VALENTINE'S DAY: An Overview.

Saint Valentine's Day, better known as simply Valentine's Day, is the annual commemoration of love celebrated on February 14.  Valentine's Day was created by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD to honor the Christian martyrs named Valentine. The religious observance of the day was deleted by Pope Paul VI from the Roman calender of saints in 1969 but is still often permitted.

Catholic Pope Gelasius established St. Valentine’s Day in 496. It is based on the legend of St. Valentine, a Christian priest during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. 

 Claudius, called Claudius the Cruel, was unhappy that so few young men were showing up for his wars and decided they weren’t coming to fight because they didn’t want to leave their wives and girlfriends. To remedy the situation, he announced a ban on marriage.

Claudius was also busy persecuting Christians. St Valentine, a Christian priest, thought the marriage ban ridiculous and continued to perform secret marriages and also worked to help Christians escape persecution.

Claudius soon found the renegade priest and threw him in prison. While in prison, Valentine converted his jailer to Christianity after restoring the sight of the man’s blind daughter. One version of the story has St. Valentine then falling in love with Julia, the jailer’s daughter. 

Before his execution for refusing to renounce his faith, he sent Julia a note signed, “From Your Valentine.” The date of his execution and of the love note was February 14th.

The saga of the young priest, who was tortured and killed for trying to protect love and marriage and for his Christian beliefs, has intrigued writers for centuries. 

Some authors say St. Valentine had been demoted among Catholic Saint rankings. Though he is still a recognized as a Catholic Saint, his demotion was due to the lack of enough historical records to authenticate all of his deeds.

Valentine's Day was first related to romantic love by Geoffrey Chaucer during the Middle Ages. Until the 19th century handwritten valentines were often given rather than modern mass-produced greeting cards. It is often celebrated with expressions of love, and gifts of chocolates, flowers, and cards known as "valentines." Symbols of modern Valentine's Day include heart shapes, figures of winged Cupid, and doves.

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THE CHRISTMAS GUEST

It happened one day near December's end, two neighbors called on an old-time friend and they found his shop so meager and lean Made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And Conrad was sitting with a face a'shined when he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine and he said: Old friends at dawn today when the cock was crowing the night away, the Lord appeared to me and said 'I am coming your Guest to be' So I've been busy with feet astir and strewing my shop with branches of fir.
'The table is spread and the kettle is shined and over the rafters the holly is twined. And now I'll wait for my lord to appear and listen closely so i will hear his step as he nears my humble place and i open the door and look on his face'.

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone for this was the happiest day he had known. For long since his family had passed away and Conrad had spent many sad Christmas Day but he knew with the lord as his Christmas Guest, this Christmas would be the dearest and best.
He listened with only Joy in his heart and with every sound he would rise with a start and look for the lord to be at his door like the vision he had a few hours before.
So he ran to the window after hearing a sound but all he could see on the snow-covered ground was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn, and all of his clothes were ragged and worn. 

But Conrad was touched and he went to the door and said, 'Your feet must be frozen and sore. I have some shoe in my shop for you and a coat that will keep you warmer too'.
So with grateful heart, the man went away. But Conrad noticed the time of day. He wondered what made the Lord late and how much longer he'd have to wait.
When he heard a knock he ran to the door, but it was only a stranger once more, a bent old lady with a shawl of black with a bundle of kindling pile on her back.
She asked for a place to rest. But that was for Conrad's Guest. 

 But her voice seemed to plead Don't send me away: Let me rest for a while on Christmas Day'.
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup and told her to sit at the table and sup. But after she left, he was filled with dismay for he saw that the hours were slipping away.

And the Lord hadn't come as he said he would, and Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood when out of the stillness, he heard a cry. 'Please help me, and tell me where am I!'
So again he opened his friendly door and stood disappointed as twice before. It was only a child who had wandered away and was lost from her family on Christmas Day. Then he led her back to her hoke once more, but as he entered his own darkened door, he knew that the Lord was not coming today. For the hours of Christmas had passed away.

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray, and he said: 

Dear Lord, why did you delay, what kept you from coming to call on me? For I wanted so much  your face to see.

When soft in the silence, a voice he heard: 'Lift up your head, for i kept my word.

Three times my shadow crossed your floor,

Three times i came to your lowly door, for i was the beggar with bruised cold feet, i was the woman you gave something to eat. And i was the Child on the homeless street.
Three times i  knocked: Three times i came in, and each time i found the warmth of a friend. 

Of all the gifts, LOVE is the best; I was honored to be your Christmas Guest.                                                                                                              (Author: Andy Griffith)

THE BLESSING IN GIVING.

