{Straight From the Heart} *Angel In Training* 12/23/99
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Angel In Training
My memorabilia manages to escape organization by tucking itself into every
conceivable cranny of my home. Once or twice a year I find the gumption to
assemble my scattered treasures and store them in a more dignified manner.
Caitlynd, my granddaughter, assisted me on my recent forage through the
house. I put her in charge of the keepsake box and passed her all the little
bits of paper, various occasion cards and letters I'd collected since my
last endeavor to preserve the family mementos for posterity.
A diligent helper, Caitlynd gently place each remembrance in the box. One
card in particular caught her attention. By design, it wasn't fancy, no
glitter or gold lettering, but she held it up and asked, "Who gave you this
one?"
Her innocent question put me in a bit of a quandary. The sender was a mother
who had spent the previous Christmas, along with her three-year-old son, in
a shelter for battered women. Unprepared for a discussion on domestic
violence with a five-year-old, I stalled for time by reading the card out
loud. "I do not know your names or anything about you, but you will always
be my angels. Thank you!"
A few years back, I introduced the idea of cutting back on gifts at
Christmas by limiting presents to a small circle of immediate family. I
wanted to use the money we would have spent on our ever expanding brood of
relatives, to make a positive impact on someone's life. My handsome husband
readily agreed. Since that time, we have participated in various charitable
'Adopt A Family' programs. In keeping with the spirit of the holidays and
the value of the gift of giving, we choose to remain anonymous. Caitlynd
held the card from the woman we 'adopted' the previous year. "How come you
and Papa are her angels?"
I proceeded with caution and told her a story about a woman and a little
boy, without possessions or a home, who had to spend the holidays at a
shelter. Presented with the opportunity to let my granddaughter know there
were safe places to go in times of trouble, I explained the concept of
shelters and how they help people who need a place to stay, a warm bed and
good food . I finished the story by describing the way Grammy and Papa
helped bring a sprinkling of Christmas cheer to the woman and her little
boy. "We bought them special presents and wrapped each one in beautiful
holiday paper. The lady who runs the shelter said we could write a note and
tell the lady who we were, but Papa and I thought it would be a better
surprise if we kept our names a secret." (Actually, we wrote 'From Santa' on
each tag, but I wasn't prepared to have THAT discussion.)
Caitlynd was mesmerized by the tale. I could almost see the widgets whirling
and twirling in her brain. "People can be angels too?" she asked.
"Of course they can sweetie," I answered, "They just don't have wings."
"I don't know about that, Grammy," she said in earnest, "I think I can kind
of see your wings. Will you teach me how to be an angel so I can get wings
too?"
The infamous lump that tends to appear in my throat at moments such as this,
grew to new proportions and prevented further words from leaving my mouth.
As I gathered her in my arms and buried my face in her satiny hair, I was
sure I felt the bud of her little wings sprouting.
Copyright © 1999
Terri McPherson
tmcphers@mnsi.net
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Terri lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has two wonderful children, a
five-year-old grandangel and a terrific husband. She works as a Writer / Web
Designer / Production Assistant for a local production company and teaches
advanced clogging classes for the Border City Cloggers. Her writing has
appeared in numerous online publications.
Check out her website:
WiseHearts... Weaving Small Wisdoms Through The Fabric Of Life
Wise Hearts! Weaving Small Wisdoms Through Th...
http://www.mnsi.net/~tmcphers/index.htm
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The Star
One dark night
God showed His love;
He sent His Son
From heaven above.
Angels proclaimed this love
From on high;
The shepherds watched
With wondering eyes.
They went to the stable
Where the humble King lay,
The Lord of lords,
In His bed on the hay.
Away in the east
In the sky was a star,
The wise men followed it
Bringing gifts from afar.
They came to the place
Where the Mighty God lay
The Prince of Peace
Born upon humble hay.
They worshiped Him there-
Gave gifts from afar
To the King of kings,
The Bright Morning Star.
Copyright 1999, Emily J. Foster
femma@juno.com
All Rights Reserved
Send Emily, our teenage poet, an email and let her know what you thought of her writing!
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UPDATE:
From: PFLLOP@aol.com (Sarah)
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
"What a mighty God we serve"!!!! I am writing to give a praise report to all
who prayed for Jessica, the granddaughter of my friend. She is home from the
hospital. She had a kidney removed last week and the doctors found more
infection than expected in the surrounding tissue but were able to take the
kidney and take care of the infection. She is still in quite a bit of pain,
but who wouldn't after such major surgery. Please continue to pray for her
as she continues her recovery.
May you all have a Very Blessed Christmas and a Safe New Year
YSIC
Sarah
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Thought For The Day:
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached
in life as by obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."
Verse for the Day:
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood
the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those
who love him."
James 1:12
Kid's Thought For The day:
"If it doesn't bleed you won't get much sympathy."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"The great secret of a successful marriage is to treat all
disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as
disasters."
(Harold Nicolson)
Coach's Thought For The Day
"If character is to be learned, it must first be observed in those who
have authority."
(John Roberts)
Deep Thought For The Day:
"The great thing about living in a small town is when you don't
know what you're doing, someone else does."
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/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20