My People,
Hello! HOPE is about keeping our hearts open to endless possibilities.
I love the Christmas Season! To me Christmas is each and every day of the year, and I am always in this wonderful Season of HOPE!
Hope Gives! May it fill your heart with Peace, Love and Joy? It is Hope that brings us Home.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
God's gift of Jesus was a Gift of Love and Kindness. The real Joy is Jesus not just at Christmas Time but all through the year!
Christmas is ALL Love of the Father, the Love of the Son, the Love of the Spirit of God, and that’s the best present of all-The LOVE of GOD!
When we give gifts
to each other, we remind ourselves of the greatest Gift that God has given us,
His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.
We cannot outdo God!
Every Christmas we feel that Hope and Joy soaring in our hearts, it’s not
because of what we do, but what God has done for us. This is what makes the season of Christmas so magical so special. We are loved and we know that. This is our Joy!
At Christmas
children are taught what it feels like to give and receive gifts. But what really needs to be taught is to be giving with no expectations.
Born in a stable,
cradled in a manger, He came from Heaven to live on Earth as man and to
establish the Kingdom of God. He lived and He died for us that in Him we have Eternal life!
The message of Christmas is Timeless. Because Christmas is about the birth of God's Son – Jesus!
The message of Christmas is Timeless. Because Christmas is about the birth of God's Son – Jesus!
The magic of Christmas never ends and its greatest of gifts
are Love, Hope and Joy!
I Love You Always Forever. One of my most favourite songs by Donna Lewis.
CHORUS(1)
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything (say it, say it again) I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
You've got the most unbelievable eyes I've ever seen
As we are under a blue sky with pure white stars
A sweetness a magical time
Say it, say it again
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything (say it, say it again) I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
You've got the most unbelievable eyes I've ever seen
As we are under a blue sky with pure white stars
A sweetness a magical time
Say it, say it again
CHORUS(1)
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always
And everywhere and every
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always
And everywhere and every
Say you'll love, love me forever…..
And everywhere and everything
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always
And everywhere and every
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always
And everywhere and every
Say you'll love, love me forever…..
And everywhere and everything
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far closer together
This is one of my
favourite Christmas Story. A story of True Love!
"The Gift of
the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905.
ONE DOLLAR AND
EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS. Della counted it three times. There was nothing to do but
fall on the bed and cry.
Della finished her crying and dried her face. She stood by the window and looked out. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a gift. She had put aside as much as she could for months, with this result. Jim earned $20.00 a week, which does not go far. Expenses had been greater than she had expected. Many a happy hour she had spent planning to buy something fine and rare, something being worthy of belonging to Jim.
Della finished her crying and dried her face. She stood by the window and looked out. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a gift. She had put aside as much as she could for months, with this result. Jim earned $20.00 a week, which does not go far. Expenses had been greater than she had expected. Many a happy hour she had spent planning to buy something fine and rare, something being worthy of belonging to Jim.
Despite being poor,
the young Dillingham's loved each other and possess two items they value as
treasures in their world:
- Jim's Gold pocket watch, a family heirloom and
- Della's shining knee-length brown waterfall of hair.
- The 3rd and most valued possession: Their love for each other.
She stood still
while a few tears fell on the floor. She put on her coat and her old brown hat.
With a quick motion and brightness still in her eyes, she moved quickly out the
door and down the street.
Where she stopped the sign read: "Madame Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." Della ran up the steps to the shop, out of breath.
"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take your hat off and let us have a look at it."
Down came the beautiful brown knee length waterfall of hair.
"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the hair with an experienced hand.
"Give it to me quick," said Della.
Where she stopped the sign read: "Madame Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." Della ran up the steps to the shop, out of breath.
"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take your hat off and let us have a look at it."
Down came the beautiful brown knee length waterfall of hair.
"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the hair with an experienced hand.
"Give it to me quick," said Della.
The next two hours Della
looked in all the stores to choose a gift for Jim. She found it at last. It was
a chain, simple round rings of silver. It was perfect for Jim's gold watch. As
soon as she saw it, she knew that it was like him-Quiet and with great value.
She gave the shopkeeper twenty-one dollars, and she hurried home with the
eighty-seven cents that was left.
When Della arrived home, she began to repair what was left of her hair. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny round curls of hair. She looked at herself in the glass mirror long and carefully.
"If Jim does not kill me before he takes a second look at me," she said to herself.
At seven, Jim’s dinner was kept tobe prepared. Jim was never late coming home from work. Della held the watch chain in her hand and sat near the door where he always entered. Then she heard his step in the hall. She had a way of saying a little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I’m still pretty.”
The door opened and Jim stepped in. He was only twenty-two—and he had to care for a wife! He needed a new coat and gloves to keep his hands warm.
