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The Christmas Guest

It happened one day at the year's white end,
Two neighbors called on an old-time friend 

And they found his shop so meager and mean,
Made !@#$ with a thousand boughs of green, 

And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine 

And said, "Old friends, at dawn today,
When the !@#$ was crowing the night away, 

The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said, 'I am coming your guest to be'. 

So I've been busy with feet astir,
Strewing my shop with branches of fir, 

The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined, 

And now I will wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear 

His step as He nears my humble place,
And I open the door and look in His face. . ." 

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
For this was the happiest day he had known, 

For, long since, his family had passed away
And Conrad has spent a sad Christmas Day. 

But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best, 

And he listened with only joy in his heart.
And with every sound he would rise with a start 

And look for the Lord to be standing there
In answer to his earnest prayer 

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
But all that he saw on the snow-covered ground 

Was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn. 

So Conrad was touched and went to the door
And he said, "Your feet must be frozen and sore, 

And I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that will keep you warmer, too." 

So with grateful heart the man went away,
But as Conrad noticed the time of day 

He wondered what made the dear Lord so late
And how much longer he'd have to wait, 

When he heard a knock and ran to the door,
But it was only a stranger once more, 

A bent, old crone with a shawl of black,
A bundle of faggots piled on her back. 

She asked for only a place to rest,
But that was reserved for Conrad's Great Guest. 

But her voice seemed to plead, "Don't send me away
Let me rest awhile on Christmas day." 

So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And told her to sit at the table and sip. 

But after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were passing away 

And the Lord had not come as He said He would,
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood. 

When out of the stillness he heard a cry,
"Please help me and tell me where am I." 

So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before, 

It was only a child who had wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas Day. . 

Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad,
But he knew he should make this little child glad, 

So he called her in and wiped her tears
And quieted her childish fears. 

Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door, 

He knew that the Lord was not coming today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away. 

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray
And he said, "Dear Lord, why did you delay, 

What kept You from coming to call on me,
For I wanted so much Your face to see. . ." 

When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
"Lift up your head for I kept My word-- 

Three times My shadow crossed your floor--
Three times I came to your lonely door-- 

For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave to eat,
And I was the child on the homeless street."

by
Helen Steiner Rice
 

~ Scripture ~

"Then the King will say to those on his right,
`Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him,
`Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,
or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'

Matthew 25:34-40
KJV

(Tissue Alert...)

 

Always believe in MIRACLES!!  Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin.  The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling.  "Your friend?  Your sister?"

 

"Yes, Santa," he replied.  "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.

 

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

 

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!"
the child exclaimed.  "She misses you," he added softly.

 

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

 

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

 

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors.  "The girl in the photograph...  my granddaughter well, you see ...  she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes.  "Is there any way, Santa ..  any possible way that you could come see Sarah?  That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

 

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do.  Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon.  He knew what he had to do.  "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."

 

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying.  He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.

 

"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

 

Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day.  "C'mon....  I'll take you there," Rick said softly.

 

Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa.  They found out which room Sarah was in.  A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.

 

Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed.  The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day.  A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.  And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face.  They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah.  Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"

 

"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IVtubes in tact.  Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug.  A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement.  Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy.  But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes.  His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears.  Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room.

 

As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes.  Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year.  As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother.  She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands.  Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.

 

"Oh, yes, Santa...  I do!" she exclaimed.

 

"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you, "he said.
Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed.  He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease.  He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her.  And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night....  all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.  When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.

 

"Now, Sarah, "he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well.  I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to.  He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.

 

"Yes, Santa!  "Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.

 

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.
Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed.  Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quicklyand rushed to Santa's side to thank him.

 

"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly.
"This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

 

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do.  Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.
"Hi, Santa!  Remember me?!"

 

"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her.

 

After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.

 

"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.

 

Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest.  "Sarah!" he exclaimed.  He scarcely recognized her,for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before.  He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.

 

That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus.  He had witnessed
--and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope.

 

This precious little child was healed.  Cancer-free.  Alive and well.  He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father.  'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!

 

If you believe in miracles you will pass this on...I did!

thanksgiving movie
Current mood: thankful

Enter this link in your address bar to see a beautiful thanksgiving movie.  http://www.thanksgivingmovie.com/

 

A friend shared this with me.