A graduate has been seeking for job, for almost fifteen good years. No means to get money. Then one day she had only but one dollar with her, she entered in a restaurant and bought food with that money but just after she finished praying for the food three people came in looking so skinny and hungry. They asked her for the food, she had compassion on them and gave them the food.

They wanted to pray for her but she told them that they need the prayer more than her. She left them and when she was about to leave they gave her an old coin. She went and lay down under the bridge to sleep, she saw newspaper and picked it and when she was reading it, there was an adverts about an old coin that got lost in 1955. Anybody that brings it was to be payed 10million dollars.

As soon as she saw it she checked the coin and it was the same. Then she rushed down to the address and they confirmed it and issued her with a cheque of 10million dollars. She rushed back to that restaurant to see those three men but she didn't find them.

When she asked the waiters, they gave her a letter that the old men left behind and she opened it, and this is what was written:
"This is the God of the Father, the God of Son and the God of the Holy spirit. No man who praises God shall be left to suffer. Him, his son and grandson's shall live happy under the umbrella of God."

MORAL LESSON: Blessed is the hand that gives than the hand that receive... Praise God and your life will change...

A PRAYER FOR YOU: God will perform a miracle in your life this week that is bigger than you can ever imagine, a miracle that will shoot you straight to the top, IN JESUS NAME

If you believe in the prayer you just said and trust God to fulfill his promises in your life, write a comment in the box below to encourage someone today.

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A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF DREAMS

Sometimes we get what we need and not what we want.......... 

Once there were 3 trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the 1st tree said, "Someday, I hope to be a treasure chest.
I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems and be decorated with intricate carvings. Everyone would see my beauty."

The 2nd tree said, "Someday, I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of other world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally, the 3rd tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching.
I will be the greatest tree of all time, and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.
One came to the 1st tree and said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the 2nd tree, one of the other woodsmen said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The 2nd tree was happy, because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the 3rd tree, the tree was frightened, because it knew that, if it is cut down, its dream would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the 1st tree arrived at the carpenter's, he was made into a feed box for animals, placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The 2nd tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The 3rd tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one filtered day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth, and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose, and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace," and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets, and the crowd mocked the man who was carrying it. Finally, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as possible, because Jesus Christ had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that, when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. 

 Sometimes the heart sees what the eyes can't.
 

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS AND ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL

Today upon a bus, i saw a lovely maid with a golden hair;

I envied her - she seemed so gay - and i wished i were as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the isle;
She had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when i whine;
I have two feet - the world is mine !

And i stopped to buy some sweets
The lad who sold them had such charm,
i talked with him- he said to me; "It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see he said, I'm blind".
Oh, God, forgive me when i whine;
I have two eyes - the world is mine'.

Then, walking down the street, i saw a child with eyes of blue
He seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped for a moment, then i said: 'why don't you join the others, dear?
He looked ahead without a word, and then i knew he could not hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when i whine;
I have two ears - the world is mine'.


WITH FEET TO TAKE YOU WHERE YOU'D GO,
WITH EYES TO SEE THE SUNSET'S GLOW,
WITH EARS TO HEAR WHAT YOU WOULD KNOW,
YOU'RE BLESSED, INDEED! THE WORLD IS YOURS.


REALLY COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS ONE BY ONE.. YOU'LL DEFINATELY
''BE HAPPY AT ALL TIMES, PRAY CONSTANTLY AND FOR ALL THINGS,
GIVE THANKS TO GOD''..

                          REMAIN BLESSED.
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Twinkle,Twinkle,Little Star!

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated,the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall,the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE".

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin,the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focussed on the impressive steinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered into the boy's ear,"DON'T QUIT, KEEP PLAYING." Then, leaning over Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.

Together the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played, only the classic," Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God.What we can accomplish on our own way is hardly noteworthy.
We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music.However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully.You may hear the voive of the Master, whispering in your ear,"DON"T QUIT." "KEEP PLAYING."

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.Remember God doesn't seem to call the equipped,rather He equips the "CALLED."
Remember,"Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire."

A HUMBLE SPIRIT. (THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY)

Sometimes a little bit of humble pie goes well with a rich meal.Actually, what passes for conceit in many people is often just a plea for attention. A poor sense of self may cause one to want to be the prominent star in every constellation.

Humility, on the other hand, does not require that one shine less brightly than others, simply that all be given opportunity to shine.Permit me to shed more light on humility with a Story:

A story is told of a day when Washington, then a professor at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, happened to pass the mansion of a wealthy woman as he walked to work.

