Samaritan’s Purse 2024 Gift Catalog

 

For Christmas gifting, many people shop online or from gift catalogs for gifts picked specifically for friends and loved ones. The gifting tradition has many historical origins but ultimately, for Christians, derives from the three gifts brought for the baby Jesus by the wise men from the East. The secular Christmas tradition completely forgets or ignores this.

The Samaritan’s Purse 2024 Gift Catalog is a Christian option. For full disclosure, I have no connection to Samaritan’s Purse except as a donor. The catalog turns gift-giving around. The gift to your loved ones is a gift in their name to a person, family, or community hurting and in need.

Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization operating in over 100 countries. It carries out mission activities and disaster relief efforts and is run by Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham (1918-2018). www.samaritanspurse.org   1-828-262-4980. 1-800-353-5957. Their physical address is:

            Samaritan’s Purse

            P. O. Box 3000

            Boone, NC 28607 USA

The gift items are listed on this web page: www.samaritanspurse.org/catalog24  The suggested donations can be from an individual or a group. $ = US dollars.

1.      Feed a Hungry Baby: baby formula for a week. Suggested donation: $6.

2.      Provide Hot Meals for a Child: hot meals for a week. Suggested donation: $7

3.      Rescue Children in Crisis: shelter and daily needs, education. Suggested donation: $75

4.      Care for an Orphan: support orphanages and children’s homes. Suggested donation: $35

5.      Help a Family Survive a Disaster: supplies, water filters, food, temporary shelter, cooking kits, hygiene items. Suggested donation: $45

6.      Put a Stop to Human Trafficking: education. Suggested donation: $125

7.      Serve Desperate Refugees: food, shelter, etc. Suggested donation: $125

8.      Feed a Family: after natural disasters or war. Suggested donation: $35

9.      Bring Clean Water to a Community: water filters, pumps. Suggested donation: $75

10.  Give a Filter to a Family: water filter for clean water. Suggested donation: $100

11.  Drill a Village Well: Suggested donation: $10,000

12.  Honeybees: hives, equipment, training. Suggested donation: $20

13.  “Jesus Loves Me: Lambs: toy lambs that play the song, “Jesus Loves Me.” Suggested donation: $10

14.  Baby Chicks: chicks, a coop, eggs to eat or sell. Suggested donation: $14

15.  Blankets and Bedding: Suggested donation: $6

16.  Bless the Marriage of a Married Couple: Alaska wilderness lodge, marriage classes, airfare. Suggested donation: $6,000

17.  Send Help to Mission Hospital: airfare and lodging for volunteer medical professionals. Suggested donation: $50

18.  Provide Life-Saving Medical Care: airlifts, medical care. Suggested donation: $100

19.  Restore Sight to the Blind: cataract surgeries. Suggested donation: $40

20.  Provide Life-Saving Medical Equipment: refurbished donated equipment. Suggested donation: $25

21.  Help Repair a Cleft Lip: surgery. Suggested donation: $250

22.  Mend a Child’s Heart: heart procedures, lodging. Suggested donation: $2,200

23.  Send a New Missionary Doctor: Suggested donation: $100

24.  Equip a Hospital Chaplain for Ministry: Suggested donation: $500

25.  Build or Improve a Mission Hospital: Suggested donation: $35,000

26.  Build a House of Worship: Suggested donation: $15,000

27.  Give a Copy of God’s Word: Suggested donation: $10

28.  Stand with Persecuted Christians: build churches, family care. Suggested donation: $40

29.  Adopt a Shoebox: Shipping and other costs for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts: Suggested donation: $10

30.  Disciple a Child: material, teacher training, Bible. Suggested donation: $6

31.  Give a Dairy Goat: goat or other dairy animal for milk to drink or sell. Suggested donation: $70

32.  Give a Baby Kit: ultrasound, vitamins, diapers, wipes. Suggested donation: $75

33.  Plant a Grove of Trees: tree seedlings. Suggested donation: $45

Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Music Comment: WOW Christmas

Capitol Record’s WOW Worship release, WOW Christmas, is a 2 compact disk collection of “30 top Christian artists and holiday songs.” The songs are a mixture of religious and secular tunes all performed by Christian artists. All the songs have a Christmas theme. The musical styles range from contemporary pop, to country, to rap.  The artists include Casting Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Hillsong, Mandisa, Third Day, and Amy Grant.

