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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2007
6A
Memories of the
true meaning of
Christmas
By Donna Glenn
HHJ Contributor
It’s hard for me to recall one spe
cial Christmas because I have had so
many that were special. Growing up
as a child, every Christmas morning I
awoke finding lots of gifts from Santa
for my brother and me.
Christmas’s were always great when I
was a kid but as I grew older and become
to old for Santa to visit, Christmas
began to lose some of its
magic for me.
Of course, the real
reason for celebration
for Christmas is Christ.
Life itself is a gift
from God and every
day that one is able to
wake up out of bed is
another gift from God.
I am blessed that He
just keeps on giving me
a gift everyday.
As I grew older, got
my first job and the true
meaning of Christmas
became more special
I wanted to do some
giving of my own. I
thought it would bring
back that ‘magic’ that was long ago lost
as I grew up. So, I contacted our local
Salvation Army and asked if there was
a needy family that needed some help.
At that time before privacy laws, the
Salvation Army would give you the
name and contact information of a
needy family. Over the years, my fam
ily and I adopted many needy families.
There was the one year that we
helped a recently widowed mother of 4
young boys. Their only income was a
S2OO/month social security check that
she received from her husband’s death.
She didn’t work and couldn’t afford
to because daycare costs for her four
boys exceeded any income she would
make. Our winter was cold that year
and the boys had outgrown their coats.
My mother and I went out and bought
each boy and
the mom a coat, socks and a pair
of shoes for Christmas. Those boys
and their mother were so thankful for
something to keep them warm that
Christmas.
Then there was the year without a
Christmas tree. A single mom with a
young daughter and two young sons
living in a run down trailer. She
hadn’t enough money to even buy a
tree for Christmas. Not having much
money of my own since I worked as a
Receptionist at a social service agency, I
was able to scrape S3O together and buy
a tree with decorations, a baby doll for
the daughter and two used bikes for the
sons. I spray painted the bikes to give
them some color and pumped up their
tires and those kids were so proud of
their toys that Santa had left and that
mom was so proud that her children
had smiles on their faces.
Another year I volunteered as a CASA
(Court Appointed Special Advocate)
for abused children. Four of the chil
dren that I worked with were living in a
group home for foster kids. The group
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And Lucille’s
children got their
Christmas wish.
The children and
their mom spent
Christmas togeth
er that year and
every Christmas
together after that.
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home itself was depressing enough
filled with children who had come from
abused families. Their mom, not having
a home of her own anymore had moved
to somewhere in Wisconsin to stay with
a friend until the time came that she
would be reunited with her children.
So for Christmas knowing they were
at the age where kids like the latest
gadget on the market, I asked the kids,
“What would you like for Christmas?
I’ll get you whatever you want.” Each
sure how to get in touch with your mom.
We don’t know where in Wisconsin she
is and we don’t have a telephone num
ber for her.” The look on their faces
was really more than I couldbear to
witness. So I immediately said, “But
don’t you worry! Because I’m going to
find her and I’m going to get'you your
Christmas wish!”
Upon leaving them, I knew this would
be a very tall order to fill but I had to
fill it! I thought “Donna, you used to
work as a Private Investigator! Put
those skills back to work in tracking
down their mom!”
I had only three weeks until
Christmas so I had to work fast.
Through telephone calls and tracking
down leads, I finally was able to track
their mom down at a campground in
the middle of Wisconsin. The Lord was
with me the whole way because there
was no way I could have done this on
my own in that short amount of time if
he hadn’t been with me.
When I got in touch with their mom
on the phone, I said, “Lucille, I told
your kids they could have anything
they want for Christmas and they want
you and I’m not going to disappoint
them! I’m wiring you a one-way bus
ticket back here.”
I knew Lucille didn’t have any money,
a job or even a home to return to once
she got here but that didn’t matter for
now. I would figure all that out once
she got here and together, the Lord and
I figured it out.
And Lucille’s children got their
Christmas wish. The children and
their mom spent Christmas together
that year and every Christmas together
after that.
So there have been a lot of very spe
cial Christmas’s for me. I’ve learned
that as long as you keep God and his
teachings as the primary focus in your
life then the magic of Christmas is
always there, everyday.
Perry
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of them paused
for a moment as if
they were thinking
really hard about
my question and
then almost in
unison they said
together, “I want
to see my mama
for Christmas”.
Suddenly my
excitement at wait
ing
for their answer
had turned into
disappointment.
I thought about
their answer for a
moment and then
said, “Well kids,
that’s going to be
really hard to do
because we’re not
988-1144
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A Jar filled with Christmas spirit
Use hospitality one to
another without grudging.
As every man hatch received
the gift, even so minister the
same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold
grace of God.- I Peter 4:9,
10
I once heard a story of
a man who so enjoyed the
spirit of Christmas that he
decided to keep it always. So
he put it in a large jar and
set it on the mantelpiece,
where it gave a lovely glow
all through the Christmas
season.
