Happy New Year

Wishing all our family and friends a wonderfully blessed 2013.

Merry Christmas

After 3 weeks away, our big brat finally got home this weekend. It’s just awesome having my whole brood back together for the holidays. Home is just not the same with missing children.

I can hardly believe another year has passed and this week we had a busy week getting ready for Christmas and here it is…

Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas and all the best for 2013.

The Rich Family in Our Congregation

Received this one from a friend…

Good morning

Today I have something very special. We read in Luke 21:1-3: “As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”

 

Here follows the modern day version (author unknown):

I  will not easily forget Easter of 1946. I was 14, Ocy 12 and Darlene 16 years of age. Us three lived with Mother and understood what it meant to get along without many things. My father had passed away five years earlier and had left my mother with seven children and no money. By 1946 the eldest four had already left home.

A month before Easter our pastor announced that on Easter a special collection will be taken to help a poor family. He asked everybody to save some money and to really sacrifice by giving generously.

Back home we immediately started to talk about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds (approx 23kg) of potatoes and live on it for the entire month. That way we could save $20.00 on our grocery budget, which we could contribute. We also decided to reduce our electricity usage so we could save even more. We cleaned people's houses and backyards and used every opportunity to babysit. With each 15 cents we got we bought enough wool to knit three oven gloves, which we then sold for $1.00. This way we managed to raise another $20.00.

That month was one of the best in our lives. In the evenings we sat in the dark chatting about how the poor family will enjoy the money the church was going to give them. Since there were about 80 people in the congregation, we calculated that the poor family will receive at least 20 times the amount we would contribute. After all, the pastor did remind them every Sunday of this special collection.

The day before Easter my sister and I went to the grocery store and exchanged all the small change for three new $20.00 notes and one $10.00 note. We ran home to show them to Mother and Darlene. We never before had so much money. That night we could hardly sleep due to the excitement. It did not bother us that we could not get new clothes for Easter, since we had $70.00 for the special offering. We couldn't wait to go to church.
That Sunday it rained cats and dogs. We didn't possess an umbrella, but did not care to get wet either. Darlene's feet even got wet because her shoes had holes. Proudly we sat in church. I heard some of the other teenagers whisper something about the Smith girls wearing their old dresses again. I looked at their new dresses and felt very rich. During the collection Mother put in the $10.00 note and each of us a $20.00 note. We sang on the way back home. For lunch Mother surprised us. She had bought a dozen eggs and we could eat Easter eggs with the potatoes.

Late that afternoon the pastor turned up at our home. Mother opened the door, spoke a short while with him and came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she said nothing. When she opened the envelope a lot of money fell out of it; three new $20 notes, one new $10 note and seventeen $1.00 notes. Mother put the money back and nobody said anything. We just sat there, staring at the floor. Moments ago we felt like millionaires, but now we felt poor and worthless.

Our life thus far had been so happy and we felt sorry for everybody who did not have our mother and father and a home full of brothers and sisters and friends constantly visiting. We had thought it was fun to share cutlery and to always wonder what you would get tonight - the fork or spoon. We had two knives that we sent around for those who needed it.

We knew other people had many things we didn't have, but we never thought of ourselves as poor. But that Easter we found out that we were actually poor. The pastor did bring the money that they collected for the poor family, to us. So we had to be poor! I did not like being poor at all. I looked at my dress and worn out shoes and was so ashamed I did not want to go to church anymore. Everybody had apparently known for a long time that we were poor. At school I was in year nine and was top of the class of over a hundred children. I wondered whether these children also knew we were poor. I decided to leave school, since I already passed year eight, the grade I needed to officially leave school as the law required those years.

We sat there quietly for a long time and eventually went to bed. During the week following we spoke very little. That Saturday Mother broke the silence asking what we wanted to do with the money. We wondered what poor people do with money. We did not know, since we did not know we were poor. We actually did not want to go back to church on the Sunday, but Mother said we had to.

