Impress Your Friends and Family - A Virtual Cornucopia of Christmas Knowledge

Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and it has changed a lot over the past two thousand years. What started as a Christian holiday has become a worldwide celebration that includes both religious and secular traditions. Many of these traditions trace back to earlier pagan customs. Today, Christmas is primarily a time for families and friends to come together and exchange gifts.

Enchanting Christmas Traditions In New Mexico - The Southwest At Its Best!

 New Mexico proudly boasts a vibrant tapestry of Spanish and Mexican history, which has profoundly influenced our state’s holiday traditions. The roots of these celebrations go back to early European missionaries who shared with the native population the heartwarming tale of Mary and Joseph’s quest for shelter and the miraculous birth of Jesus. 

New Mexico Christmas Traditions: Posole | Holiday Recipes | New Mexico TRUE

 Story By: Ken Hulsey

 There's simply nothing quite like New Mexican food - once you've experienced it, nothing else can compare. If you live outside of New Mexico like I do, you've likely been spoiled by the wonderful Southwestern cuisine and now find yourself missing it dearly. 

As the holiday season approaches, I find my taste buds craving a savory bowl of posole, a spicy pork and hominy soup that can be garnished with lime wedges, green onions, cilantro, tortilla shells or chips, cabbage, or radish slices. On a cold day, there's nothing more warming than a steaming bowl of this delectable dish.

Luminarias or Farolitos - New Mexico Christmas Traditions | New Mexico TRUE

Written By Ken Hulsey

One of my fondest Christmas memories comes from the time I lived in New Mexico. Seeing the walkways and buildings aglow with a sea of luminaries, also known as farolitos, was a wonderful and spectacular sight during the holidays. In fact, I've often considered decorating my own home and yard with luminarias to capture that enchanting southwestern flair.

Christmas In The Lone Star State - The Traditions That Make Texas Uniquely Different

 Source - TCP

Christmas traditions are a delightful tapestry woven through different countries, regions, and families, all aimed at spreading joy during the festive season. While popular activities like baking cookies and decorating Christmas trees are seen widely across the United States, each state proudly showcases its own distinct customs— none more so than Texas! Let’s dive into some heartwarming Texas Christmas traditions that bring a special touch to the holiday season.

The Truth About Tryptophan | Thanksgiving Trivia Time - First Thanksgiving' Was Actually Not the First | Post-Thanksgiving Nap Guide

The traditional American Thanksgiving meal features seasonal dishes like roasted turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. While this menu is now a beloved holiday staple, the "first Thanksgiving" in 1621 likely looked quite different.

The Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow recorded that the colony's governor, William Bradford, sent men to hunt "fowl" for the three-day celebration. This suggests wild turkey was likely a main dish, rather than the domestic turkeys we associate with modern Thanksgiving. However, the hunting party may have also returned with other birds such as ducks, geese, and swans that were common food sources for both the English settlers and Wampanoag tribe.

Forgotten Heroes: Untold Tales from Veterans Day History

From The Veterans Administration

World War I, commonly known as "The Great War," officially ended on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France. However, fighting had actually ceased seven months earlier, on November 11, 1918, when an armistice—a temporary cessation of hostilities—took effect between the Allied nations and Germany. For this reason, November 11th is widely recognized as the end of "the war to end all wars."

Halloween History | How Did Trick-or-Treating Become a Halloween Staple?

Trick-or-treating is one of the most cherished Halloween traditions, where kids don their favorite costumes and eagerly go door-to-door asking, "Trick or treat?" Their playful inquiry often leads to delightful rewards like sugary candies or even a bit of pocket change. The “trick” part, of course, serves as a cheeky, lighthearted threat to prank the homeowners if they don’t receive a treat—though it’s rarely taken seriously!

 

The History of Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2019 occurs on Sunday, May 12. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards and other gifts.

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.”

Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service.

Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.

The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.

These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.

Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”

Read The Original Article At History.com

The Real Meaning of Easter

From Journey Church (Alexandria/Pineville LA) / CBN

Out of the many churches in Alexandria and Pineville you could choose from, we’d be honored to have you as our guest! Expect hear great music and practical preaching while your kids are having a blast. We accept, welcome and love everyone. Come as guests, leave as family. Special parking for first time guests and free coffee. Hope to see you this Sunday!

