"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale
As we each rush through our day to finish the day's work and be at home with family and friends, take a moment to reflect upon the season. These next five minutes will give you time to look upon what Christmas truly means to Christians around the world.
Tomorrow, December 25th is the Christian calendar event marking the birth of Jesus. A many and happy blessing upon you and yours.
_
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
A Cow That Changed Christmas
The following is a reprint from Andy Andrews. I felt it says a lot about the gift of giving a little which can have a large impact on others. For Christmas, doing a little will mean a lot to others, so take the time, read and maybe participate. You may not be able to do even this much, but you can do a little...make Christmas a little brighter for another person.
From Andy Andrews
This cow has changed our Christmas:
The pretty girl with chestnut colored hair in the middle of the picture is Kim Pace. Kim is the daughter of close friends of ours, Jim and Mary Pace from the Atlanta area.
The lady in the multicolored dress is Jane. She is flanked by her local pastor (an unpaid position) and surrounded by her children and one of Kim's staff. Jane and her children dressed in their best clothes for this photograph.
Kim is a missionary to Kenya. She is 30 years old and has been on the African continent for almost a decade. A couple of years ago, Jim and Mary were visiting their daughter and went with her to the western part of the country. There, they experienced poverty that we, in our country, find tough to even imagine.
One morning, in a one room, mud hut, Jim and Mary met Jane. Jane's husband had been killed in a job related accident the year before. Seeing her "guests" sitting on her dirt floor, Jane was horrified that she had nothing—no food, no tea—to offer them. Kim assured her friend that her parents were expecting nothing and were not offended. Still, Jane was embarrassed.
As the children sat quietly in the laps of the adults, Kim noticed a child missing. "Jane," she asked softly, "Where is Purity?"
Jane's eyes filled with tears as the corners of her mouth tugged down. "I had to give her to another family," she said. "I could not feed her." Then, with guests in her home, the young mother put her face in her hands and cried.
Jim stepped outside the tiny hut and saw Edwin, Jane's pastor, nearby. Wiping tears of his own away, Jim told Edwin what had happened and began to take every dollar he had out of his pockets. But before Jim could go back inside with the money, Edwin stopped him. "Please sir," he said, "you are most generous, but may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course," Jim answered.
"If you really want to help Jane," the pastor said, "don't give her all your money. It will only run out. Just buy her a cow."
Jim was taken aback. "What?" he asked. "A cow?"
"Yes," Edwin went on to explain, "Jane can use the cow's milk to feed her family and any that is left over can be sold in order to afford some grain for bread. A family with a cow will never go hungry. In fact," Edwin added, "one cow can provide enough nourishment to keep almost fifty children alive."
"How much is a cow?" Jim asked carefully.
"About five hundred of your dollars," was the answer.
Jim looked. He had more than that in his hand. The cow was purchased that day.
A week later, Jim was back in America. In New York City on business, he found himself unable to shake from his mind the experience with Jane and her family. One afternoon, in a hotel lobby waiting on a friend, a lady seated nearby struck up a conversation. After asking Jim where he was from and a bit about his family, this woman then asked an unusual question. "What is the most gratifying thing you have done recently?"
Jim raised his eyebrows, smiled and said, "I bought a cow."
After relating his experience, the woman asked, "Can I buy a cow, too?"
"I guess," was Jim's answer and after a quick phone call, he gave the woman an address to use.
Neither Jim nor Mary has given a speech or written a letter requesting help. Kim has not asked that anyone pay special attention to the people to whom she ministers in western Kenya. Edwin operates an orphanage with 1,800 children and oversees two medical clinics. He receives no salary, yet never advertises his needs. Everything that has happened since Jim and Mary's first of six trips to Kenya has been done by word of mouth. And as of today, 123 cows have been purchased.
Several months ago, Polly, the boys and I began talking about the children in Africa. You know, perspective is a wonderful thing. As crazy as the economy is here, we are attempting to be extremely grateful for a roof over our heads, clean water, and food to eat. Austin (9) and Adam (6) have done extra work to earn dollars for "Miss Kim's children". Polly and I have managed to save a bit of extra money that, I suppose, would have gone for vanilla lattes or another shirt or more fishing equipment.
So yesterday, with what we had saved, we bought two cows.
The check was sent to:
Brackenhurst Ministries
104 Bridgewater Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
We think it might be our best gift ever.
Merry Christmas,
Andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Merry Christmas to all that you do, however big or small, every bit of it matters.
_
From Andy Andrews
This cow has changed our Christmas:
The pretty girl with chestnut colored hair in the middle of the picture is Kim Pace. Kim is the daughter of close friends of ours, Jim and Mary Pace from the Atlanta area.
