulted from Esther’s two fasts. “Fasting” is the generally described as the practice of withholding from eating for a period of time. What caused this Esther-person to stop eating, twice; and, why recall the event even today? Ahasuerus (also known as the Persian King, Xerxes) gave a massive feast to basically show off his wealth, including Vashti, his beautiful queen; but, she refused to participate in the festival (wanting to shame the king) and was banished by irrevocable law. Ahasuerus stormed off to war against the Greeks and when he returned four years later, held a beauty contest to look for a replacement queen. Esther, a relative of Mordecai (a Jew), wins the kings heart while Mordecai saves the kings life after uncovering an assassination plot. Haman (an Agagite) receives a promotion and nurses his hatred against Jews because of Mordec...

Betcha didn’t know you were right in the middle of a party, didja? Yep. It started Saturday and will be going for a few more days (at least 15 days). The party goes by several names, depending on who is observing it; but for simplicity, we will call it “Lunar New Year,” and focus on the “Chinese New Year.” Be encouraged to do some reading on this because the event is ancient and celebrated by many cultures. Regardless, t he celebration is also family oriented, including reunion dinners among so many other meals marking opportunities of starting fresh. No matter “who” celebrates “where,” the Lunar New Year celebrations are intensely spiritual starting from the days of preparation when familiar spirits are honored and the evils ones are chased away. 正如有許多的物理定律管理著物質的宇宙，同樣也 有一些屬靈的定律管理著 和神的關係 。

“Waitangi Day is a public holiday held on 6 February every year to commemorate the signing of New Zealand's founding document - the Treaty of Waitangi - in 1840. The national holiday was first declared in 1974, and since then has grown in significance for all New Zealanders through the Māori renaissance that has fostered better understanding of the Treaty’s ramifications. Official celebrations are held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the Bay of Islands, Northland, but there are also many other events throughout the country.” (from newzealand.com ) I know a New Zealander who like to describe his home as that vast country found off the coast of the small island known as Australia. The official languages are English and Maori though Samoan is also widely spoken among twenty other languages. 53% of the population identify themselves as Christian and 18% of those are evangelical. As I’ve been reading about this day and the Maori people of New Zealand, one fact does not escape notice....

Today Mexico observes "Dia de la Constitucion", marking the end of a long journey that began in 1810 when liberty was won from Spain. The current document called the “Constitution of Mexico” was not drafted or penned in one sitting, but is the result of many revisions that began over 200 years ago. 1824, Mexican sovereignty was established, patterned after the government of the United States. When the French seemed to threaten Mexican Independence in, another draft of the constitution was approved. 1916 was the year the 1857 draft was revised and a Magna Carta was produced this day in 1917. That’s the hyper-short version. Longer versions include figures like Pancho Villa--and guns. Many differing voices speak about “constitution,” and two ideas are not that far from each other. Constitution is a document that reflects what makes or defines an entity (in my own words). It’s what “makes us up.” What we are as people or a nation cannot simply “be” but must come at a price. A br...