Nana's secret Gift!

What an incredible story and a great cause too! It's too sweet!
Read it dear friends, I hope it touches your heart like it did mine tonight!
Good Night!

9 Women Kept This Secret For Decades That Not Even Their Husbands Knew About. Wow.

Somewhere in West Tennessee, not far from Graceland, nine women - or "The 9 Nanas," as they prefer to be called - gather in the darkness of night. At 4am they begin their daily routine - a ritual that no one, not even their husbands, knew about for 30 years. They have one mission and one mission only: to create happiness. And it all begins with baked goods.

"One of us starts sifting the flour and another washing the eggs," explained Nana Mary Ellen, the appointed spokesperson for their secret society. "And someone else makes sure the pans are all ready. We switch off, depending on what we feel like doing that day.

"But you make sure to say Nana Pearl is in charge, because she's the oldest!" she added with a wink and a smile.

Over the next three hours, The 9 Nanas (who all consider themselves sisters, despite what some of their birth certificates say) will whip up hundreds of pound cakes, as part of a grand scheme to help those in need. And then, before anyone gets as much as a glimpse of them, they'll disappear back into their daily lives. The only hint that may remain is the heavenly scent of vanilla, lemon and lime, lingering in the air.

Even the UPS driver, who picks up hundreds of packages at a time, has no clue what these women, who range in age from 54 to 72, are doing. He's just happy to get a hug and a bag filled with special treats. What he doesn't know is that he's part of their master plan. A plan that began 35 years ago - when the "sisters" got together for their weekly card game - something their husbands referred to as "Broads and Bridge."

"Pearl says it was all her idea," Mary Ellen teased, "but as I remember it, we were sitting around reminiscing about MaMaw and PaPaw and all the different ways they would lend a hand in the community." MaMaw and PaPaw are the grandparents who raised four of the women, Mary Ellen included, when their mother passed away; and they took in Pearl as their own, when her parents needed some help.

"MaMaw Ruth would read in the paper that someone had died," Mary Ellen remembered, "and she'd send off one of her special pound cakes. She didn't have to know the family. She just wanted to put a little smile on their faces. And we started thinking about what we could do to make a difference like that. What if we had a million dollars? How would we spend it?

So the ladies began brainstorming.

"One of the sisters suggested that we should all start doing our own laundry and put the money we saved to good use. I admit, I protested at first. There's just something about laundering that I don't like. But I was outnumbered! So among the nine of us, we'd put aside about $400 a month and our husbands never noticed a thing. Their shirts looked just fine."

And then the women started listening. They'd eavesdrop - all with good intentions, of course - at the local beauty shop or when they were picking up groceries. And when they heard about a widow or a single mom who needed a little help, they'd step in and anonymously pay a utility bill or buy some new clothes for the children.

"We wanted to help as much as we could," Mary Ellen said, "without taking away from our own families, so we became coupon clippers. And we'd use green stamps. Remember those? We'd use green stamps and we'd make sure to go to Goldsmith's department store on Wednesdays. Every week they'd have a big sale and you could spend $100 and walk away with $700 worth of merchandise."

The Nanas would find out where the person lived and send a package with a note that simply said, "Somebody loves you" - and they'd be sure to include one of MaMaw Ruth's special pound cakes.

The more people they helped, the bolder they became.

"We gave new meaning to the term drive-by," Mary Ellen said with delight. "We'd drive through low-income neighborhoods and look for homes that had fans in the window. That told us that the people who lived there didn't have air-conditioning. Or we'd see that there were no lights on at night, which meant there was a good chance their utilities had been turned off. Then we'd return before the sun came up, like cat burglars, and drop off a little care package."

For three decades, the ladies' good deeds went undetected - that is, until five years ago, when Mary Ellen's husband, whom she lovingly calls "Southern Charmer," started noticing extra mileage on the car and large amounts of cash being withdrawn from their savings account.

"He brought out bank statements and they were highlighted!" Mary Ellen said, recalling the horror she felt. "I tried to explain that I had bought some things, but he had this look on his face that I'd never seen before - and I realized what he must have been thinking. I called the sisters and said, 'You all need to get over here right away.'"

So 30 years into their secret mission, the 9 Nanas and their husbands gathered in Mary Ellen's living room and the sisters came clean. They told the husbands about the laundry and the eavesdropping -- even the drive-bys. And that's where their story gets even better - because the husbands offered to help.

