A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking it's life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
Originally formed a dozen years ago while students together at Indiana University, the a cappella group has reassembled and recorded a new album called Holiday Spirits. Thank you very much YouTube!
Fourth-grade student Jenna Baginski and her father, Tom, dressed up pillars at Charlotte Central School's entrance in red-and-white stripes this week just as a decoration for the holiday season. Charlotte Vermont is a sleepy town with 3,500 residents located approximately 12 miles south of Burlington on the shores of Lake Champlain. A resident of this small town took offence to the decorations calling them a religious symbol. William Gerson wrote a letter of protest to the School Board stating that candy canes are associated with Christmas and therefore a religious symbol unfit for public display.
Seriously? Candy Canes = Jesus? Really? I do understand that candy canes are more prevalent during the holiday season but I can't make the leap that they are a form of religion. Ironically, one theory of the origins of our modern day candy cane is that people decorated their Yule trees with food, the bent candy stick [which was first shown at the Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association in 1837] was invented as a functional solution. The Yule Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic peoples as a pagan religious festival. So maybe Mr. Gerson is right but I would be willing to bet his objection was not because he felt candy canes were a pagan which can stir up a specific image in most people's mind.
Thankfully the school board agrees with me and agreed that candy canes are a secular symbol and don't represent an improper government endorsement of religion. Sometimes candy is just candy - red and white stripped or not.
Last night, I went to the mall to try and get some Christmas shopping in. The parking lot was busy but not yet at the must-follow-a-fellow-shopper-to-their-car-or-you-will-never-get-a-spot level. I made a trip up and down a couple of isles until I found a parking space among many empty spots. As I walked toward the mall entrance, I noticed a black SUV with it's blinker on waiting to pull into a spot which I guess was soon to be vacated. This caught my attention because the SUV was parked on the wrong side of the road, which I thought could be a traffic flow problem if any other cars wanted to go either direction in that isle while the SUV waited for their spot. Not giving it much thought beyond that I continued walking toward the mall on a beautiful evening where the outside temperature felt about 40ish. I finally got up to the car the SUV was waiting for and the car was started and the occupant was inside doing, well doing what ever they were doing. Just as I passed by the car in the parking space, the woman in the SUV started to honk her horn as in could-you-vacate-your-spot-now and I thought to myself, now there's the Christmas spirit. The car quickly backed out of the spot and left. Ms. SUV is lucky it wasn't me, because I think I would have turned off my car and went back in the mall just out of spite. Ahh it's the Holiday season just grand?
Be the first on your block [or in your office] to have your very own 2008 Election Day mask. Well thanks to the Chicago Tribune's Rick Tuma, you can now have your very own, right from your color printer.
Memorial Day is a day where we can remember all of those brave men and women who have given their all of this country. You all in our hearts and minds everyday but today we stop and salute you and your gift you have given us all.
