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It may be just another day, a day of absolute joy, or
one spent in the depths of despair and lonliness. Yes, it's the
holidays.
What lessons can this time of the year teach me?
Entrée: A Gift Worth
Knowing by Meilena Hauslendale
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For most people, the holidays can be a very busy season. Despite time deprivation, stop and take the time to connect with yourself and refuel. It’s important to view this time not only as a moment of celebration with family and friends, but a celebration of your life as a whole.
The end of the year provides us with a sense of closure on
the year’s events. So, take a moment to reflect on what you have learned in the
past year. Think about the friendships that were created. Think about the growth
you have experienced as a person. Then think about what aspects of your growth
you wish to carry over for the year to come.
You may find that the
heart of abundance wasn’t necessarily under your tree, but under your heart the
whole time.
About the author:
Author, Meilena Hauslendale's company, Silence Speaks, consults with publishers, galleries, corporate art buyers, interior designers, and private collectors. She is the founder of the Silence Speaks International Artist Association, an association of artists and writers. She is the editor of Intrigue Magazine, a publication showcasing artists’ and writers’ works as well as business resource articles, and has authored the book Making Your Purpose Your Business, scheduled to be published in January 2005. She was recently inducted into Who's Who of American Women for 2004.
Main Course: Escapism or
Example?
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The movie It's A Wonderful Life is not just holiday escapism, but like many movies of the war era, it conveys a moral lesson, by teaching us that everyone can make a difference by living a responsible, caring life. In addition, it presents a counterargument to the concept that young people should follow their own star, develop their talents to the fullest, leave the community in which they grew up, and go out into the world. One can become successful right where one stands.
While much of this all-time holiday favorite movie from 1946 dwells upon a world that is dark and harsh in its realities, it delivers a message of hope, too. It’s so straightforward in its intentional message, hence the title. In the view of this film, a wonderful life depends upon family, friends and having an honest job that contributes to the community. Finding the right balance between self-fulfillment and dedication to others is a major task and a continuing challenge for all.
Everything I learned about George Bailey is revealed in the context of his relationships with others. Much of the movie consists of scenes of his life in which he deals with family, friends and customers. Through these images I learned who George is, and what qualities of character he possesses. I learned that he’s honest, conscientious and caring. I learned that he is not afraid to speak his mind when confronted with injustice. And I see that he puts the highest value on his relationships with those around him, even those he finds a bit obnoxious (hee haw!).
But relationships do not work in only one direction, and It’s A Wonderful Life is not just about George’s relationships with others. It’s also about their relationships with him. While he may have helped others in very many ways, they helped George as well. On George and Mary’s wedding night, his friends Bert and Ernie help turn their leaky and run-down house into a honeymoon suite. And when George’s uncle loses the bank’s deposits and it looks like the world is crashing around him, his friends and relatives come together to save him and the "good ol' Bailey Building and Loan."
Contrast that to the solitary and amoral Mr. Potter, who seems to be an incarnation of the objectivist world view. Eternally detached from the world around him, Potter measures everyone and everything he encounters solely on the basis of what they can do for him. There is no feeling in his world; everything is viewed through the cold lenses of objectivity and materialism.
Clearly, relationships were the wellspring that nourished George Bailey’s life. But by themselves, relationships would not seem to explain the dramatic changes that take place when his life is as if he were never born. There was much more at work in George and in his life in Bedford Falls. It came from deep within him, and it made a world of difference in every life he touched. He believed, with his heart.
Life is a mystery when I insist on complicating it, but it's actually very simple. I can waste too many of its precious moments complaining about traffic, the weather, other people, or whatever. Meanwhile, right next to me may be someone who has achieved quiet greatness by serving others each day, by believing the best is in others and expecting the best of themselves.
Is it possible that any one individual could have such a profound effect on the world around them? I believe it is possible! It all starts with a belief in the general goodness and decency of people, and being a living example of it.
And the ripples go on and on. I don't need a major crisis to point out the abundance of this wonderful life.
Michael Rawls, Friday's Inspiration © 2003
Second Helping: Take It
On the Lamb by Chandra K.
Clarke
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It's that time again, you realize.
Every year, at the stroke of midnight on December 1, something horrible happens to people's conversational skills. All over the globe, people become afflicted with Holiday Syndrome, which means they are physically unable to ask you anything but the following questions:
This continues until January 1, at which point things improve slightly, with two new questions and a statement.
The condition doesn't clear up until at least January 6th, when members of orthodox Christian faiths, (who can take advantage of Boxing Day sales), stop smugly asking each other:
Anyway, the holidays can be tough on people who, like me, are Shopping Challenged. This Christmas though, I have found a solution to all my holiday problems: I will give the gift of sheep.
No really, I mean it. Thanks to the Internet, which is changing the world in more ways than we ever thought possible, I can go online (http://www.ethiogift.com) and buy everyone I know a sheep. I even have a choice between Medium, Big and Very Big Sheep.
I've considered the ramifications of sheep shopping very carefully, and I think it's a great idea. First of all, I don't have to worry about being ripped off, because in this case, I want to be fleeced. By shopping online, I won't have to deal with rude people in the mall either. Indeed, the sheep market is very polite: people are always saying, "Oh no, after ewe."
Sheep shipping is also a breeze. Although this particular company currently only offers delivery in Addis Ababa, I could easily arrange for sheep-to-shore transport myself. After that, it's just a matter of loading them on a ewe boat and waiting for my sheep to come in.