"They were amazed that we were doing this and even more amazed that they never knew. We can keep a good secret! All but three of them are retired now, so sometimes they come with us on our drive-bys. In our area, all you need is an address to pay someone's utility bill, so we keep the men busy jotting down numbers."

It wasn't long before the couples decided it was also time to tell their grown children. And that's when happiness began to happen in an even bigger way. The children encouraged their mothers to start selling MaMaw Ruth's pound cakes online, so they could raise money to help even more people. And it wasn't long before they were receiving more than 100 orders in a day.

"The first time we saw those orders roll in, we were jumping up and down," Mary Ellen said with a laugh. "We were so excited that we did a ring-around-the-rosie! Then we called all the children and said, 'What do we do next?'"

That's when the 9 Nanas moved their covert baking operation out of their homes and into the commercial kitchen of a restaurant owned by one of their sons, where they can sneak in before sunrise and sneak out before the staff comes in. They even hired a "happiness coordinator" (whose code name is "Sunny," of course). Her identity needs to be a secret, too, so she can help out with the eavesdropping.

"We swore her to secrecy - her parents think she works in marketing. And, really, if you think about it, she is doing public relations and spends a lot of time looking for people to help at the supermarket!"

These days, The 9 Nanas are able to take on even bigger projects, given their online success. Recently they donated more than $5,000 of pillows and linens and personal care products to a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. And this August, they'll celebrate their second consecutive "Happiness Happens Month" by sending tokens of their appreciation to one person in every state who has made a difference in their own community.

And that million dollars they once wished for? They're almost there. In the last 35 years, the 9 Nanas have contributed nearly $900,000 of happiness to their local community.

But that doesn't mean they're too busy to continue doing the little things that make life a bit happier. Sometimes they just pull out the phone book and send off pound cakes to complete strangers. And if the Nanas spot someone at the grocery store who appears to need a little help, it's not unusual for them to start filling a stranger's cart.

Not everyone is as lucky as we were to have MaMaw and PaPaw to take care of them, to fix all those things that are wrong.

"So this is our way of giving back," Mary Ellen said. "We want people to know that someone out there cares enough to do something. We want to make sure that happiness happens."

To learn more about The 9 Nanas and Happiness Happens or to purchase one of MaMaw Ruth’s special pound cakes, you can visit their website: The9Nanas.com.


Read more on how to help HERE:

The Art of Giving!

I love this article that I read today. What a wonderful reminder for this Christmas Season!

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THE ART OF GIVING  by Lori Huff Goldade

Some people have very little but give everything.

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Whenever I reflect upon this joyous time of year, I remember a Christmas from long ago when I learned the art of giving.

I was in the fourth grade, and my friends and I were filled with holiday excitement. As was customary in our class, we drew names for the Christmas gift exchange. I hoped that the cute boy across the room had drawn my name. Another boy named Paul sat behind me. He often came to school with unclean clothes and dirty hands. My friends and I had made no effort to befriend him.

When the day of the big party arrived, the teacher distributed our gifts. The package I received was large and appeared to be hastily wrapped. Anxiously I tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was the book Lassie Come-Home. It wasn’t a clean, new copy as I might have hoped but had worn, frayed pages and a stain on the cover. Dismayed, I quickly hid it in my desk. Then I noticed something else hidden in the wrapping paper—a rattlesnake rattler in a pill bottle. On a name card was carefully written “From Paul.” In tears, I ran to the girls’ restroom.

Embarrassed, I remained in the restroom until the party was over and then hurried home. My mother, seeing my tear-stained face, asked about the Christmas party. I expressed to her my disappointment about the gifts. My mother lovingly put her arms around me, looked sadly into my eyes, and then taught me a great lesson. She told me that Paul, most likely too poor to buy a gift, had probably searched through everything he had at home for a meaningful present and, after much thought, had probably chosen some of his most prized possessions to give to me.

Again tears came to my eyes, but not because I hadn’t received something I wanted. This time they came because I had been so selfish and had not accepted the best gift given that Christmas. I had rejected a gift of love and sacrifice.

Some people have much and give very little. Others have little and give everything. Whenever I am tempted to be critical of another’s offering—whether it is of time, resources, or effort—I try to remember that some give all they can, just as in the account of the widow who “did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:44). The art of giving is to give all that you can, even if it is only two mites.

