I applaud the efforts made by the police in this endevour, who, have probably seen more than enough carnage and death caused by drunk drivers to last a lifetime. There are far to many innocent lives lost due to the recklessness of other peoples drinking and driving. Especialy when there are so many other options available, taxis, buses, or even calling a friend. The stats tell the story of just how many people are killed each and every year by some careless fool who thinks they are okay to drive.

After the service was over, we decided to give to others less fortunate. Now, everyoneone knows that around this time of year, the generous people who give, do so to familys in need, the homeless, ect. This year we decided to give to the ones, who, most would rather forget for one reason or another, including their own families. So, kids in the SUV, 10 liters of eggnog, cookies, doughnuts and chocolate bars, we all headed down to one of the local halfway houses in town.
We all know the stories of how those who commit crime should be locked away, and most do end up like that that, but what happens when they are released back into the community? For some, they still have family and loved ones to lean on, and help them better themselves, (not all do), but some have no one to turn to for even a smile.
We arrived at the halfway house, a few former inmates mulling around, pulled out the treats we had bought and set them them out for these guys to help themselves. What was surprising is that everyone of these men, who were once condemed for whatever reason, all smiled and thanked us. There was even a few who really made us smile, the main point of what we hoped we would achive.
It is in my own opinion, that if we can all learn to forgive a little at times like these and open our hearts. Show everyone that little bit of kindness we all have somewhere in our hearts. We can’t change the world, but we can make a difference.

Dear Grand-daughter,

The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a
‘Honk if you love Jesus’ bumper sticker ..

I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a
thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting.

So, I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper, and boy, am I glad I did, what an uplifting experience that followed.

I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in
thought about the Lord and how good he is, and I didn’t notice that the
light had changed.

It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn’t
honked, I’d never have noticed.

I found that lots of people love Jesus!

While I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy,
and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, ‘For the love of
God!’

‘Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ, GO!’

What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus!

Everyone started honking!

I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those
loving people.

I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love!
;
There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him
yelling something about a sunny beach.

I saw another guy waving in a funny way with only his middle finger
stuck up in the air..

I asked my young teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant.

He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something.

Well, I have never met anyone from Hawaii , so I leaned out the window
and gave him the good luck sign right back.

My grandson burst out laughing.

Why even he was enjoying this religious experience!!

A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that
they got out of their cars and started walking towards me.

I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is
when I noticed the light had changed.

So, grinning, I waved at all my brothers and sisters, and drove on
through the intersection.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person..
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put w hat you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

(author unknown)
A wonderful quote describing what friendships are for…

There was a Christmas light display in town in the park on top of the hill… So I went and got the wife and dog, we all piled into the SUV and drove 15 minutes to town..
The Christmas light show is by donation and it’s a drive through the park with a bunch of wonderful light displays and all the colors of the rainbow were there. The joy in my daughters eyes as we drove in was unmistakable.. My wife and I somehow managed to completely forget about all the things we had left to do tonite, took a deep breath and just smiled, the little one’s enthusiasm was contagious..
Of course we had to get out of the car a few times and snap a lot of pictures, my daughter thoroughly enjoying her new Canon elf camera she got for an early Xmas present, and taking a ton of pictures..
The lights were magical, my daughters smile infectious, and driving slowly thru with my wife’s hand in mine, made me realize tonite, love is free, time slips away, I will be up late tonite, finishing things I put off earlier, but the memory of my wife’s smile, the laughter in my daughters voice, her big eyes open wide, the innocence of looking at life through her eyes, is a memory that will remain in my heart forever…
And as we get older, possesions don’t matter, things always change, but memories remain in our hearts forever… and looking at Christmas through the eyes of a child is truly magical…

 
While attempting to do the man thing this evening, curling up in front of the TV for a snooze, the wife already sprawled accross the bed sleeping soundly, my beloved daughter on the love seat busy studying for tomorrows big science test, and the dog flat out on the kitchen floor, no doubt protecting her food dish.

I finally dozed off after making a brief phone call. After only about 20 minutes or so, my snoring stopped as I rolled and stretched. Before I had time to get settled again, I heard the sweetest little voice coming from my littleones mouth. “Daddy…” I knew right away she wanted something, but being far to lazy to even consider moving, I just simply answered with my usual grunt.

That was when I was asked to help study for a 6th grade science test. Now I can’t remember what I ate for Dinner yesterday, let alone anything I was taught in 6th grade.

Rolling over to see what she had to study, one eye only partialy opened, I just moaned ‘Sure sweety, anything for you.’

What really amazed me was just how much she knew. I never had any doubt that my little darling was smart, after all she is an honor student. Yes, that is one horn I love to toot. I’m so proud of her, and I believe that she will have no problem acing her test. We studied for 2 hours, with me grilling her question after question, and she never made one slip.

Later, while tucking her in as she went off to bed, I gave her my usual goodnight kiss. This time however, I had to just look into her beautiful big eyes, and know that I’m the luckiest daddy in the world…

WET
PANTS

Come with me to a third grade classroom……
There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will
Never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives..

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer,
‘Dear God,
This is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead
Meat.’

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s’ lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, ‘Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!’

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym
shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful, but as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You’ve done enough, you Klutz!’

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, ‘You did that on purpose, didn’t you?’ Susie whispers back, ‘I wet my pants once too..’

So you see, out of some embarrassing moments, there could be an easy way out. Plus, you could save someone else by just creating an accident of another kind.

But thanks ma for the reminder….

With things in our lives alway on the move, we quite often forget whats most important around this time of year. It’s not what you get, what others may do, right or wrong, but rather what we give, or what we do. At times when the little things in life are the most important like saying I love you to that special someone, or to your children. Keeping your tongue quiet when you could easily say the wrong thing and really hurting someone you care about. Or just understanding.

I was recently sent on an errand to buy something for the holidays, with specific instuctions to haggle the price down. When I got to the seller’s home, I noticed it was just a young couple just starting out. Inside their home was only the bare furnishings. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted their Christmas tree. Sparse to say the very least. On it there were almost no decorations, with no gifts underneath. The young man of the home asked his partner to get something from the other room. As she rose from the sofa in the corner, I could see she was an expecting mother.

Now, I don’t have an over abundance of wealth, but at that moment I felt rich. Something in my heart just wouldn’t let me to even attempt to argue the price of the item I was there to buy. I immediately just reached into my pocket for the money without hesitation. The young man, as he passed me the peices and accepted the cash, began saying he paid this much for this and that much for that, I felt as if I was being somewhat unfair to be only giving him the asking price and not the value. As I was leaving, I noticed the for sale sign in the window of an old truck in the driveway. Looking at the wifes SUV, I felt almost guilty. Here is a young couple, struggling to stay afloat in an ever sinking world. to make it worse, it’s Christmas.

It is my opinion, that we should all give thanks for everything we have, big or small. Do our best not to want too much, or envy what others have. Think of those who are less fortunate. Remember, to give fills the heart with so much more than to recieve, for in my heart, I wish that I was in a position right now to help that young couple. So Look into your heart, you may be surprised by what you find.

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to Leave the examination room and said, ‘Doctor, I am afraid to die.
Tell me what lies on the other side.’

Very quietly, the doctor said, ‘I don’t know.’

‘You don’t know? Your, a Christian man, Do not know what is on the other side?’

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room, and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, ‘Did you notice my dog? He’s never been in this room before. He didn’t know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.

I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing… I know my Master is there and that is enough.’

May today there be peace within you.
May you trust God that you are exactly
Where you are meant to be.
I believe that friends are quiet angels
Who lift us to our feet when our wings
Have trouble remembering how to fly.