The woman did not recognize him and called out, “Hey you! Come here! I need some wood chopped!” She was a product of her southern post-Civil War culture and simply perceived him as a black man who was there to do her bidding.

Without a word, Dr. Washington peeled off his jacket, picked up the ax and went to work. He not only cut a large pile of wood, he also carried the firewood into the house and arranged it neatly by the fireplace.

He had scarcely left when a servant said to the woman, “I guess you didn’t recognize him, ma’am, but that was Professor Washington!”Embarrassed and ashamed, the woman hurried over to Tuskegee Institute to apologize.

The great educator respectfully replied: “There’s no need to apologize, madam. I’m delighted to do favors for my friends.”The professor may have taught one of his greatest lessons that day. It was a lesson about astronomy: he taught that every star can shine without one out-shining all the others. It was a lesson about peace: he taught how self-interest must often be set aside for the good of the whole.

And it was a lesson about spirituality: He taught about the power of a meek and humble spirit in a world where aggression is too-often confused with strength.

It is a lesson we are still learning. 

GOD COORDINATES OUR WAYS !!!

Mary Wheatley’s heart desire was to join the choir. She was a good singer. She had been singing secular songs all these years. But after she had accepted Jesus as her Savior, she made a vow to the Lord that she would sing only for the glory of God.

And when she saw a notice saying, ”Wanted: One soprano for summer position” in the church bulletin in Washington D.C on a Sunday morning in 1945, her joy knew no bounds. She lost no time in presenting herself to the choir director, who set up an audition for her on the following Sunday. After a lot of prayer, she selected “I walked today where Jesus walked” composed by Geoffery O’Hara, for her audition piece. All week long she practised.

But back at the church on Sunday, she made the dreadful discovery that she had left the music on the bus itslef. And then to her dismay, the choir director who gave her an appointment was out of town and decision about her selection was upto someone else.

The substitute organist was a friendly man, in his sixties. Mary with much hesitation told him that she had lost the music. “What piece where you planning to sing?” he asked. “I walked to day where Jesus walked” she answered.

Assuring her that he could play it from memory, he launched into the accompaniment. “You sang that exactly as it should be sung, and I welcome you to the choir”, the accompanist told her.

Mary was overjoyed. When she was about to leave, she thanked him profusely and asked his name. With a mischievous grin, the organist - and the composer - replied, ”Geoffery O’ Hara“! Mary marveled at the way the Lord HONORED her COMMITMENT to sing for Him alone.

Dear friends, when you make a firm decision that you will stand for the Lord, remember He will definitely honor your commitment. He will create favor in people’s eyes and co-ordinate things in such a way that you would be surprised to see the outcome. - GOD BLESS !

Sent in By: JOHNSON DANIEL

REFUSE TO LISTEN TO SATAN !!

Randy was a drunkard for nearly ten years. Every Friday night after receiving his weekly salary he would straight away go to the wine shop with his friends and would drink his money out.
He would reach home late in the night, abuse his wife and children and the entire house would be like hell, But, by the immense grace of God one day Randy accepted Christ as his Savior .
He confessed his sin and made a firm decision that he would not drink anymore.

As usual once again the payday came. It was Friday. Randy with the money in hand was walking home passing through the wine shop and the Holy Spirit whispered to him to go home straight.

At the same time, Satan kindled his fleshly desire saying, ‘Just one little drink”. Randy tried to resist. But Satan tried another trick. He said, “Just go inside with your friends, but don’t drink”. This seemed a good idea for Randy.

He went inside the wine shop but alas, he fell into the temptation. He drank his ‘heart-full’, returned home and his family encountered the same torture.

The next day the Holy Spirit convicted Randy and he felt extremely guilty and miserable.

He pleaded with God and then with his wife to forgive him. In his quiet time, the Holy Spirit instructed him to change his route from his work spot to his home to escape the temptation of the wine shop.

Randy obeyed the voice of God and on next Friday, the pay day, he said good bye to his friends once for all and took a different route to his home, reached home happily as a victorious man. The entire family rejoiced and praised the Lord.

Dear friends, Satan is always at work in the life of every child of God.He does not bother about us as long as we live according to the ways of the world; but once we make a commitment to follow Jesus, he somehow wants to distract us, and make us drift from the Truth.

But let us resist him in the name of Jesus. Let us make a resolution to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obey what He says.
If we do so we will not only bring happiness in our lives, but also please God who is our Creator.

Let's say this little Prayer : Loving heavenly Father, I thank you for redeeming me from sin. Help me not to fall into temptation. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit to live a victorious Christian life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

GOD BLESS YOUR DAY !

Sent in by: JOHNSON DANIEL