I didn’t express it as a fourth grader, but I am grateful for Paul’s Christmas gift of sacrifice and love.

Merry Christmas dear friends!

 

Not just another thing to check off!

Found this story and loved it! How great it is to remember all year long the reason we celebrate Christmas. Learning how to remember Christ more during this season, is something I know I need to do. So who ever wrote and pinned this...thank you for sharing!
Good night dear friends!


It was Christmas night, and I was sitting quietly in the living room all by myself. I was tired—OK, I was exhausted. Christmas was done. Giant check mark on that one.
I sat in the soft glow of the Christmas tree and enjoyed its beauty. We had a good tree that year. I enjoyed all the ornaments and the “thousand points of light” we joked about every year as my husband wound ten strands of lights around the tree.
Christmas tree—check.
Upstairs the kids were playing with Dad. We had gotten the boys some cool remote control cars, and they were enjoying them noisily. I was so glad the gifts had worked out this year.
Gifts—check.

 On and on I went through my mental checklist for my “Christmas To-Do List.” It was Christmas night. The checklist was done. Christmas had been a success this year.

Or had it?
Somehow I felt vaguely unsettled about it all.
Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love the drama of Christmas celebrations. I love the decorations, the turkey with stuffing, the gifts for grandparents, visiting with friends and family, the concerts and the parties, and . . . everything. I love everything about the holiday season.
So what was missing? Why did this Christmas night feel so . . . flat?
I glanced to my left and my eye caught on the big nativity set on the mantel. I saw the baby Jesus.
That’s what was missing.
As a family, we try diligently to talk about Christ and focus on Christ during Christmas. But it was almost as if He just fell somewhere on the to-do list between the Christmas cards and the cranberries.
It was my focus that was off. And I was distressed that now, on Christmas night, the entire family thought, “Christmas: focus on Jesus—CHECK!” Like it was done. Like we were done.
That made me feel ever so sad.
I wanted things to be different. I wanted to find a way to turn Christmas into an experience focused on Christ. Not only that, I wanted to find a way to focus my family more on Jesus throughout the entire year. But how?
I prayed quietly in the dim light that Christmas night that I would be guided to find a way to help my family turn to Christ more fully.
And I kept praying.
The answer came four months later. It was a lovely day, and I had stopped at my friend’s house. We were chatting in her living room when I noticed something.
“Whoops!” I said to Susan. “You forgot to put away a stocking from Christmas. It’s hanging on your mantel.” I was forever finding little things I had forgotten to pack away at the end of the Christmas season and assumed she had done the same.
“Oh, no,” she replied. “That stays there all year long.” I thought that was little odd, so she explained. “Many years ago I was at my friend’s house and she had a stocking hanging on her mantel. She explained that the whole family would write down a gift they wanted to give to Jesus and would put it in the stocking. They kept the stocking  up all year as a reminder. Ever since, we have done the same.”
I looked again at the beautiful white lace stocking hanging there and thought, “This is it!”
I went home and explained the idea to my husband, who probably thought it was another one of my bright ideas that would fall by the wayside. But it did not. From that moment forward, I kept my eyes peeled for a beautiful stocking. Finally, I found a lovely small gold stocking with white trim. Perfect.
Christmas came once again. And on Christmas night, we gathered our four sons together. I showed them the stocking and explained what we wanted to do as a family. We each filled out our card and put it in the stocking.
The days began to march on. Often at family home evening, we would refer to the stocking and talk about how we were doing on our gift for Christ. Sometimes one of the children would see the stocking and comment on it.
The next Christmas came. Christmas night our family gathered around the tree and opened the stocking. By then, it had become almost like a treasured friend in our home. All of us talked about what we had done all year long to give a gift to the Savior. It was one of the most profound Christmases we had ever shared.
Things felt much different that year. The stocking hung on the mantel, full of new cards promising new gifts for the coming year. Truly, our family was more fully focusing on Christ that season and throughout the year.
That year, the glow wasn’t from the tree. It was from within.

Love this story!

Merry Christmas dear friends! Loved this sweet story. Children seem to understand the real meaning of Christmas more than many of us! Good night dear friends!