Although it was a lovely sunny day, nobody spoke. Mother put in a song, but nobody joined in. At church a missionary spoke and told how people in Africa built churches with sundried clay bricks, but they needed money to put on roofs. He said that $100.00 should be sufficient for the roof of one church. The pastor asked whether we all could bring an offering to help these poor people.
We looked at one another and smiled for the first time that week. Mother took the envelope from her handbag and we sent it on to Ocy who put it in the offering basket. When the money was counted, the pastor announced that the contribution was just over $100.00. The missionary was very excited for he did not expect such a generous contribution from such a small congregation. He said that we had to have rich people in our church. Then it struck us. We gave $87.00 of the just more than $100.00. We were the rich family in the church. Did the missionary not say it himself? Since that day I have never again been poor.
Lord, help us to give like the poor widow.

… just goes to show that those who have the least generally give the most.

Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Honey

WoW, I can hardly believe it’s been 20 years since I married my sweetheart & best friend. If I had a choice, I would do it all over again. This year we decided to celebrate with a 10 day holiday away… On Monday we hit the road down to the Dolphin coast. For the next few days we’ll be chillaxing and enjoying our break away with family fun and field trips.

Love is the MASTER KEY which OPENS the GATES of HAPPINESS

Thank you for 20 wonderful years Schatzi.

To my darling Husband.

Today we celebrate your most difficult accomplishment, staying married to me all these years.

Before I met you, I was incomplete. You gave a new meaning to my life. You are my partner, my sweetheart, my confidante, my advisor, my comforter and friend - You are my quiet place away from the rest of the world.

We’ve had many mountains on our way and truly, there have been some painful hours, but we’re still standing, stronger than before. I don’t think there’s a love stronger than ours.

I never thought I would meet a man who had everything I was looking for: intelligence, a sense of humour, a loving heart, and a faithful soul; someone who could be both my lover and my friend. I never thought I would meet the man of my dreams... until I met you. I will always love you.

Wishing you all the good things in life. May the love we share grow deeper with each passing year.

Just for fun… DO WE REMEMBER?

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in their bed.

She puts on her dressing gown and goes downstairs to look for him.

She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall.

She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

“What's the matter, dear?” she whispers as she steps into the room, 'Why are you down here at this time of night?'

The husband looks up from his coffee, “I am just remembering when we first met 20 years ago and started dating. You were only 16. Do you remember back then?” he says solemnly.

The wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring, so sensitive.

“Yes, I  do” she replies.

The husband pauses. The words were not coming easily.

“Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?' “'Yes, I remember!” said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.

The husband continues. “Do you remember when he shoved the shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail for 20 years?”

“I remember that too” she replies softly.

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says...

“I would have been released today.”

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacy. The order varies every given year.

Amazing Paths

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May the path your life takes in the next year lead you to fun and adventure, love and peace.

WOW!!!

I'm part of the 49Million initiative.

An unusual tale of VICTORY!

Tell me this one doesn't put life in perspective. 

In Phoenix , Arizona , a 26-year-old mother stared own at her 6 year old son, who was Dying of terminal leukaemia.


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 fulfil all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible.


The leukaemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dream 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 6 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 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 favour ?


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 the 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 --------


6 fire-fighters 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, God, 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 wanted God to bless you.

Please pass this along to people you want to be touched & blessed.

This story is powerful and there is nothing attached.

Uplifting stories are one of
the best gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards, so let's continue to uplift one another~

True Story

The World Is Mine

Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman And wished I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch. But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you,
you've been so kind. It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind." Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child I knew.
He stood and watched the others play, but he did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said, "Why don't you join them dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. I forgot, he couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

Author Unknown

If this poem makes you feel thankful, just forward it to your friends. After all, it's just a simple reminder that we have so much to be thankful for! Give the gift of love. It never comes back empty!

(Please share, we are all truly blessed )