I know what you're thinking (but I'm ignoring the part where you're begging for sheep pun mercy). Sheep might make a boring gift, right? (Hey, I spared you the joke about them being baanal.) After all, people count sheep to fall asleep. However, sheep are far more exciting - and dangerous - than you might think.
For example, take the case of Egyptian shepherd Mokhtar Adam Fadl, who was sleeping soundly beside his flock when he was shot dead... by one of his sheep. The animal killed Fadl by kicking his gun and "accidentally" firing it. Police said it was a sheep shot. Another man, Waheeb Hamoudah, was killed when a sheep butted him off a roof. Hamoudah had been keeping the sheep above his home and fattening them up for sacrifice. Authorities there said they hoped that the story wouldn't give Christmas geese and Thanksgiving turkeys some bad ideas.
Sheep are also apparently a lot smarter than we've thought. Behavioral scientist Keith Kendrick recently did a study that proved that sheep are good at recognizing faces - remembering up to 50 different sheep for up to two years. Why didn't we know this before? Because humans only learned how to tell sheep apart in the last three years. Indeed, one question nobody asked when scientists cloned sheep to produce "Dolly" was: how could they tell? (Answer: Dolly said to its clone, "I am ewe.")
As you can see, a sheep is a gift that keeps on giving, even if it does accidently deposit it on your clean carpets sometimes. And at $97 apiece, no one can call me a sheepskate.
So if you're on my gift list this year, watch out for suspiciously woolly parcels from me. They'll be the ones marked "Fleece Navidad."
About the author:
Described as "clean and thoughtful," Chandra Clarke's In My Humble Opinion is the hilarious weekly humor and opinion column written by an actual rocket scientist (no kidding, she has the "sheepskin" on the wall to prove it! Not that writing humor is rocket science... uhhh, no). You can subscribe, at no cost to you, by sending a blank email to: InMyHumbleOpinion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit and read The Column by going to http://www.chandrakclarke.com/thecolumn.htm today
Soup to Nuts: From the feedback
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There will be no Friday's Inspiration or InboxInspiration next week. I will be visiting my daughter and 5 grandchildren in Southern Utah. Happiest of Holidays to all!
LindaM wrote, "Thanks for your weekly pages of inspiration. I've only received them for the last 3 weeks and can't wait to download your emails on a Friday. I just wanted to share some good news. On Saturday 16 October 2004 at about 10pm my mom had a serious fall in the bathroom. My brother checked for vital signs. There weren’t any. He held her in his arms and began to pray. In faith he rejected the spirit of death. As he prayed she started breathing again. When the paramedics eventually arrived they rushed her to the Linksfield Clinic.
"diagnosis... bleeding on the brain, broken cheek bone, broken orbital bone (the bone that holds your eye in place), broken jaw and a broken neck...[later] the doctor came out and told us that the neck had reset itself and that no other bones were broken. He said that she was a very lucky lady but we truly believe it had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with GOD.
"We have learned that our GOD is a faithful GOD. We tend to put HIM in a box and limit HIM to things that are feasible only to our minds, but HE is an awesome GOD. Nothing is too big for HIM to fix when we trust HIM and nothing is too small for HIM to care about when we ask HIM in prayer."
What wonderful news, that your mom is healed in this way! I firmly believe that our own inheirent power, in concert with that of The Great Author or All That Is, can do nearly anything that we frail humans can concieve, more especially when it is to the compassionate benefit of others. My mom passed away 6 days after Christmas several years ago, and my mother-in-law has been struggling with recovery from numerous strokes since last July. It is a difficult time of year for so many families and individuals, especially those who have lost loved ones close to the holiday season.
Maralyn1 wrote to say that she was proud to be my friend. I responded to her, as I do to all of you, "I've learned that there are a lot of people in this world who love me that I have never met!... Thank you, my friend, thank you, from my heart to yours. Your friendship is more valuable than all the riches in the world."
JoanS wrote, "Welcome back - it's so nice to see you again. I wanted to a) wish you a Merry Christmas, b) tell you that so far so good healthwise for me - with physiotherapy I'm slowly getting better and will be going back to work shortly (not because I'm fully better but because my unemployment runs out) and c) wanted to let you know how much the Vicki and Bob Woodyard site touched me. Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year to you and to all, Joan."
We continue to keep you, and all those we love and care for, in our prayers.
If you would like to express your concerns for loved ones, or yourself, in the form of prayer requests, send them to Prayers@N-Spire.com so we can help share the burden. Good news is welcome too! Write to Abundance@N-Spire.com and let's celebrate together!
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Just Desserts: Also Highly
Recommended
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Healing the World, One Voice At a Time: Hole in the Garden Wall is a visual and verbal inspiration for everyone who has dreamed of living without dust on their hearts. Author and photographer Prudence Kohl combines fine art photographs with original verse, expressing the universal longings we all possess deep within our bones. In this collection of 60 black and white and color photographs matched to poetic verses, you will find a message that resonates with your longing to break free. Also, subscribe to her eXpress Yourself newZletter by clicking the link, or send an e-mail to: imagineer@blueridge.net with "Subscribe" as the Subject.
52Best.com: Stories that touch the heart and the mind, stories that bring a smile to your face, or a tear to your eye, emailed each Friday morning. By sharing stories of compassion, understanding, and creativity, you and 52Best.com create a kinder, better world in which to live. Good enough to pass on! Get a Subscription to 52Best today.
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Peace and Light,
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