I Hope Someone Will Love Her

When my son was three years old and my daughter was four, they were part of a neighborhood preschool group. That winter those of us in charge of the group decided to do a Christmas project that included having each child donate a toy to a needy family. We taught many lessons in the preceding weeks about how gratitude and sharing with others make us happy. I told my children to start thinking about which toys they would like to give, wanting them to have the experience of choosing what to give. Our family finances were limited, and I was curious which of their few toys they would be willing to part with.

One Saturday morning I told the children it was time to select their donation. I helped Hunter wrap the truck he had chosen and then went to see how Mikelle was doing. The scene I witnessed from the doorway of her room brought tears to my eyes.

Mikelle was holding her favorite doll, Mella, dressed in her best doll clothing, and she was singing to her. Then she tucked a small blanket into the bottom of a gift bag. She smiled at the doll, hugged and kissed her, and lovingly placed her in the bag. Seeing me, she said, “Mella’s all ready, Mom. I hope someone will love her.”

Knowing how my daughter felt about this doll, I was stunned she was giving her away. I almost wanted to tell Mikelle she didn’t have to give up her favorite doll, but I stopped myself.

“She understands giving,” I thought. “She is giving her very best.”

Suddenly I recognized that part of me was willing to give and share but not at too great a personal sacrifice. I had placed limits on my charity, and I knew I needed to change.

I thought of how Heavenly Father gave up His only perfect Son and allowed Him to suffer and die for me. I pictured a loving Father in Heaven kissing His Beloved Son and sending Him to earth as a baby, hoping that we would love and follow Him.

The Savior Himself held nothing back and gave everything He had to give.

I wondered if Mikelle would change her mind before the Christmas program, when the toys were to be donated, but she did not. I wondered if she would later regret her choice and feel sad, but she did not.

Seeing my daughter’s Christlike example, I decided that whether I have much or little to give, I would always cheerfully give my best when I have an opportunity to share.

Brittney Pyne

Light of Christ

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

'Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem' was penned by a priest called Philip Brooks. He was inspired and overwhelmed by his visit to the town of Bethlehem in 1865. He wrote the song three years later for his church. The organist of his church, known as Lewis Redner, composed its music.

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

“He who gives money gives some, he who gives time gives more, and he who gives of himself gives all."    ― Thomas S. Monson

What Christmas can be about for kids!

Like the movie on Miracle on 34th Street.... I believe! It was perfect when Lee brought me home this wooden sign, for an early Christmas gift the other day!

It made me think of all the ways Christmas can be wonderful for our kids. I love this video that you can watch ...

HERE:
It is a great reminder on what Christmas can be like for our kids. In a world where it is GET,GET,GET...I think we can instill in them the desire to GIVE,GIVE,GIVE!  One tradition that Angie and I have done since she was old enough to understand, is to make and buy gifts to take to the homeless. There are quite a few stores that have drop off boxes, and they take and deliver them to the kids in need. It makes my heart feel good to see how excited Angie gets to make and wrap these gifts to look beautiful for the little kids that have so much less than her. I hope that Jenny will be able to start that tradition soon, and  even Kai when he gets older. I love Christmas, I love the feeling in the air! Yes, this home truly believes!
Good night dear friends!

“Christmas magic is silent. You don't hear it---you feel it, you know it, you believe it.”

― Kevin Alan Milne, The Paper Bag Christmas

Gratitude!

My oldest granddaughter and I have been collecting and wrapping things to take to Sleep Country to donate to less fortunate children. Now I don’t mention this to toot my own horn, but to tell you what  a great feeling it is to do that with my granddaughter each year. As we were wrapping a few pair of gloves, she said “Oh Nana, I worry about those kid’s hands being so cold” I said yes, that is why we are giving these to them. Then the conversation went about the same on each item we wrapped. It does my heart good to see the natural love and concern that children have for others.  It reminds me that we all should have that type of love, concern and compassion for others. I hope Angie ( and Jenny and my grandson to be ) will remember doing traditions like these with their  Nana. I hope they keep that giving heart all year long, and that they will grow up and make the world a better place by being in it!

As the girls and I were in the kitchen cooking and coloring this afternoon, the Christmas lights were on , the Christmas music was on the radio and I looked around and realized how very grateful I am that I am healthy enough to be here another year with my family and enjoy all this. Three years ago, I wasn’t sure what my future would be, I wasn’t sure if I would even want people to see me, I felt scared, I hurt, I was discouraged.  I thought I looked like a freak (after my mastectomy ) and I couldn’t imagine how I was going to go to my son’s wedding right after Christmas?  Yes, that was 3 years ago, and I can honestly say life has truly changed or maybe I have changed….my perspective has changed and tonight I sit here and realize how very very grateful I am for all that I have been blessed with….which is a lot!

