History and legend of the Poinsettia

The plant Euphorbia pulcherrima, which we have named poinsettia is indigenous to Central America and grew vigorously in parts of Southern Mexico. Known by the Aztecs as the "flower that grows in residues," it was prized for its beauty and also for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.

During the presidency of James Madison, Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851) became the first American Ambassador to Mexico.  He was the son of a French physician and had developed a deep interest in botany. 

While visiting Taxco del Alarcon in 1828, he was delighted by the beautiful red plants he saw all around.  Sending a few samples back to his greenhouses in South Carolina, he soon propagated the plants.  They made special gifts for friends and a welcome addition to botanical gardens of the time. 

One man gifted by the plant was John Bartram of Philadelphia.  He gave it over to a Robert Buist, nurseryman in Pennsylvania.  From there, the enchanting plant sold well to other Americans and became known in name for the man who brought it to America.

Since then, the man and his popular Christmas plant is honored on December 12 designated by Congress as National Poinsettia Day.

It is interesting to note that Mr. Poinsett founded the roots of today's Smithsonian Institution.

The Legend of the Poinsettia

The plant's connection with Christmas began in Mexico during the 1500's.  It seems there was a poor Mexican girl named Pepita who had no gift for the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services.

As she and her cousin Pedro walked to the chapel, a feeling of gloom overtook her heart.  Pedro tried to console her by reminding her that it isn't a fancy gift that is important but that any gift of love is acceptable.

Rather than appear empty handed, she picked out some weeds and tried to make a pretty bouquet of them.  Pepita felt tears come to her eyes as she walked through the doors of the village chapel with her drab gift for the One she adored above all.

As she approached the altar, the love within her shone bright.  She knelt to leave the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene and suddenly felt a warming spirit all around her.  The bouquet she dropped started to bloom into bursts of brilliant red and green.  It was Christmas miracle of love!

Since then, the bright red flowers became known as Flowers of the Holy Night and come back every year at Christmas time.

@KLKraemer

http://www.phoenixflowershops.com/pages/poinsettiahistory.htm

Advent Season

The Advent wreath represents eternity upon which five candles are arranged to depict the Light of Christ. 

During the season of Advent, 

one candle each Sunday is lit to show a gift of spiritual preparation

for the coming of our Lord.

Three purple candles and one rose-colored candle. In the center of the wreath sits a white candle. 

On the first Sunday of Advent,
the first purple candle ("Prophecy Candle") is lit.
This candle represents hope in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 Micah 5:2 
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

On the second Sunday of Advent,
the second purple candle is lit.  This candle ("Bethlehem Candle") points out the love.God has shown us. 

On the third Sunday of Advent, 
the rose-colored candle is lit. This candle ("Shepherds' Candle") represents joy.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent,
the last purple candle is lit.  This candle ("Angels' Candle") represents peace.

On Christmas Eve,

the white center candle ("Christ Candle") is lit. It represents purity in the life of Christ the Savior who has come into the world.
Those who receive Him are made whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (ESV)

@KLKraemer

christianity.about.com/od/christmas/qt/adventwreath.htm

Land that I love

Judge Roy Moore Unlawfully Removed

 

Thursday, October 20, 2016

THE CRUCIFIXION OF JUDGE ROY MOORE Exclusive: Matt Barber slams 'anti-Christian' SPLC Follow Barber on Twitter.

Under the “progressive” leadership of Barack Obama and his like-minded “social justice” warriors throughout all levels of government, we have entered an era of lawlessness unprecedented in American history. This is no more apparent than in Alabama where Chief Justice Roy Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court has been unlawfully removed from the bench at the hands of liberal activists on Alabama’s Court of the Judiciary (COJ). The case is under appeal. This miscarriage of justice was carried out at the behest of the left-wing extremist Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an anti-Christian activist organization that seeks to undermine, if not extinguish altogether, the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.   . CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Days of Elijah

Planned Parenthood Baby Organ Distributors Prosecuted

Liberty Counsel

  Contact:

  Public Relations Department
  407-875-1776 office

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  Media@LC.org

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Following taken directly from Liberty Counsel press release

