Many years in the past, I would write the family Christmas letter on January 6th, the Christmas of the Gentiles - the festival that commemorates the appearance of the Christ child as the promised Savior to the Gentiles and to all the world. A few days before Christmas, I spent some time with family and friends in Nebraska. While there, Trina, my seven year old granddaughter wanted to make a gift for her parents. Since she is reading now and loves to tell stories, she wanted to write "A Merry Christmas Story." She dictated each word for me to print. As I patiently listened to each word, I became a bit weary and felt challenged to listen to the rest of the story. "Grandma, we can't forget about the kings," I heard her say. And so she continued, "It was a star that led three kings from a faraway country to come to Bethlehem too."
Episode 172: Sunshine in a Smile →
The first of March is "Share a Smile Day." Why just one day? Let's make every day a National Smile Day! Joseph Addison puts it this way, "What sunshine is to the flowers, smiles are to humanity...the good they do is inconceivable." Remember, it takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile! A world traveler once explained, "In all the countries I have been to, everyone understands a smile." We soon learn when we travel that all people smile in the same language.
Episode 151: The Most Colorful Season of the Year →
When many of you will be reading this warm thoughts column, the season of fall we'll be here. Of all the seasons of the year, autumn is a favorite season for many people. It is one of the most colorful seasons of the year - an artist's paradise. The bright blue skies, frost in the air, beautiful sunsets, hot summers - many warm thoughts come to mind. Autumn is a season that has inspired many artists authors and poets. Samuel Butler states that "Autumn is the mellower season and what we lost in flowers we more than gain and fruits."