I just received an email from a dear friend and his wife. He was sharing with us the report of his wife’s health, she battled cancer recently. He told us that her numbers were good and normal and her next blood draw won’t be until March, he said they are now going to take a deep breath and be grateful for her health returning. I know exactly what he was talking about. Those exams are the most nerve racking. You worry about them for weeks before they happen, and you hang on everything the DR says. When you hear everything looks fine or good or normal for now…you feel like jumping for joy! Gratitude is definitely what you feel. All of a sudden the lights of Christmas seem brighter, the music sounds sweeter and life and everything about it….seems more special.

So tonight I express my own gratitude for my health, my family ( but still missing the one’s that aren’t with us ) my friends, our jobs, my home, and all the many other things that I have been blessed with. I do believe that being grateful has helped me in my life, to see what really matters!

I am grateful for this blog, for the chance to daily think of something positive and motivational to share with you. It makes me look deeper at all that I see each day. Thanks for your love and support over these three years, it has been an incredible journey to say the least. Good night dear friends!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  ~Melody Beattie

“Be in an "attitude of gratitude" and you will feel yourself blessed beyond counting.”

Life is SWEET!

I usually make my Valentines each year to give to my friends. This year for one reason or another, I didn't get them made. So here is my Valentine to each of you tonight.
I want to personally thank you for being such a special part of my life! I feel blessed to have so many friends and family who love me, and that I love also.

Enjoy this sweet story and remember you are LOVED!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Twenty Valentines

"Oh," said Millicent, watching the postman's blue coat up the street. "I wish he would come here day after tomorrow and bring me twenty valentines!"

"Will he, Mitty?" Jimmy-Boy asked eagerly.

Millicent shook her head. "'Course not, Jimmy-Boy. I know only six little girls; I couldn't get but six."

Aunt Sara was listening. She was Millicent's very prettiest auntie from the city, and she nearly always found a way to help.

"How would you like to send twenty valentines?" she asked.

Millicent laughed. "Why, auntie, I couldn't send but six, either. I don't know any more girls. Besides, I haven't any more valentines."

"Suppose I should show you how to make twenty valentines, and find twenty little girls to send them to; would you like, to do it?"

Millicent came running from the window with Jimmy-Boy close behind her.

"I'd love to, auntie! Please show me right away."

"Love to, auntie, right away," echoed Jimmy-Boy.

"You can help," Aunt Sara promised. "You can bring the mucilage while Millicent gets the scissors."

When they came back with these, Aunt Sara had a pile of gay pictures on the table, and some sheets of thick white paper.

"We will cut this into hearts," she said, "and you can cut out these birds and flowers and paste them on. Let's see which can make the neatest and prettiest ones."

Jimmy-Boy had to be helped a little in cutting out pictures, but he had learned to paste neatly at kindergarten, and his valentines were so pretty it was hard for Aunt Sara to choose between his and Millicent's.

It was such fun making them that Millicent almost forgot about the twenty little girls they were to go to.

"Who are they, auntie?" she asked when she remembered. "Where do they live?"

"Away down in the city," Aunt Sara explained. "Each one in a little white bed in a Children's Hospital. I don't know their names, but I'll send them to the superintendent, and they will get them safely on Valentine's Day. You can't think how happy they will be."

"Oh, I just like to try to think!" cried Millicent. "I'm glad we made them so nice."

The twenty valentines went off in their white envelopes the next morning.

On Valentine's Day the postman brought Milly six from the six little girls and two from Jimmy-Boy and Aunt Sara. They were lovely, and there were some for Jimmy-Boy, but they did not please the children nearly as much as a letter that came a week later.

It was from the hospital superintendent and said: "I wish you could have seen my dear little sick girls smile when they saw their pretty valentines. They looked at them all day and slept with them under their pillows at night. One tiny girl kept hers in her hand. They all send a big ‘Thank you’ to Millicent and Jimmy-Boy."

"Next year we'll begin sooner and make forty," Millicent decided; "it's lots more fun than getting them, isn't it, Jimmy-Boy?"  ~ Marion Mallette Thornton

 

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."  ~ Robert Heinlein

A little can be a lot!

