BRIGHT SIDE ARCHIVES FROM AOL: FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2006

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

DECEMBER 23RD,2006

TODAY'S THOUGHT

Christmas! 'Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of charity in the heart.

Washington Irving

TODAY’S ACTION

Let go of old wrongs and start anew.

TODAY’S QUOTE

There's a candle in my window

With its halo of bright gold,

Telling with each tiny flicker

Of the joy each heart can hold.

At this joyous Christmas season

For each passer-by to see,

Ponder on his way and reason,

This is just as it should be.

Ruth Scott Hubbard

HAPPY SATURDAY

Well the Family will all be in today for the Family Feast. It will certainly be a house full. We had DS#2 and family, DD and hubby and DS #5 and his wife for dinner last evening and the table was pretty full with just them. Today we’ll add DS#1 and family, DS#3 and family and the ‘Newlyweds’. I know it’s going to be wall to wall people here. It’ll be fun though, as they all love to be together.

Have a great day all . Another wonderful one on the Way !

Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for their commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

TODAY IS POPCORN POPPING DAY

The mystery of how popcorn pops is unvailed here! There is a tiny amount of water inside each kernel - when heated, it expands. Without a cover, kernels can pop three feet into the air! Fun facts about popcorn: http://www.popcorn.org/index.cfm

TODAY’S TRIVIA

Today is National Pfeffernuesse Day, a day to make those spicy cookies that are a Christmas tradition in Europe.

1823: The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore ("`Twas the night before Christmas...") was published in the "Troy (New York) Sentinel."

1942: Bob Hope agreed to entertain U.S. airmen in Alaska. It was the first of his many, famous Christmas shows for American armed forces around the world. He continued the tradition for more than three decades.

1954: The classic movie, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", was released. It was to become one of Walt Disney’s most successful films.

TODAY’S SMILE THE LITTLE OL’ DONKEY THAT HAD LITTLE TO SAY

It was the night before Christmas when all the beasts came together from the furthest places of the earth to talk.

The first voice to be heard was the deep rich bass voice of the Lion. "I speak," he said, "as the King of Beasts." And truly he looked a king with his beautiful thick mane and his tawny rippling muscles. "I won't repeat my good deeds. I shall not again tonight repeat the shinning stories of the days when the Romans loved me. I shall not recall the story of the one man, Daniel, who defied me in my den . . . a story humbling to me . . . which I have often told you to prove I am not proud. Ishall say nothing of my stealthy fury that makes the whole continent tremble at the very sound of my name . . ."

"Then I shall speak," and by the trumpet sound, the beasts knew the elephant spoke. "I am the biggest beast on earth. My size and my strength awe nations. Yet I can walk so softly and lightly that no ear can hear my coming. Isn't that something to be proud of? And I don't believe any of you can flip a tremendous teak log over your shoulder as handily as I can. That takes power. Yes, and who else here has been a beast of war? Who else has crossed the Alps? You know how very high the Alps are! I and my strong brothers helped the famous General Hannibal and his soldiers over them in one of his great campaigns. And Hannibal's in history books all over the world."

A strange, whispering voice broke in: "You know me, the Giraffe. Usually I stay silent, but I hope you'll remember I'm the tallest and can look down on you. But please don't think I am bragging because I an up here above you. I can eat from the tops of trees. Nobody else can do that. Besides being the tallest, I can run faster than most . . ."

"Let me interrupt." It was the Leopards voice. You'd have to move very fast to outrun certain striped and spotted cousins of mine who hold most of the speed records. Right, Cousins?" T

he Tiger nodded his head and the Cheetah, fastest of all, smiled.

The camel, till now had been chewing his cud and watching with sad eyes. He cleared his throat and his voice rasped out: "I am neither handsome nor fleet. I have some trouble keeping clean. But I have the right to feel as proud as anyone here. I helped build the pyramids of Egypt! Have any of you ever tackled a job that big? I am used to going many days without water, across scorching sands that would burn the feet off most of you within hours. My friends, the Camels count, and I have the right to feel happy."

For a long while after the Camel's speech, there was silence. Then the Llama coughed and said: "I am by nature modest. One thing, however . . . I have had much experience in crossing mountains. You have heard of the Andes, my home, and the war work I have done."

Other's spoke too. The Goose honked, "I laid a golden egg once. Who else has done that?"

The Turtle said, "I'm the slowest. It's better. When you go fast you go around in circles."

The Fox said, "I am the slyest, the trickiest, and probably the brainiest of you all."

The Zebra said, "For confusion, I'm best. Am I white with black stripes or black with white stripes?"

The Grizzly Bear said, "Who, that is as heavy as I, can climb a tree as well?"

And the Polar Bear said, "Can anybody but me swim with icebergs or catch fish with a paw?"

All this time a little gray beast stood listening. Finally, the other animals looked his way. There wasn't much he could do but speak. "I am a Donkey," he began, in a voice so hoarse and low that the beasts leaned forward to hear. "I can't run fast or go days without water. I couldn't swim a stroke among icebergs. I've never climbed a tree. Nobody is afraid of me." Lower and lower sank the little donkey's voice. His ears drooped, and his head bowed. The other beasts could hardly hear him. Suddenly he raised his head. His eyes looked far away in time and space and there was a strange glow around him. "Only one thing I have ever done has ever stuck in my mind. It happened a long, long time ago . . . on the way to Egypt in the dark of night. I carried a mother, who carried a King."

—Religious Digest

TODAY’S LINK

A CHRISTMAS CARD

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ZY29432782

(I think this is the 3rd card from this same site, but each one is different and all are beautiful !)

TODAY’S WORD

ma·gi noun Plural of magus.

ma·gus noun ma·gi

1. A member of the Zoroastrian priestly caste of the Medes and Persians.

2. Magus. One of the three wise men from the East who traveled to Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus.

3. A sorcerer; a magician.

TODAY’S REFLECTION

"What then is this child going to be?"

Luke 1:66

Zechariah's and Elizabeth's friends and neighbors knew this child John was a special child. But then, isn't every child remarkable?

Parental love asks, "What is this child going to be and do?"

"...Some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses him-self from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work" (2 Timothy 2:20,21).

Surely we want to prepare our child for noble purposes so he or she will be useful to God and to others.

TODAY’S ADVICE FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC

Storms burst as tides turn

87 DAYS UNTIL WINTER

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your Heart

Psalm 37:4

I Love You All !!!

Be Blessed !!!

MY HOMEPAGE

I believe we should live ‘ON THE BRIGHT SIDE’

www.bigmarainey.com

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