Alexandria Campus
1898 MacArthur Drive
Alexandria, LA 71301

Sundays at 11am

Pineville Campus
2900 Donahue Ferry Rd
Pineville, LA 71360

Sundays at 8:30am, 10am & 11:30am

Wednesdays @ 6:30pm

Jesus had come into town for the Passover celebration and was nearing the time when he would be betrayed by one of his disciples, publicly humiliated and mocked, beaten beyond recognition, and hung on a cross to die. It was the night before his suffering when he made his special request for his followers to remember that He gave his body for them and poured out his blood as a sacrifice for them.

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Good Friday – What is it?

Good Friday is observed on the Friday that proceeds Easter Sunday (also called Resurrection Sunday). It is a day when people remember Jesus’ death on the cross. Many people, mostly Christians, celebrate this day by attending a Good Friday service where they read the biblical accounts of Jesus’ death on the cross. (Read Luke 19.)

Good Friday – What Happened on Good Friday?
Although the term “Good Friday” is not mentioned in the Bible, we can study the events that took place on the day Jesus was crucified. After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken through several trials before the chief priests, Pontius Pilate, and Herod (Luke 22:54–23:25). Three of the trials were by Jewish leaders and three by the Romans (John 18:12-14, Mark 14:53-65, Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:6-12, Mark 15:6-15). These events led up to Good Friday.

Pilate tried to compromise with the religious leaders by having Jesus beaten, but this act didn't satisfy them, so Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified (Mark 15:6-15). Jesus was mocked by the soldiers as they dressed Him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns (John 19:1-3). The sentence was written “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Jesus, assisted by Simon of Cyrene, was then forced to carry His cross to the place of His death. It was at Golgotha that Jesus was crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17-22).

Later in the day, the Bible tells us that Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body and was granted permission. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb. He then rolled a big stone in front of the entrance.

Good Friday – Was it Friday?
The Bible does not tell us exactly the day of the week Jesus was crucified. Most scholars believe it was either Friday or Wednesday. There are others who compromise and say it was a Thursday.1 In Matthew 12:40, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Friday – We know that Jesus was in the grave for three days. If Jesus was crucified on a Friday, how can there be three days before Sunday? Proponents of a Friday crucifixion say that in a Jewish mindset, a part of a day was still considered to be a full day. So, if Jesus was in the grave for part of Friday, all day Saturday, and then part of Sunday, that would be considered three days. Mark 15:42-43 says that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath. If the Sabbath mentioned was the weekly Sabbath, then that lends toward a Friday crucifixion.

Thursday – Proponents of a Thursday crucifixion think there are too many events occurring for a Friday crucifixion to be possible. By adding an extra day, this alleviates the problem.

Wednesday – This view is based on there being two Sabbaths that week. The first is the one at the end of the crucifixion (Mark 15:42), which would have been the Passover. Then the second Sabbath was the weekly Sabbath. The women would have waited until after the Thursday Sabbath to purchase their spices on Friday, then rested on Saturday (Sabbath), and brought their spices to the tomb on Sunday morning. This takes a literal interpretation of the three days and three nights mentioned in Matthew 12:40.

No matter what day Jesus was crucified, we know that He died and rose from the grave! Since the day is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, we can assume that it is not all that important.

Good Friday – Why is it “Good”?
Is good Friday really “good”? It may seem odd that people celebrate the day Jesus’ was crucified as “good.” Obviously, the suffering Jesus went through on Good Friday was not good. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, and killed in a very violent way. How can that be good?

The results of Jesus’ death are very good! This is explained in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Then in 1 Peter 3:18, it is reiterated again: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

Do you see Good Friday as a “good” day? Has Jesus washed away your sins and forgiven you? Will you spend eternity with Him?

From All About Jesus Christ

It's National Teacher Day ... So...

National Teacher Day is on Tuesday during Teacher Appreciation Week, which takes place in the first full week of May.

In many countries, Teachers' Day is a special day for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honor them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers' Day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers' days in different countries are distinct from World Teachers' Day, which is celebrated on 5 October.