I have always loved the story in the Bible about the Widow's mite, and how it was acceptable. Especially because it was all she had and it came from the heart. I loved this Christmas story because of that same reason. How often there are people out there suffering and we have know idea, that they were. We all need to be a little more in-tuned with those around us, be their friends, so that we would know if there is something that they needed in their life. The world is so busy at this time of year, so often the advertisements are pushing the idea of WHAT WE WANT FOR CHRISTMAS, instead of WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE THIS CHRISTMAS.

Yes, this story was a great example to me, of how I need to be. Remembering, it only takes a little to be a lot for someone else! Good night dear friends!  

   The Student's Mite

  The situation seemed hopeless.

  From the first day he entered my seventh-grade class-room, Willard P. Franklin had existed in his own world, shutting out his classmates and me, his teacher. My attempts at establishing a friendly relationship were met with complete indifference. Even a "Good morning, Willard" received only a grunt. His classmates fared no better. Willard was strictly  a loner, finding no desire or need to lower the barrier of silence he had erected. His clothes were clean--but definitely not on the cutting edge of style. He could have been a trendsetter because his outfits possessed a "hand-me-down" look before such a look was in.

  Shortly after the Thanksgiving holidays, we received an announcement regarding the annual Christmas collection.

  "Christmas is a season of giving," I told my students."There are a few students in the school who might not have a happy holiday season. By contributing to our Christmas collection, you will help to buy food, clothing and toys for these needy people.  You may bring your money tomorrow."

  When I called for the contributions the next day, I discovered every one had forgotten --everyone except Willard P. Franklin. The boy dug deep into his pants pocket as he strolled up to my desk. Carefully he dropped a nickel into the small container.

  "I don't need no milk for lunch," he mumbled. For a moment, just a moment, he smiled. I watched him turn and walk back to his desk.

  That night, after school, I took our meager contribution-one lone nickel-to the school principal. I couldn't help telling him the giver's identity and sharing with him the incident.

  "I may be wrong, but I believe Willard may be ready to become part of the world around him," I told the principal.

  "Yes, I believe it sounds hopeful," he nodded. "And I have a hunch we might profit from him letting us share a bit of his world. I just received a list of the poor families of our school who most need help through the Christmas collection. Here, look at it."

  And as I gazed down to read, I discovered Willard P. Franklin and his family were the top names on the list.         ~ David R. Collins

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit."       ~ Isabel Currier.

Give and it shall be given unto you!

I read this Christmas story and cried ( ok, so I cry at EVERY story I read) but still, it was a great one. I just love Christmas and how magically people's heart seem to get BIGGER AND BIGGER!

The Heavenly Salesman

It was going to be a lean Christmas, Barbara and Ray Thill realized as they surveyed their budget in December 1973. Unexpected medical bills, major repairs on their house and the ongoing needs of a family of nine young children left nothing extra for holiday presents. All of the kids needed pajamas, so Barbara and Ray decided they could afford those and maybe some candy. The children would just have to understand.
"This Christmas we're going to give instead of receive," Barbara explained to the children the next day. Her brother, a father of four, had been out of work for many weeks, and it would be a rough holiday for his family, too. "Why don't each of you choose one of your toys and wrap it up for Uncle Dick's family?" Barbara suggested. "Otherwise, they won't have any celebration at all."
Everyone agreed. The oldest child, Ray Jr., hid his disappointment at not receiving a longed-for sled and decided to buy some small gifts for his cousins out of his paper-route earnings. Barbara was proud of her children, but her heart still ached at the thought of disappointing them.
After the children went to bed on December 24th, Barbara and Ray laid out nine pajamas-filled packages, stuffed nine stockings with candy and smiled at each other. Their family was together, safe and well, and there was even a collection of gifts for Uncle Dick's kids.
Tomorrow would still be a good day.
An hour later a neighbor called. Her husband was on his way home from a business trip and had just telephoned from a highway oasis. He'd stopped for coffee and struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to him-a toy salesman and bachelor with a station wagon full of beat-up samples and no place to donate them at this late hour. "My husband thought of you," the neighbor told Barbara, "so if you can use the toys, we'll drop them off when he gets home."
If she could use them! "Yes, thank you!" Barbara heard herself saying. Soon the doorbell rang, Ray went out to help the neighbors unload, and as the pile of "beat-up samples" grew on the porch, Barbara's eyes filled with tears.
The toys were beautiful, much nicer than anything they'd have been able to afford even in a good year.But even more amazing, there was one perfectly suited toy for each of her children. There were dolls for the girls, a fire engine almost as large as Larry, even a red sled for Ray Jr. There were nine toys for her brood and-incredibly-four extras, ideal for her brother's four kids. It was as if God had gone shopping just for them.
Nearly twenty years later, the Thill family still wonders about the toy salesman. How strange that he should have been on the road so late, waiting until the last moment to dispose of his samples. Perhaps, they think, he was not a salesman at all, but a Christmas angel, sent from heaven to reassure a faithful family that God keeps his promises. "Give and it shall be given unto you, " the Scriptures tell us. The Thills gave from loving hearts and were blessed in abundance.   ~ Joan Wester Anderson

