Most importantly, though, Saint Nicholas “matters to Christmas,” for his “influence that has come across so many centuries is a kind of miracle. It is evidence of God’s love.”

Nicholas—which means “people’s victor” in Greek—was born in 280 A.D. in Lycia, a province of the Roman Empire that was located in what today is known as Turkey. He was born to Theophanes and Nonna, a relatively affluent couple who, in spite having been married for several years, had been unable to conceive a child until, after much praying, God blessed them with Nicholas.


The family resided in Patara, the town in which Nicholas was raised.

After his parents died from a plague that decimated many of Patara’s families, Nicholas went to a monastery to live with his uncle and namesake. Shortly thereafter, he began preparing for the priesthood. It was at this juncture that he proceeded to give away the wealth that he inherited from his parents.

Some of his resources Nicholas used for the benefit of a family in Patara, a once-wealthy father of three daughters who experienced a dramatic reversal of fortunes and now found himself destitute. This is perhaps the most famous of Saint Nicholas’ stories, and undoubtedly the one more than any other that would give rise to Nicholas’s reputation as the world’s most famous gift-giver.

In those days, a man was expected to pay his daughter’s prospective husband a dowry for marrying her. But given this man’s poverty, he couldn’t afford a dowry for one of his daughters, let alone all three of them. This was a pressing problem, for to prevent his family from starving to death, the only alternative to marrying his girls off was to sell them into slavery.

Nicholas found out about the man’s plight. On three separate occasions, late at night when he was sure that everyone was asleep, Nicholas threw sacks of gold through the window, providing dowries for all three daughters. Shortly after Nicholas provided for the third daughter, the father, who had been hiding in the hopes of discovering the identity of his heretofore anonymous benefactor, ran after Nicholas. Upon realizing who he was, the man bent his knee and began kissing Saint Nicholas’s hand. Get up, Nicholas told him, and thank God instead.


Revealingly, Saint Nicholas instructed the man to tell no one what he had done for him and his daughters.

Saint Nicholas was tortured, beaten, and starved for years after being imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who blamed Christians for the Empire’s problems. While incarcerated, Nicholas continued to preach the Gospel to the other inmates. But when Constantine assumed power and sought to make Christianity the religion of the Empire, the reign of Christian persecution ended.

Nicholas was a free man.

He is said to have been among the bishops that attended the famous Council of Nicaea, the event that produced the Nicene Creed.From this point onward, Christians the world over would affirm that God the Son, Jesus, was of one substance with His Father. The controversy resulted in the routing of Arianism, the heresy that denied Christ’s divinity. It is said that Nicholas so detested this corruption of the faith that he actually assaulted its founder, Arius, by slapping him across his face.

According to reports, Nicholas did some wonderful things. Once, while attending to the hungry in a region that had been ravaged by famine, Nicholas discovered that a butcher had murdered three boys, stuffed their bodies in a barrel, and attempted to sell them off as ham. Nicholas spoiled the butcher’s plot and restored the boys to life.


Another time, a ship was in port in his hometown. People were hungry. Nicholas prevailed upon the sailors to spare some of their wheat. Initially, however, they were reluctant to do so, for they were entrusted with getting the wheat to the Emperor, Constantine. Yet what they soon discovered is that when they reached Constantine, they had exactly the same amount of wheat that they had before they encountered Nicholas—even though they agreed to give the Bishop enough to feed the residents of his town for the next two years.

Still another story tells of Nicholas, after boarding a ship en route to the Holy Land, rescued the ship’s sailors and passengers from a brutal storm by praying to God for relief.

There are legions of other stories regarding this servant of God. He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students in cities and countries around the world.


Even today, he remains the patron saint of all of Greece, a giant figure in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Unfortunately, space constraints preclude a recap of the long but fascinating journey through the centuries from Saint Nicholas to Santa Claus. Still, what has been written here should suffice as a reminder that even so-called “secular” Christmas symbols like “Santa Claus” are the products of a rich religious, Christian legacy.

To know about Saint Nicholas is to see Santa Claus in an entirely different, truer light.

Very Good.. I have lost about $3,000,000 worth of deals because of this useless guys.. Giving Nigerian Bad Name..

Dede Koswara, 37, who is also known as a The Tree Man of Java had underwent four major operations that hacked away the bark like tissue sprouting from his hands and feet. Dede was able to see the outline of his toes for the first time as medics removed more than 4lbs of warts from his body.

