St Patrick's Day

On Wednesday March 17th it will be St. Patrick’s Day. Here in the United States it is largely a secular holiday to celebrate Irish culture and a occasion where many indulge in revelry. It’s origin however, was to honor a man who had a great impact on faith in Ireland and abroad.

Wilstar.com http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm is a website where information about holidays, customs and traditions are explained. In their article about St Patrick’s Day, they give some biographical details about Patrick as well as background on common symbols. Here are excerpts from that web page:

“Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day”
If you would like to learn more about St Patrick, click on this link to see what’s available at the Upper Room Store: http://theupperroomstore.deepershopping.com/index.php?module=productsearch&product_config=&title=St+Patrick&artist=&isbn=&upc=&language=&releasedays=0
You might also enjoy this song “Irish Day” by Iona http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S68NKorqcFI
Blessings to you!

Christians and Creation

Christians and Creation (used with permission – post from MaryBeth’s Hope Harbor)

I am a member of a group of volunteers from my church who will be teaching children about France.
As I was considering, what to present to the children, I did a Google search about evangelism in France. I found an interesting article about a French scientist named Andre Eggers who is a Christian and gives speeches on Creationism to help introduce people to God and help them to believe the Bible is true. Perhaps when my friend and I do our presentation, we could talk about inventions made by French people and lead into a discussion of the Greatest Inventor (Creator) and talk about how the French need more books about creationism translated into French (SO many believe in evolution) and how the Church there needs to have courage and not compromise. (We of course will need to present this on a child's level)

This prompted me to realize how vital it is that Christians stand firm for truth. It is wonderful to have the confidence and assurance that science is not incompatible with the Bible.
Below is a link to an informative resource.
Institute for Creation Research
http://www.icr.org/

The Upper Room online Christian Bookstore has a number of publications on the topic of creation. Click the link to check out the list of relevant books.
http://theupperroomstore.deepershopping.com/index.php?module=productsearch&product_config=Book&title=creation&artist=&isbn=&upc=&language=&releasedays=0
There are books there for those with a broad range of experience – from the novice enthusiast to the skilled scientist.

Faith and Fitness

The Bible says that bodily exercise is of some profit. There is a great deal of emphasis currently on health and fitness.
It is also vital that we are also concerned for the wellness of our souls.
Moody Radio has began a Faith and Fitness Challenge. For details visit: http://www.moodyradiochicago.fm/rdo_promoDetail.aspx?id=48721

To assist you in your endeavor to live a healthy lifestyle both physically and siiritually may I suggest some resources from my online store
http://theupperroomstore.deepershopping.com/index.php?module=productsearch&product_config=&title=fitness&artist=&isbn=&upc=&language=&releasedays=0

Valentine's Day

Love is in the air!! Yes, Valentine's Day is going to be upon us in just a week and a half! Everywhere you look, there are red hearts, in stores, at homes, in schools and in work places. Everyone is expecting a gift that expresses affection from a loved one. Even the kids get in on the action.

St Valentine, who is he??? Check out the Upper Room Store for some simple books that tell about the story of this great man who is why this holiday is celebrated. An example is Nancy Skarmeas's book entitled: "Story Of Valentine's Day" written so toddlers can also understand about this important day. Click on the title of this blog to get directly to the page about this book.

After viewing the valentine page, if you would like to check the rest of the store for more gift items look on the left side of that page, you will see categories such as Books, Home Decor & Accents, Fahion & Jewelry and others. Chose the category that interests you and browse. I would like to mention that there is a beautiful purity ring in the Fashion & Jewelry section that can be given to a daughter by her dad or mom, or from a guy to his fiance.

Happy Valentine's Day in advance!!