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."  ~Kahlil Gibran

"To give and then not feel that one has given is the very best of all ways of giving."  ~Max Beerbohm

"You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving."  ~Author Unknown

Why are choices so hard sometimes?

Tonight Jeff and I went to a Marriage/Relationships class at church. I was dragging my heels going, because it was Friday night... and I could have think of a million other things that I would have liked to be doing! Jeff kept encouraging me to go, and now I am so grateful that he did. First, I was able to see many dear friends that I hadn't seen in awhile, and that was great to catch up with them. Second, many of the things that were mentioned tonight hit home to me. Why are choices so hard at times?
I will mention some of the points that the speaker made tonight. During his presentation, there were a lot of people laughing and shaking their heads, so I do know, we weren't the only couple that struggled at times. Here are a few of my notes...

...each of you, need to bring your best to your marriage

...it is important that you do not bring or carry old stuff ( habits, thought patterns, abuse and etc ) into  your marriage. Some of your personal stuff from your past  you are going to need to get rid of, or you could ruin your relationship/marriage.

...you need to forgive and let go. Each time you hold onto a hurt or an injustice done to you and you refuse to forget it or forgive the person for it. You essentially are tying an anchor around your leg and throwing yourself overboard. Holding on to past grudges or problems, will sink your marriage.

...we need to remember as Men and Women, we are suppose to be different. We don't think alike, we process things differently, we are not suppose to be the same. We need to understand this and be very patient, and accepting of each other.

...we are headed for tougher times in the future! Is our marriage strong enough for what lies ahead? It is vital that we make it strong now...before we need it. Just like our muscles, we need to strengthen them before we are physically challenged. The time to prepare is before we need it!

...can we try a little harder, give a little more, forgive quicker, be more patient, demand a little less, and listen a little more?

...we need to be more like the Savior in our responses. When we are accused, we need to stop, think about it, and then ask ourselves BEFORE reacting ..."Did I do anything to make them think this of me?  Try to see it from the other person's perspective first. Think before we talk.

...if each of us would give a 150%, our marriages would be a lot happier. It is a lot of work, but soooo worth it!

It was a great reminder for us of the choices and things we need to do... to be a better, stronger and happier couple. I am glad I went tonight!

"When you almost obey a commandment, you almost receive a blessing!"

"Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate." ~Barnett R. Brickner

"Life is to be enjoyed, not endured"   ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

Everyone needs help sometime!

I read this short story and thought how true! We all from time to time in our lives need help. Do we ask for it, or do we just keep going along hoping that someone, somewhere will see us for who we really are and offer us some help? The point of this story I believe is that we are all here to help each other. May we look around at the people we meet every day and see how we can help them and in turn, it just might be ... that we need their help too!

Don't We All
I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would
consider a bum.
From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no
money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times
that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't
want to be bothered times."
"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.
He didn't.
He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.
After a few minutes he spoke.
"That's a very pretty car," he said.
He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard keep more than his face warm.
I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came.
As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if
he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true
to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.
We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from
those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an
outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.
"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum
in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun.
Don't we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I
needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those
three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter
how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you
have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.
You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.
They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.
Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe
he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and
wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves. ~ Unknown

"He who gives when he is asked has waited too long."  ~Sunshine Magazine

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  ~Winston Churchill

Untouched Heart

For years I have had my heart experience a lot of different emotions, because I tend to LOVE so hard. I complain sometimes but for the most part, even though my heart gets broken and hurt sometimes...I feel blessed to have LOVED so much! It is almost Valentine's Day, when I read this story, it reminded me that we all need to check our lives and see how we are doing? Are we too busy to share our heart with others? Are we too tired and caught up in ourselves to care? Do we really love ourselves? It is hard to love others when we don't love ourselves! I know there is always a danger to sharing your heart with someone but.... it truly is worth it in the long run.