Some may object that not all the songs are specifically  Christian. They include “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Jingle Bells.” The thing to remember is that all the artists are Christian. Their work is done “as to the Lord.”

Whether you are a lawyer, deliver dairy products, are a professional athlete, install carpet, perform lawn care, write magazine articles, are a soldier, drive a truck, are a hospital venipuncturist, grow potatoes, are a florist, or engage in any other legitimate occupation, the following words of Scripture apply to you. For the Christian there is no secular. We belong to God and all of our activities should be performed for His glory; “as to the Lord.”

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Colossians 3:23,24, NASB

“With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” Ephesians 6:7-8, NASB

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

WOW Christmas WD2-888766

Just a Day at Work

Watch what happened at this photography processing shop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AnMlQNw1M8&annotation_id=annotation_709575&feature=iv

Poinsettia: The Christmas Star

Many people think that the large red leaves of the beautiful poinsettia plant are the flowers.  Actually the flowers are quite tiny and are a yellowish-white color.  The leaves are sometimes also colored pink, white, yellow or green.  The plants, which bloom in December, are also known as “the Christmas Star,” “the lobster flower,” “the Mexican flame leaf,” and “las Flores de Noche Buena.” Since the early nineteenth century, poinsettias have had a close association with the Christmas holiday in the United States.

Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and Central America so it makes sense that the first known mention of poinsettias is in Aztec sources. The flowers were used as a source of a red dye to color clothing.  The Aztecs saw the intense red color as a symbol of purity.

There are two very similar Mexican legends about the origins of the plant, both involving children.  In both legends, poor children could not afford to buy flowers so they lovingly collected weeds to place on the Christmas nativity crèche at their church.  As the congregants prayed, the offering was blessed as the weeds turned into a blazing red display.

Franciscan priests in Taxco, Mexico in the seventeenth century used poinsettias in their celebration of the Feast of Santa Pesebre.  A pesebre is a nativity scene similar to a crèche.

The earliest name for the plants was the Aztec cuetlaxochitl.  The most common modern name comes from Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851), who brought the plants to the United States in 1825.  Poinsett was the first United States Minister to Mexico.

The Aztec understanding of the meaning of the poinsettia speaks to me: purity, especially since some Christians have come to associate the intense red color of the plants with the Blood of Christ.  It is sometimes forgotten that the most important Christian holiday is not Christmas, but Easter, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The poinsettia image is from Andre Karwath, a contributor to the Wikimedia Commons Project, and is used under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.5 Generic provision.

An Excellent a capella Version of The Little Drummer Boy

An a capella version of The Little Drummer Boy by Pentatonix, a quintet who perform without instruments.  They named their group for the pentatonic scale, which has five notes per octave, since there are five members in the group.

The Little Drummer Boy was written by Katherine Kennicott Davis (1892-1980), a music teacher, composer, and pianist.  She based the tune on a Czech baby rocking carol which has never been successfully identified.  The original title of Davis' song was Carol of the Drum.  Davis left all her music royalties to Wellesley College.

What They Think of Us: Christmas Themed Horror Films

Below is an alphabetical list of some, but not all, of the Christmas themed horror films.  Most of these films are either set at Christmas time or feature a homicidal maniac dressed as Santa Claus.  In a few cases, the homicidal killer IS Santa Claus.  The list is by no means exhaustive.

Santa Claus is not actually a Christian religious symbol even though many people think that he is.  He is, of course, based very loosely on Nicholas of Myra, a very generous 4^th century bishop in Turkey.  Santa Claus is an increasingly secularized generic symbol of cheer, goodwill, and sharing with others.

These films demonstrate more than anything else a disrespect for the Christmas holiday.  Some express outright contempt.  Depending on the exact nature of their content, some of them may be blasphemous.

