St. George (April 23) St. George was born of Christian parents (275 A.D.) During his childhood, his father died as a martyr. He grew up in Lydda of Palestine, the native town of his mother. At the age of 18, he recruited into The Roman army. Handsome, with an ath- Letic and gentle appearance, clever and edu- Cated, courageous and brave, St. George Was promoted to the highest military ranks In a short time. Now Diocletian, the Roman Emperor, de- Clared a severe persecution against the Christians and demanded that all his sol- Diers and officers offer pagan sacrifices as Proof of their loyalty. St. George was the first to refuse. He gave Up his military commission, confessed his Faith openly, and made himself available to The persecutors, obviously with the purpose Of inspiring courage among the Christians. Diocletian, unsuccessful in his efforts to Change St. George's mind, ordered to put Him under the cruelest tortures. He en- Dured his martyrdom with great courage Which caused the conversion of many of- Ficers and soldiers, and encouraged the Christians to stand firm in their faith. Finally, he was beheaded at Nicomedia on April 23 in the year 303 A.D.
**My Friend, Thank You** Thank you for all the Moments we've shared - Moments filled with shared Feelings and thoughts, Dreams and wishes Secrets, laughter and tears, And above all, friendship Each precious second will be treasured In my heart forever Thank you for taking time - Time to stop and take on interest in me; Time to listen to my problems And help me find the solutions, And most of all, Time to smile at me and show you care Thank you for being you - You're a wonderful person You were there when I needed you to confide in And to ask advice from. Through you, I began To understand And even like myself How can I ever tell you How much I care for you? Thank you, my friend