Planned Parenthood Baby Organ Distributors Prosecuted October 17, 2016 SANTA ANA, CA -- The Orange County District Attorney's office filed a lawsuit against DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics, two sister biological supply companies, accusing them of selling fetal-derived cells and tissues at unlawfully high markups around the world. The suit demands that the companies stop the sale of aborted baby tissue and cells and reimburse researchers who overpaid. In the 21-page civil complaint, the district attorney's office charges unlawful and unfair business practices against DV Biologics, DaVinci Biosciences, Andres Isaias, Estefano Isaias, Sr. and Estefano Isaias, Jr.  DaVinci Biosciences is jointly owned and operated by all three of the accused. Two of the three accused also own and manage DV Biologics. The two companies share the same office space, employees and management. There is no separate accounting of the financials, revenue and expenses as both companies are 100 percent commingled. The suit alleges that the companies obtained aborted baby body parts from Planned Parenthood and sold tissues and stem cells from these aborted babies, earning hundreds of thousands in revenue from 2009 to 2015. State and federal law permits the donation of fetal tissue for research but forbids its sale for fees beyond certain strict limits, such as fees for processing and handling costs. According to the district attorney's office, this suit pertains to "illegally selling hundreds of fetal tissue products for profit." Here are some examples of unborn baby parts that DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics sold at a profit margin of 70 percent or more:  Heart - up to $674 in profit Liver - up to $233 in profit       Stomach - up to $221 in profit Small Intestine - up to $664 in profit DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics higher mark-up over their costs included inflated packaging, handling fees and shipping fees. Prices were intentionally set as high as possible to leave room to offer discounts and negotiate a lower price so as to ensure a profit on sales even with discounts. For example, the companies apparently charged as much as $700 per vial for tissue that cost only $20 to process. The same product was often randomly sold to different customers at different prices. U.S. customers and educational institutions were typically charged the highest prices whereas the deepest discounts were offered to international distributors around the world. The companies also hired an outside marketing consultant to develop marketing materials, including a catalog, to support their sales effort for prenatal products made from fetal heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, large intestines, small intestines, skin, skeletal muscle and bones. Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel said, "This is atrocious. These companies are making outrageous profits from killing babies. Our client, Sandra Merritt, was one of the journalists who blew the whistle on Planned Parenthood's corrupt practice of harvesting baby parts and greedily selling them. Liberty Counsel stands with her and supports this lawsuit by the Orange County District Attorney's office. The time for butchering precious babies and profiting from this human genocide must end." DaVinci Biosciences and DV Biologics higher mark-up over their costs included inflated packaging, handling fees and shipping fees. Prices were intentionally set as high as possible to leave room to offer discounts and negotiate a lower price so as to ensure a profit on sales even with discounts. For example, the companies apparently charged as much as $700 per vial for tissue that cost only $20 to process. The same product was often randomly sold to different customers at different prices. U.S. customers and educational institutions were typically charged the highest prices whereas the deepest discounts were offered to international distributors around the world. The companies also hired an outside marketing consultant to develop marketing materials, including a catalog, to support their sales effort for prenatal products made from fetal heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, large intestines, small intestines, skin, skeletal muscle and bones. About Liberty Counsel:  Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.

© Copyright 2016 Liberty Counsel. All rights reserved Tthelastbastille.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/abortion/

Centuries of aggression against Christians bring about the Crusades

Siege of Antioch

"The Crusades were but a temporary setback to Islamic expansion, and the source of endless arguments that sought to establish some moral equivalence between Muslims and Christians at first, and eventually to elevate the former to victimhood and condemn the latter as aggressors. 

The Battle of Manzikert

Far from being wars of aggression, the Crusades were a belated military response of Christian Europe to over three centuries of Muslim aggression against Christian lands, the systemic mistreatment of the indigenous Christian population of those lands, and harassment of Christian pilgrims. 

Philip of France and the Third Crusade

The postmodern myth, promoted by Islamic propagandists and supported by some self-hating Westerners--notably in the academy--claims that the peaceful Muslims, native to the Holy Land, were forced to take up arms in defense against European-Christian aggression.  This myth takes A.D. 1095 as its starting point, but it ignores the preceding centuries, starting with the early caliphs, when Muslim armies swept through the Byzantine Empire, conquering about two-thirds of the Christian world of that time."  Taken from The Sword of the Prophet, Serge Trifkovic, Regina Orthodox Press, Inc., 2002, pg. 97

See also:  The Siege of Antioch

The Battle of Manzikert

Third Crusade

Just for Today (poetry)

Just for Today

                                          from collection by Jerrold L.C. Ham

soundfeed.blogspot.com

Just for today, Lord,

         please give me grace.