Jim stopped inside the door; His eyes were fixed upon Della. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor anything she had been ready for. He simply looked at her with that strange expression on his face. Della went to him. "Jim, my love," she cried, "do not look at me that way. I had my hair cut and sold because I could not have lived through Christmas without giving you a gift. My hair will grow out again. I just had to do it. My hair grows very fast. Say 'Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let us be happy. You do not know what a beautiful, nice gift I have for you."
“You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim slowly. He seemed not to feel sure he knew. “Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. “Don’t you like me now? I’m me, Jim. I’m the same without my hair.”
Jim looked about the room as if he were looking for something.
"You say your hair is gone?" he asked.
"You need not look for it," said Della. "It is sold and gone, too. It is Christmas Eve. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you.
Shall I put the meat on, Jim?" Jim put his arms around his Della.
From inside the coat, Jim took something tied in paper. He threw it upon the table.
"Do not make any mistake about me, Dell," he said. "I do not think there is any haircut that could make me like my girl any less. But if you will open that package, you may see why you had me frightened at first."
Her fingers quickly tore at the string and paper. There was a scream of joy; and then, tears and cries, requiring the man of the house to use all his skill to calm his wife.
For here were the Combs—the combs that Della had seen in a shop window and loved for a long time. Beautiful ornamental combs, made of shells with jewels at the edge, perfect for her beautiful hair. They cost a lot of money, she knew, and her heart had wanted them without ever hoping to have them. And now, the beautiful combs were hers, but the hair that should have touched them was gone.
But she held them to her heart, and at last was able to look up and say: “My hair grows so fast, Jim!”
And then she jumped up and cried, “Oh, oh!” Jim had not yet seen his beautiful gift. She held it out to him in her open hand. The silver chain seemed so bright.
"Isn't it wonderful, Jim? I looked all over town to find it. You will have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."
Jim sat down and smiled. “Della,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas gifts away and keep them a while. They’re too nice to use now. I sold my gold watch to get the money to buy the set of combs for your hair. And now, why not put the meat on."
When Della arrived home, she began to repair what was left of her hair. Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny round curls of hair. She looked at herself in the glass mirror long and carefully.
"If Jim does not kill me before he takes a second look at me," she said to herself.
At seven, Jim’s dinner was kept tobe prepared. Jim was never late coming home from work. Della held the watch chain in her hand and sat near the door where he always entered. Then she heard his step in the hall. She had a way of saying a little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: “Please God, make him think I’m still pretty.”
The door opened and Jim stepped in. He was only twenty-two—and he had to care for a wife! He needed a new coat and gloves to keep his hands warm.
Jim stopped inside the door; His eyes were fixed upon Della. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor anything she had been ready for. He simply looked at her with that strange expression on his face. Della went to him. "Jim, my love," she cried, "do not look at me that way. I had my hair cut and sold because I could not have lived through Christmas without giving you a gift. My hair will grow out again. I just had to do it. My hair grows very fast. Say 'Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let us be happy. You do not know what a beautiful, nice gift I have for you."
“You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim slowly. He seemed not to feel sure he knew. “Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. “Don’t you like me now? I’m me, Jim. I’m the same without my hair.”
Jim looked about the room as if he were looking for something.
"You say your hair is gone?" he asked.
"You need not look for it," said Della. "It is sold and gone, too. It is Christmas Eve. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you.
Shall I put the meat on, Jim?" Jim put his arms around his Della.
From inside the coat, Jim took something tied in paper. He threw it upon the table.
"Do not make any mistake about me, Dell," he said. "I do not think there is any haircut that could make me like my girl any less. But if you will open that package, you may see why you had me frightened at first."
Her fingers quickly tore at the string and paper. There was a scream of joy; and then, tears and cries, requiring the man of the house to use all his skill to calm his wife.
For here were the Combs—the combs that Della had seen in a shop window and loved for a long time. Beautiful ornamental combs, made of shells with jewels at the edge, perfect for her beautiful hair. They cost a lot of money, she knew, and her heart had wanted them without ever hoping to have them. And now, the beautiful combs were hers, but the hair that should have touched them was gone.
But she held them to her heart, and at last was able to look up and say: “My hair grows so fast, Jim!”
And then she jumped up and cried, “Oh, oh!” Jim had not yet seen his beautiful gift. She held it out to him in her open hand. The silver chain seemed so bright.
"Isn't it wonderful, Jim? I looked all over town to find it. You will have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."
Jim sat down and smiled. “Della,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas gifts away and keep them a while. They’re too nice to use now. I sold my gold watch to get the money to buy the set of combs for your hair. And now, why not put the meat on."
The MAGI- were wonderfully wise men— who brought gifts to the Christ child. They were the first to give Christmas gifts.
But let me speak a last word to the wise of these days:
Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise.
They most unwisely sacrificed for each other the most valuable thing he-she owned in order to buy a gift for the other. It’s about how completely they love each other.
Please
also continue to read: A Hearts SONG!
With all my Love,
For Love Prevails!
AnitA.