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2009)

Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas (2006)

Bloody Christmas (2012)

A Cadaver Christmas (2011)

Child’s Play (1988)

Christmas Evil (1980)

Christmas Nightmare (2001)

The Christmas Season Massacre (2001)

Christmas Slay (2014)

A Christmas Tale (2010)

Christmas With the Dead (2012)

The City of Lost Children (1995)

Day of the Beast (1995)

Deadly Little Christmas (2009)

Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)

Elves (1980)

Feeders 2: Slay Bells (1998)

Gremlins (1984)

Initiation: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990)

Jack Frost (1997)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Night Train Murders (1975)

One Hell of a Christmas (2002)

Ornaments (2008)

Psycho Santa (2003)

Rare Exports (2010)

Saint (2010)

Saint Nick (2011)

Santa Claus (1959)

Santa Claus and Merlin Battle Satan (1959)

Santa Claws (1996)

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Silent Night (2012)

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974)

Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming (2013)

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 2 (1987)

Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy maker (1991)

Silent Night of the Living Dead (in development)

Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009)

Tales From the Crypt (1972)

To All a Good Night (1980)

Two Front Teeth (2006)

Wind Chill (2007)

Three really oddball films:

Bad Santa (2003) This (and its unrated version, Badder Santa) sounds like a horror film but is actually a highly vulgar comedy.

Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas (2010) A drug comedy.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) A children’s film featuring the first film appearance of the legendarily bad actress, Pia Zadora.

Thanksgivingkuh

When I first heard about Thanksgivingkuh, it somehow did not sound right to me.  It is a sort of comical take on the extremely rare occurance of the American secular holiday, Thanksgiving, and the first day of the Jewish religious holiday, Hanukkah, occurring on the same day.  The next time this convergence will occur is on 28 November 79,811.   Since the Hanukkah festival lasts for eight days, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah have and will continue to occur on other days within the eight-day period over the years.  The last time both holidays fell on the first day of the festival was on 29 November 1888.  Hanukkah 2013 began on Wednesday 27 November because the Jewish day begins at sundown.  Since the Jewish calendar is lunar-based and on a nineteen year cycle, the festivals move around in date much more than in the common Gregorian Calendar.  Hanukkah begins each year on the 25^th day of the month of Kislev.

Thansgivingkuh (Thanksgiving + Hanukkah) cards have appeared along with a menurkey (menorah + turkey).  A menurkey is a turkey decoration whose tail holds the candles normally place in the sacred menorah.

I asked a Jewsih friend what he thought of Thanksgivingkuh and he said he had not heard of it but that he was amused. My friend did not share my feeling that the merging of the two holidays, one secular and one religious, was somehow sacrilegious.  Though Hanukkah is a religious holiday, many American Jews see it as overly secularized and commercialized.  Some see it as a time to give gifts so that their children will not be upset about not celebrating Christmas.

Hanukkah celebrates a Jewish military victory in 165 BC/BCE over the Greek/Syrian army of Antiochus Epiphanes after which the candle in the Temple burned for eight days on a supply of oil sufficient for only one day.  The battle ended on 25 Kislev. This was seen as an affirmation from God of the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.  The word “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew verb חנך   which means “to dedicate.”  The festival is mentioned in the New Testament at John 10:22-23.  The events of Hanukkah are recounted in the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees.

Rachel Gurevitz, the Senior Rabbi at Congregation B.nai Shalom in Westborough, Massacusetts, sees Thanksgivingkuh as a chance to discuss Jewish and American history with children, seeing a convergence of meaning in both holidays.  Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, on the Fox News Channel, said essentially the same thing.

I am not a humorless Scrooge, but Thanksgivingkuh still strikes me as questionable.

………………………………………….

I am not sure who first pointed this out, but Hanukkah, from a Christian perspective, is very important.  If Antiochus Epiphanes had succeeded in basically exterminating the Jewish religion, then Jesus would probably not have been born as a Jew.   Jesus had to be truly human, He had to be truly divine, and He had to be Jewish.  Salvation comes through the Jews (John 4: 22).  God used the Jewish nation over the centuries to reveal Himself in a manner intellible to man’s limited understanding.  All of history before the Crucifixion was a preparation and an explanation of what God is like and what the Crucifixion and Resurrection mean.

New Recurrent Topic

I am beginning a new recurrent topic to go along with all the others: Differences Between Protestants and Roman Catholics/Orthodox: We are all Christians but there are some very real differences in attitudes and beliefs between us.  The unity of the Mind of Christ, the ἐκκλησία, unites us even if we may never be united on a human, organizational level.

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/was-jesus-born-on-december-25-faq.htm

A difference between us which is relevant for this time of year is the celebration of Christmas. Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas on 25 December while Orthodox observe the holiday on 7 January.  Biblical scholars and historians are almost universally agreed that both of these dates are incorrect.