Just for today, Lord,

      my problems I face.

Just for today, Lord,

                   give me rest from my fears.

Just for today, Lord,
   help dry my tears.

Just for today Lord,

  give me strength

    for my tasks.

Just for today, Lord,

     that's all I can ask.

@ Jerrold L.C. Ham

He's Alive!

Two Christians spared during Brussels attacks

Laura Harper and Laura Billiet heard an explosion early Tuesday while walking into the Brussels airport. Their first reaction was to pray as Harper relates,

  

"At first I was a complete coward, hiding under the desk. I thought maybe they have guns, maybe people are going to start shooting us. We were praying."

Their timing would have put them in the line of fire if it weren't for a friend who wanted a snack before reaching the airport.  The slight delay very well may have saved their lives. 

According to Harper, 

"If we had arrived one minute earlier, we would have been right inside, right where it happened.....at the counter I was going to. I'm just so grateful."

The Islamic State claimed a death toll of at least 30.

 *************

Joyce Meyer posted prayers to Facebook.

"This morning three explosions went off in Brussels, Belgium, killing 34 people and wounding 170 more. Today, we stand in prayer with the people of Belgium knowing that God is our hope."

From Charismanews.com

Football Coach suspended for praying files complaint against school

For the past seven years Coach Joe Kennedy of Bremerton High School in Washington state has quietly kneeled in prayer after the school's football games. He has always waited until players have left the field to then walk onto the 50-yard line to pray.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

He typically thanks God for the opportunity to play a good game, win or lose, and asks for God's blessings upon the students' lives and their futures. The prayer is usually less than 30 seconds and causes no intrusive disturbance.
He instructs no one to join him but over time many of his students have chosen to do so. One of the joiners is an agnostic who voluntarily supports his coach and teammates as he feels it is an inspirational practice.
However, a few students, including the school president, are dismayed by the school's tolerance of the believers; and they therefore tried to organize a protest. The Satanic Temple of Seattle was invited to attend the game supposedly in an effort to claim the right to express their religion after games as well. This reason given for the protest is nonsensical since there is (or was) no one stopping anyone from quietly praying after games, regardless of religion. Furthermore, if there are any volunteers who might want to join them, they are (or were) free to do so.
It was in September of 2015 that the school district told Joe Kennedy he must stop praying on the school property because there may be a violation of the Establishment Clause. Coach Joe Kennedy, a Marine veteran who knows and has fought for our Constitution of freedom and justice, understood that his rights were being violated; and he sought legal help from the Liberty Institute.

"Liberty Institute is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization committed to defending and restoring religious liberty across America—in our schools, for our churches and throughout the public arena. Often, our help is a last resort for those whose constitutional freedoms and God-given rights have been denied." Mission statement from the Liberty Institute

After reviewing the case and within a month, Liberty Institute sent a letter to the school board clearly explaining why the coach is within his rights to offer personal prayers. Two days later and a few hours before the next game, a homecoming game, the school told Joe he was facing disciplinary action if he ever prayed again on school property within sight of his players. In other words, he must hide when he prays.
Kennedy stated:

"BSD does not uniformly or consistently enforce its discriminatory policy. I have observed other BSD employees engage in visible religious expression without adverse consequences.”

That night, attorney Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Institute walked with Kennedy onto the field as Kennedy intended to offer his usual post-game prayer. They didn't walk alone for long. Bremerton players came back to support their coach. On top of that, many players from the opposing team joined in a circle around the coach as he prayed.
Coach Kennedy was suspended.
December 15, 2015: Liberty Institute filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the school's violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“Coach Kennedy engages in private religious expression during noninstructional hours, after his official duties as a coach have ceased. He neither requests, encourages, nor discourages students from participating in, or coming to where he prays. … Under these circumstances, there is no constitutional prohibition against Coach Kennedy’s private religious expression.” Hiram Sasser

EEOC will decide if an investigation is in order.

For original article, click here.