Spending his last 20 years (his ordeal started when he was 15 and cut his knee where a small wart developed and spread) with the bizarre condition, Dede expressed that he wants to get better and find a job and hopes that one day he will meet a girl and get married.

This is why i love the Yoruba's. ( No hating on any tribe). The Yoruba's Love Education so much. Most Major Nigeria professors are Yorubas's.

how can i do that when she knows me already?

GraveMan:
Money Is Love...
Disguise As A Poor Man To See If She Truly Lover U

give me some clue.. thanks

habsydiamond:
set some test to find out if she truly cares or pretending

this five month was like the romeo and Juliet thing o.. The true is i think she is just afraid to admit her feelings to me.

KreativGenius:



wow @ five months....


she like them hard then, you're too loving. it means she was trying to see if feelings would develop. bro, sowwie, but she doesnt love you at all...five months is way too long for the process. a lady that loves a guy would drop hints from day one

I no fast o Bros.. She gave me the green light for about five month before i concluded to approach her..

KreativGenius:


no need, the guy was too fast, the lady doesnt love him yet, but can, he needs to take it slow and let the feelings build up in her

I think she has seen my weakness of too loving her.. If I am poor, i may conclude it because i don't have money but this case is different. thanks bro

KreativGenius:



withdraw all nice treatments, reduce the calls/chats/presence by 50%. restrain yourself, if you see her daily, reudce it, walk around where she'll see you pass by, but dont stop by, act like you dont need her, then the emotions will begin to build up inside her, and her head will begin to spin. this is the way. You're the man, dont fall, make her fall

With all My money this lady no send me o..

GraveMan:
Money Is Love...
Disguise As A Poor Man To See If She Truly Lover U

Thanks Bro.. You are very Right.. I guess i am too nice..

KreativGenius:



she told you she doesnt love you, but then you have your answer, if you want her to love you, dont expose your feelings to her, maintain contact with her, withdraw the affections and kind words, dont release them too easily, absence makes the heart grow fonder, its so with women, treat them less nicely and you win them over. I swear you will win this chick, but she wants to give herself to a man, not a man falling for her. you need to hit the reset button fast if you want to win her, i suggest you read the tips in the threads below on how to win her heart




https://www.nairaland.com/4218072/ubunjas-miseducation-unbreakable-80-20



https://www.nairaland.com/4219505/ubunjas-miseducation-how-nice-guys



https://www.nairaland.com/4222680/ubunjas-miseducation-secret-language-girls



https://www.nairaland.com/4226909/ubunjas-miseducation-nice-guys-sluts



Final notice, stop treating ladies too nicely, it pushes them away

KreativGenius:



have you thrown this question at her directly?

is she shy around you?

i approached her few times. at the beginning it was cool.. we got on well but some point she started behaving funny.. asking me to be following her at night.. I told her i Love Her but she replied " I don't love you.. the funny thing is that i left her for a month without giving her any face talk. during this period she starts giving me serious Green like as if i don't talk to her, something bad may happen to her.. I am very confuse bro.. The issue we are having is seeing her only at nights.. she clearly told me she is not available during the day..

Hello Guys

There is this particular young lady i very into.. i mean i really really like her..
Her actions gives me the green light she really into me..

Let me give out a brief info..

I am a well to do guy and Very Good Looking..I got most ladies willing to throw theirselves at me but i am not interested in them..
But what made me like this particular lady is that she doesn't care how much i have...

So my question is this.. How do i know a lady loves me or just playing with my emotions?

adewumiopeyemi:
At ur age u are shy to approach a lady.... I pity u. U better be brave...

I don't shy towards ladies but one is so different from others.. Something inside me keeps telling me, she is going to be my wife.. that is why I am so shy and scare..

TrapHedges:
Chill out bro.. Relationship is a set up.. But u can still try ur luck.. Might work for u. Let the cat out of the bag and PS: don't let the girl know u care so much, she will use it against u.

Thanks

Stevengerd:
Brace Up Man! Just have some words with her, with the way she reply, u knw wat to do. Goodluck

Thanks..

Hello Folks

I need an honest advice from you guys..

I am sincerely in love with a lady that has serious crush on me.. We have only been staring at each other smiling.. The issue I having is that both of us feel too shy to talk to each other about it. Pls what i need to do?

Note: I feel lucky knowing she possess qualities of a good wife material cos I have been studying her for the past 6 months..
This is my first time wanting to go into a relationship.. Pls I need honest and sincere Advice.. Thanks all..