The biblical and historical evidence points to the birth of Jesus having occurred in March or April of 6-5 BC/BCE.  Calculations by other scholars point to Jesus having been born in September or October.  The birth could not have occurred in 1BC/AD because Herod died in 4BC/BCE

About the 25 December and 7 January dates: Orthodox follow the Roman Julian calendar which was in use at the birth of Jesus while Protestants and Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar (Pope Gregory XIII, 1582) which corrected an error caused in dating because the year is not exactly 365 days in length. 

The 25 December date was first suggested by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 AD/CE and was celebrated on that date as early as 354, but it was not officially declared as the date until 440.

Christmas Recipes

Here is a link to a group of Christmas recipes at Yummly.com.

http://www.yummly.com/recipes?q=christmas

Wire Fencing

Atheists in Santa Monica, California apparently have mounted a campaign to displace the traditional Christmas nativity scenes usually created annually by a coalition of churches and the police department.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/10/atheist-group-ousts-church-christmas-displays-from-santa-monica-park/

The back and forth battle between Christians and outspoken atheists has been raging for several years across the United States to the point where many Evangelical Christians speak of a "War on Christmas."

The thing which struck me immediately when I saw the news reports on the current Santa  Monica situation was that the displays, including the non-Christian ones, had wire fencing in front of them to prevent vandalism.

Animals of You Tube Sing "Jingle Bells"

Just for fun!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Japanese Christmas Song

Just Because it's Cute!

Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.

Kwanzaa

The celebration of Kwanzaa begins today and runs through 1 January, 2011.  The holiday, which is cultural rather than religious,  is primarily observed in the United States; the name of the celebration comes from the Swahili phrase, matunda ya kwanzaa, which in English is translated as "first fruits of the harvest."

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulanga Ron Karenga (b. 1941), a college professor, political activist, and black nationalist.  He called it a "communitarian African philosophy" and stated that the festival was intended to  help African-Americans reconnect with their African heritage.

Each of the seven days of the festival features a different African value: Umoja (Unity); Kujichagulia (Self-determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility; Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics; Nia (Purpose);  Kuumba (Creativity; and Imani (Faith).

The festival has no overt religious content though some celebrants combine it with their Christmas festivities.  Nothing about the festival seems to be directly incompatible with Christianity.  Some criticism of the festival is based on its collectivist impulses.

Keeping Christmas

Many people observe Christmas with no idea of its meaning. In Japan, where almost no one is a Christian, many give Christmas gifts. E.M. Whittington (Chef Whitt), of Dripping Springs, Texas, says don't just observe Christmas, keep Christmas! You can keep Christmas with you all year long.

http://www.chefwhitt.com/

Merry Christmas from the North Point iBand

These guys are using iPhones and iPads to make their music. They are members of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.

A Christmas Blessing

"May you be blessed with moments of silence and hope at Christmas and always." Fred Rogers

Answers to Yesterday's Post

Here are the answers to yesterday's post.

1. The lad is a diminuitive percussionist.

The Little Drummer Boy

2. Decorate the entry-ways.

Deck the Halls

3. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.

Silent Night

4. ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Noel, Noel

5. Present me dual incisors for this festive yuletide.

All  I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

6. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

7. Exuberation to this orb.

Joy to the World

8. 288 Yuletide hours.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

9. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

10. The red-suited Papa is due in this burg.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

11. Far back in a hay bin.

Away in a Manger

12. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.

Go Tell It On the Mountain

13. I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.

I Saw Three Ships on Christmas Day

14. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.

Hark, The Herald Angels Sing

15. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

Jingle Bells

Try Your Hand At This

This is one of those things which get handed around from person to person.  No one knows where they start.  Try to figure out the actual titles of these Christmas songs from the very obscure clues you have been given. I'll post the answers tomorrow.

1. The lad is a diminuitive percussionist.
2. Decorate the entry-ways.
3. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.
4. ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ, ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
5. Present me dual incisors for this festive yuletide.
6. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.
7. Exuberation to this orb.
8. 288 Yuletide hours.
9. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs?
10. The red-suited Papa is due in this burg.
11. Far back in a hay bin.
12. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.
13. I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.
14. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.
15. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

Edited post

The "Jingle Bells" post on yesterday is flawed.  The video window in which this opens on this blog platform cuts off the right side of the picture. You may wish to view this on You Tube  instead.