The Perfect Heart
Author: Unknown

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said “Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.” The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared - how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man’s heart and saw its state and laughed. “You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges - - giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side. How sad it must be to go through life with a whole untouched heart.

"I WOULD RATHER HAVE EYES THAT CANNOT SEE; EARS THAT CANNOT HEAR; LIPS THAT CANNOT SPEAK, THAN A HEART THAT CANNOT LOVE"  ~Robert Tizon

 

The power of a Mother's faith and prayers!

 

I read a Christmas article by Mr. Ballantyne, I won't type the whole story for it is too long, but it was so wonderful I thought I would share it with you tonight. Mr. Ballantyne grew up in Star Valley, Wyoming, it was harsh country. The summers are short and fleeting, while the winters linger and chill. This is harsh country. He recounts his memory of a special Christmas...

“Father had a large family; and sometimes after we had our harvest, there was not much left after expenses were paid. So Father would have to go away and hire out to some of the big ranchers for maybe a dollar a day. He earned little more than enough to take care of himself, with very little to send home to Mother and the children. Things began to get pretty skimpy for us.

“We had our family prayers around the table; and it was on one such night when Father was gone that we gathered and Mother poured out of a pitcher, into the glass of each one, milk divided among the children—but none for herself. And I, sensing that the milk in the pitcher was all that we had, pushed mine over to Mother and said, ‘Here, Mother. You drink mine.’

“ ‘No, Mother is not hungry tonight.’

“It worried me. We drank our milk and went to bed, but I could not sleep. I got up and tiptoed down the stairs, and there was Mother, in the middle of the floor, kneeling in prayer. She did not hear me as I came down in my bare feet, and I dropped to my knees and heard her say, ‘Heavenly Father, there is no food in our house. Please, Father, touch the heart of somebody so that my children will not be hungry in the morning.’

“When she finished her prayer, she looked around and saw that I had heard; and she said to me, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Now, you run along, son. Everything will be all right.’

“I went to bed, assured by Mother’s faith. The next morning, I was awakened by the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen and the aroma of cooking food. I went down to the kitchen, and I said, ‘Mother, I thought you said there was no food.’

“All she said to me was, ‘Well, my boy, didn’t you think the Lord would answer my prayer?’ I received no further explanation than that.

“Years passed, and I went away to college. I got married, and I returned to see the old neighbors. Mr. Gardner, now reaching up to a ripe age, said to me, ‘My son, let me tell you of a Christmas experience that I had with your family. I had finished my chores, and we had had supper. I was sitting by the fireplace reading the newspaper. Suddenly, I heard a voice that said, “ Mrs. Ballantyne doesn’t have any food in her house.”

I thought it was my wife speaking and said, “What did you say, Mother?” She came in wiping her hands on her apron and said, “Did you call me, Father?”

“ ‘ “No, I didn’t say anything to you, but I heard a voice which spoke to me.”

“ ‘ “What did it say?” she asked.

“ ‘ “It said that Mrs. Ballantyne didn’t have any food in her house.”

“ ‘ “Well, then,” said Mother, “you had better put on your shoes and your coat and take some food to her." In the dark of that winter’s night, I harnessed the team and placed in the wagon bed a sack of flour, a quarter section of beef, some bottled fruit, and loaves of newly baked bread. The weather was cold, but a warm glow filled my soul as your mother welcomed me and I presented her with the food. God had heard a mother’s prayer.’ ”

Heavenly Father is ever mindful of those who need, who seek, who trust, who pray, and who listen when He speaks. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God’s gift becomes our blessing. May every heart open wide and welcome Him—Christmas day and always.

"IF YOU CAN'T FEED A HUNDRED PEOPLE, THEN JUST FEED ONE."  ~ Mother Teresa

"IF YOU HAVE MUCH, GIVE OF YOUR WEALTH; IF YOU HAVE LITTLE, GIVE OF YOUR  HEART"  ~ Arab Proverb