The Christmas Guest

"The Christmas Guest"

It happened one day at year’s white end
Two neighbors called on an long-time friend
And they found his shop so meager and clean
Made bright with a thousand boughs of green.
And Conrad was sitting with face ashine
When he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine
And he said "Old friends at dawn today
When the cock was crowing the night away
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said "I am coming your guest to be"

So I've been busy with feet astir
Strewing my shop with branches of fir.
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined
And now I'll wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear His step
As He nears my humble place
And I open the door and look on His face”.

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone
For this was the happiest day he had known.
For long since his family had passed away
And Conrad had spent a sad Christmas day
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best.
So he listened with only joy in his heart
And with each sound he would rise with a start
To see the Lord standing there
In answer to his earnest prayer.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound
But all he saw on the snow-covered ground
Was a shabby beggar who's shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn.
But Conrad was touched and opened his door
And he said "Your feet must be frozen and sore
And I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that will keep you warmer too."
So with grateful heart, the man went away
But as Conrad noticed the time of day
He wondered what made the dear Lord so late
And how much longer he'd have to wait.

And then, he heard a knock he ran to the door
But it was only a stranger once more
A bent old woman with a shawl of black
With a bundle of kindling piled on her back.
She asked for only a place to rest
But that was reserved for Conrad's great guest
But her voice seemed to plead "Don't send me away
Let me rest on Christmas day."
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup
And asked her to sit at the table and sup
But after she left he was filled with dismay
For the hours of Christmas were slipping away.
And the Lord hadn't come as He said He would
And Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood

And then, in the silence he heard a cry
"Please help me, and tell me where am I!"
So again he opened his friendly door
But stood disappointed as twice before
For it was only a child who had wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas day.
Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad
But he knew he should make the little girl glad
So he called her in and wiped her tears
And quieted her childish fears.
Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door
He knew that the Lord was not coming today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away.

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray
And he said "Dear Lord, why did You delay?
What kept You from coming to call on me?
For I wanted so much Your Face to see."

Then soft in the silence, a voice he heard
"Lift up your head, for I kept my word
Three times my shadow crossed your floor
Three times I came to your lowly door.
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet
And I was the woman you gave something to eat
And I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked; three times I came in
Three times I found the warmth of a friend
Of all the gifts love is the best
I was honored to be your Christmas guest."

Anatomy of Life Your Destiny

The way you think will produce they way you feel.

The way you feel will produce the decisions you make.

The decisions you make will produce the actions you take.

The actions you take will produce the habits that you make.

The habits you make will produce the character that you create.

And the character you create will determine your destiny.

Two Cups of Coffee and a MAYONNAISE JAR?

Title - The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee By - Marcey Gaitan A professor stood before his child development class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents the mind of each student as they enter your classroom on the first day of school. The golf balls are the important things --- God, family, friends, health, home, and the children's favorite passions --- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, their life would still be full. The pebbles represent the knowledge they have acquired up until now. Unfortunately, each child will have a different amount of pebbles. The sand is your responsibility! It is your job to fill their minds as tight as you possibly can in the short time that you have them. At the end of each year, the sand comes together as pebbles, ready to be sent off to the next teacher. The professor paused... One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked." He replied, "The coffee is CARE and LOVE."

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Having fun on the water, driving my car, or preparing for the party, my family is my life.

The Cracked Pot

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the House, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house?

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life