The lady in the multicolored dress is Jane. She is flanked by her local pastor (an unpaid position) and surrounded by her children and one of Kim's staff. Jane and her children dressed in their best clothes for this photograph.
Kim is a missionary to Kenya. She is 30 years old and has been on the African continent for almost a decade. A couple of years ago, Jim and Mary were visiting their daughter and went with her to the western part of the country. There, they experienced poverty that we, in our country, find tough to even imagine.
One morning, in a one room, mud hut, Jim and Mary met Jane. Jane's husband had been killed in a job related accident the year before. Seeing her "guests" sitting on her dirt floor, Jane was horrified that she had nothing—no food, no tea—to offer them. Kim assured her friend that her parents were expecting nothing and were not offended. Still, Jane was embarrassed.
As the children sat quietly in the laps of the adults, Kim noticed a child missing. "Jane," she asked softly, "Where is Purity?"
Jane's eyes filled with tears as the corners of her mouth tugged down. "I had to give her to another family," she said. "I could not feed her." Then, with guests in her home, the young mother put her face in her hands and cried.
Jim stepped outside the tiny hut and saw Edwin, Jane's pastor, nearby. Wiping tears of his own away, Jim told Edwin what had happened and began to take every dollar he had out of his pockets. But before Jim could go back inside with the money, Edwin stopped him. "Please sir," he said, "you are most generous, but may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course," Jim answered.
"If you really want to help Jane," the pastor said, "don't give her all your money. It will only run out. Just buy her a cow."
Jim was taken aback. "What?" he asked. "A cow?"
"Yes," Edwin went on to explain, "Jane can use the cow's milk to feed her family and any that is left over can be sold in order to afford some grain for bread. A family with a cow will never go hungry. In fact," Edwin added, "one cow can provide enough nourishment to keep almost fifty children alive."
"How much is a cow?" Jim asked carefully.
"About five hundred of your dollars," was the answer.
Jim looked. He had more than that in his hand. The cow was purchased that day.
A week later, Jim was back in America. In New York City on business, he found himself unable to shake from his mind the experience with Jane and her family. One afternoon, in a hotel lobby waiting on a friend, a lady seated nearby struck up a conversation. After asking Jim where he was from and a bit about his family, this woman then asked an unusual question. "What is the most gratifying thing you have done recently?"
Jim raised his eyebrows, smiled and said, "I bought a cow."
After relating his experience, the woman asked, "Can I buy a cow, too?"
"I guess," was Jim's answer and after a quick phone call, he gave the woman an address to use.
Neither Jim nor Mary has given a speech or written a letter requesting help. Kim has not asked that anyone pay special attention to the people to whom she ministers in western Kenya. Edwin operates an orphanage with 1,800 children and oversees two medical clinics. He receives no salary, yet never advertises his needs. Everything that has happened since Jim and Mary's first of six trips to Kenya has been done by word of mouth. And as of today, 123 cows have been purchased.
Several months ago, Polly, the boys and I began talking about the children in Africa. You know, perspective is a wonderful thing. As crazy as the economy is here, we are attempting to be extremely grateful for a roof over our heads, clean water, and food to eat. Austin (9) and Adam (6) have done extra work to earn dollars for "Miss Kim's children". Polly and I have managed to save a bit of extra money that, I suppose, would have gone for vanilla lattes or another shirt or more fishing equipment.
So yesterday, with what we had saved, we bought two cows.
The check was sent to:
Brackenhurst Ministries
104 Bridgewater Drive
Peachtree City, GA 30269
We think it might be our best gift ever.
Merry Christmas,
Andy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Merry Christmas to all that you do, however big or small, every bit of it matters.
_
Monday, December 22, 2008
Holiday Cheer
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Yes, it 'tis the season to be jolly.' To put down some of those cares and concerns of all that you carry. Take some time this week to enjoy what you have, your life that is full of wonder and promise.
There will be someone or many that you can be thankful for being in your life. The week will have it's moments that will lighten your day and give hope that all is well. So be of good cheer during this week for 'tis the season to be jolly.'
The reality is that life has plenty of ups and downs, but we have the opportunity this week to remember the goodness that exists for all of us. We can be friendly this week, we can smile and laugh; let love and kindness flow from you. There will be plenty in return.
It really 'tis the season to be jolly.'
_
Monday, December 15, 2008
Vacation
"So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it."
- Willy Wonka
I will be back in a few days, just taking a few days off to recharge and to get those last presents for Christmas.
_
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