Fall poem
See the goodness of our Father
in the Autumn season fair,
In the colors that delight us
When there's beauty everywhere.
In the gold and crimson hillsides,
In each maple tree ablaze,
In bright goldenrod and asters
Lining rustic country ways.
See the goodness of our Father
In the sky of sapphire-blue,
In the Autumn sun enhancing
Every lovely thing in view.
See the goodness of our Father
In the beauty of the land,
In the lavish yield we gather,
All provided by His hand.
See the goodness of our Father
In the Autumn season fair;
For this wealth of Autumn blessings,
We lift thankful hearts in prayer.
1994 Beverly J. Anderson

 

~ Autumn Greetings ~

Fall is here.
Another year
is coming to an end.
Summer's finished,
Summer's gone,
Winter's round the bend.
Fall is piles of crunchy leaves…
orange, gold, and red.
Fall is sweaters with long sleeves,
and blankets on the bed.
Fall is football.
Fall is pumpkins.
Fall's where summer ends ♥

In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination . Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible... The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up" Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true." Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona where she met Fireman Bob who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that . If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy one- with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast." Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman , so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room? About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window 16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief am I really a fireman now?" "Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said. With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing." He closed his eyes one last time. I heared this story awhile back and i thought I share it with you.

FIRST KNOW THAT JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE! SECOND, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART TOO! AND KNOW THAT YOU AND I WILL BE ONE IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALWAYS. KNOW THAT ALTHOUGH I; WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU I AM NOT PERFECT SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MIGHT STUMBLE IN LIFE BUT w/THAT SAME BREATH KNOW THAT OUR JESUS LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING HE IS PERFECT AND HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU! IM JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE THE SINNER ISNT PROMISED TOMARROW BUT HE WHO IS SAVED THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB IS PROMISED ETERNITY. HE, WHO, IS WITH OUT JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR ARE ONLY PROMISED JUDGMENT YOU MAY NEVER OF KNOWN OF MUCH JESUS AND I REALLY LOVE YOU, SO IF GOD TAKES US IN DIRECTION APART FROM ONE ANOTHER, YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE SPECIAL TO ME I CHERISH YOU BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN OF A MIGHTY GOD... AND I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE YOU IN MY LIFE... HIS WORD IS SO AWESOME LETS NOT PICK ONLY 14 FRIENDS TO SEND THIS TO BUT LETS SEND THIS TO EVERYONE SO THEY, TOO CAN HAVE A CHANCE AT SALVATION IF I DONT GET THIS BACK, I WILL UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IM SAVED. BUT PLEASE SEND THIS TO AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF SOULS. FRIENDS ON MYSPACE ARE SPECIAL IF YOU GET THIS WORD FROM THE LORD, IT MEANS THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO YOU REALLY, TRULY CARES ABOUT YOU!

My Daddy The Hero Body: Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go. But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone. But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today. But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home. But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all. About a dad she never sees; a dad who never calls. There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet. Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats One by one the teacher called a student from the class. To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed. At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare. Each of them was searching, for a man who wasn't there. "Where's her daddy at?" she heard a boy call out. "She probably doesn't have one," another student dared to shout. And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say, "Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day." The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom. And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. "My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know. All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike. He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone. And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone. "Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart" With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest. Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears. Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life. Doing what was best for her, doing what was right. And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd. She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud. "I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star. And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far You see he was a firefighter and died just this past year When airplanes hit the towers and taught Americans to fear. But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away." And then she closed her eyes, and she saw him there that day. And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes. Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside. Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side. "I know you're with me Daddy," to the silence she called out. And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose. And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star. And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. I heared this on the radio. And it truly touched my heart. So i thought I share this with you.:tounge:

The daughter of a Soldier Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest act's of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camo's, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi," the little girl then she asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier, he didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek. The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon." The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event unfolded. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, their were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American. Red Friday Just keeping you "in the loop" so you'll know what's going on in case this takes off. RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Americasupports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on. The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday. WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED---- SO WEAR RED! --- MAY GOD HELP AMERICA TO BECOME ONE NATION, UNDER GOD. HAVE A GREAT DAY. Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts. God Bless our Troops! Well Always love you all! I thought I share this will you all.