Soon afterwards, however,
it became somewhat bother
some with all the procedures
of packing away lights and
ornaments and the manger
scene, and getting the tree
out of the house without its
shedding too many needles.
Somewhere along the
line, the jar containing the
Christmas spirit vanished
and no one seemed to know
Is there really a Santa Claus?
The first Christmas I
can remember was in 1939
when I was 4-years old. My
parents lived in the same
house with my grandpar
ents. There were only two,
bedrooms in the house so
my mother and father and I
slept in the same bedroom.
We were poor people but
rich in love for one another.
A little Christmas tree sat in
the corner of our bedroom.
It cast an air of cheerfulness
and enchantment about the
room. On Christmas Eve, I
left on the mantle a bottle
of Coke and some cookies
for Santa Claus. I tried as
hard as I could to stay awake
to catch Santa Claus when
He came down the chim
ney, but my weary eyes soon
succumbed to sleep. When
I awoke the next morning,
hot coals were blazing in the
fireplace and rapidly warm
ing the room. Still in bed, I
looked over at the brightly
lit Christmas tree. There
stood a beautiful red tri
cycle and a miniature foot
ball. Daddy handed me the
football while I was still in
bed. I dearly loved it, grip
ping it in my little hands as
I slid out of bed. Over to the
tricycle I went and immedi
ately sat on it and rode a few
feet through the bedroom.
As I did I quickly glanced at
the mantle. The Coke bottle
was empty and the cookies
were gone. Santa had come
and gone. He had been in
my very room. He even left
a smudge of chimney soot on
my check. Santa was on his
way back to the North Pole
and wouldn’t return until
next Christmas. What an
exciting moment that was!
It will be etched into my
memory forever.
LONGHORN
BUTCHER SHOP
YOUR HOMETOWN BUTCHER SINCE 1976
1207 Sunset Ave. * Perry Plaza
Perry, GA 31069
Lee Lasseter
Greer Lasseter
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN US LOR CHRISTMAS SERVICES
Sunday, Dec. 23rd at 10 AM
Children’s Christmas Pageant
Monday, Dec. 24th, at 6 PM, ,
Christmas Eve, Family Service <
Caroling & Festival Eucharist 11 PM
Tuesday, Dec. 25th at 10 AM ,
Christmas Day, Holy Eucharist
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VISIT US AT WWW.STCHRISTOPHERSEPISCOPAL.ORG
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Earline Cole
Reflections
alarmed to find the glow
was gone . . . completely
gone! All that remained was
a small, hard, black clin
ker that rattled thinly as he
shook the jar.
Bringing the jar down
stairs and thoughtfully
pondering the situation,
the man decided he must
do something to renew the
Christmas spirit. Before
going to bed that night, he
got a little brown paper bag
Is there a Santa Claus?
Billy Powell
Columnist
published response are: “Yes,
Virginia there is a Santa
Claus. He exists as certainly
as love and generosity and
devotion exist... You might
get your daddy to hire men
to watch in all the chim
neys on Christmas Eve to
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... What you’ve got goingij
on. Send uslyour church j
bulletin anljwe’ll help.jgj
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Mail to: Home
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JEWELERS
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905 Carroll St.
Perry, GA 31069
478-987-1392
478-987-5711
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
and filled it with a variety of
miscellaneous items he had
not used for months.
During the days that fol
lowed, the miscellaneous
items were distributed as
the man went about his
daily duties. A pinch of Good
Cheer here; a wish of Good
Will there; some Charity,
some Thoughtfulness - some
Love.
And, lo! One night he
came home to find his jar
of Christmas spirit glowing
as brightly as ever, shed
ding its radiance throughout
the house and into the dark
night beyond. From there
on, he has maintained the
Christmas spirit and kept it
aglow. (Source Unknown)
Merry Christmas, dear
friends. May you and those
you hold near and dear to
your hearts be filled with
Good Cheer, Good Will,
Charity, Thoughtfulness and
Love.
anything
about its
where
abouts.
Months
later,
when
rummag
ing about
the attic,
the man
once again
discovered
the jar.
He was
catch Santa Claus, but even
if they did not see Santa
Claus coming down, what
would that prove? Nobody
sees Santa Claus... The most
real things in the world are
those that neither children
nor men see... Thank God
he lives and he lives forever.
A thousand years from now
Virginia, nay, ten thousand
years from now, he will con
tinue to make glad the heart
of childhood.”
Santa Claus represents
the good will, the merri
ment, and the gift giving of
Christmas, but Jesus Christ
is the reason for the season.
In “the fullness of time,”
God sent His Son into the
world to die for our sins
In 1897,
eight
year old
Virginia
O’Hanlon
asked the
editor of
the New
York Sun
that same
question.
Excerpts
from his
§ o a nne ' 5
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