The idea of celebrating Teachers' Day took root in many countries during the 20th century; in most cases, they celebrate a local educator or an important milestone in education (for example, Argentina has commemorated Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's death on 11 September since 1915, while India has celebrated the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5 September) since 1962). This is the primary reason why countries celebrate this day on different dates, unlike many other International Days.

I quote Van Helen

Oh wow, man
Wait a second man Whaddaya think the teacher's gonna look like this year? (my butt, man)
Oh yeah T-T-Teacher stop that screaming, teacher don't you see?
Don't want to be no uptown fool
Maybe I should go to hell, but I'm doin' well,
Teacher needs to see me after school

I think of all the education that I missed
But then my homework was never quite like this
Ow got it bad, got it bad, got it bad,
I'm hot for teacher
I got it bad, so bad,

Thoughts about blessings, faith and life to ponder on Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving a day to, well, be thankful for all the wonderful blessings that we have in our lives.I could go on and on about the things I am personally thankful for. My loving fiance Terri, my wonderful children, Ashley, Chris, Miranda, Mary and Chuck. My new family and friends in Pennsylvania plus my extended family ... you know who you are. My job, my house, this blog, my pets ... lots of things.

Okay I kinda just went on and on a bit.

I urge all of you to take time today to just kinda soak in life. Think about all the things in your life that you are truly thankful for. Enjoy your family, though they may make you nuts, and you may want to throw them in the oven with the turkey, you may realize that life would be empty without them.

You my not come to that conclusion, but I urge you to give it a shot.

Here are some thoughts about blessings, faith and life to ponder while you pound down your meal and watch 'A Christmas Story' yet again.

Blessings: We often forget that everything in life, including life itself, is a blessing from God. As a man of faith I thank God during my daily prayer for all those blessings he has bestowed upon myself and my family. If you ever want to know just how blessed you really are? Just take a few moments to look around you. There are many people who are having a much harder time getting through their daily life than you are. Take time to pray for those people. Even though it may not seem like it to the casual observer, The Lord is taking care of them as well.

We live in a world full of distractions. From cell phones to television our daily lives are filled with things that take our minds off our problems as well as God. I urge you to take the time to look around you. There is a beautiful world out there. Instead of watching another cute cat video, watch some children playing, look at a sunset or if you have the means take a walk in the woods. The miracle of God's creation is all around you and is a much more wonderful show than anything on the television or internet. Take every opportunity to disconnect from technology and grow closer to God through enjoyment of his wonders.

Nobody ever said the having faith would be easy, it's not, in fact it can be one of the single hardest things in your personal life. Everything we are taught in our lives, both consciously and unconsciously, seems to put us in a position not to trust in it. The first moment that a problem, no matter how severe, rears up it's ugly we head we begin to worry. Stress can overwhelm and the mind begins to run wild with scenarios. Stomach upset and a restless nights sleep will undoubtedly follow. Faith, at it's core, centers on a persons ability to overcome this (or at least attempt to do so in earnest.) and accept God's will no matter what. That of course is easier said than done.

Many times God's will, Gods plan, or God's timetable for the events of our lives simply don't mesh with what we want. Everyone lives in a society of instant gratification instant news, instant food and an "I want it now" mindset. God simply doesn't work this way. Just because YOU want it immediately or YOU may feel something is an immediate need does not always mean that it is what is best for you in the grand scheme of things. Very rarely do we as human beings take this in to account. We almost never look at these things as a possible harm. God always does and on numerous occasions He will step in and stop things, not to make our lives hard, but to protect us from unforeseen hardship and to provide an even better opportunity through His grace. This, as one would expect, puts the human race at odds with God. Not because we wish to fight against the Lord, but simply because we are human with all of it's frailties and lack of an omnipotent point of view.

The important thing to remember is that God always has your back. Look back throughout your life and try to remember some of the hardships you have endured. Did you make it through that situation? Did the problem seem to solve itself, or did something unexpected happen to solve the problem? Are you here on the other side of the event with a better perspective on the event wondering why you were so worked up in the first place? That my friend is how God works in our lives through faith. You may not have had a plan at that point in your life, but God did and He delivered you through it to where you are today.