Deb_Inside

~ Merry Christmas ~

I was glancing through a book this morning and came to this quote.....

‘Christmas is more than a date on a calendar,
it’s a state of heart’.
The Guideposts Christmas Treasury - 1972


You know that time, come the end of December, when everyone
nearly runs themselves ragged.  The true meaning and ~JOY~ of
the season sometimes gets  lost in the hustle and bustle. 

Join me and ~*CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS*~ everyday. 

I'm not talking about leaving up the holiday decorations, or
passing out gifts ....   JUST hold the ~SPIRIT~ in your heart.

Show love and kindness, even to the most unloveable. 

Try and live these words ................

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Ebenezer Scrooge -
 Charles Dickens's 1843 novel - A Christmas Carol.




 
          Christmas Eve ~ Grammy and Pa's House - 2008

 

 

My Grandmother was a Genius

My Grandmother Laura Rothacker passed when I was 4 years, old back in 1962.  

She lives ON.   She was a genius in that she dated and added her name to EVERYTHING !!!

These were the days before Sharpies, so Grandma wrote on items with a pencil and covered it with clear nail polish to preserve the name and date.

I have carried on that tradition.  

Below is a photo of a Christmas ornament that my Dad gave to Vinny in 1987.
Vin would have been 3 that Christmas.    I took a small piece of paper,
wrote out the tag, and covered it with Scotch tape.  :)    23 years ago !!!

Once the ornament is on the tree, you don't see that little tag.

I've tried to do this with all ornaments that were given to my kids, and I've
tried to do this with all ornaments I've given to others.

At the end of this Christmas season when I take down our tree,
it's past time to put the kids ornaments aside for each of them.  

Please consider doing this, and you can be assured to send a bit of yourself
into the future. 
I know I have spoken of this before, but it's such a treasure to know the dates
of items and who they belonged to or who the gifts came from.   :)

  

 

'Christmas Remembrance'

I'm sharing this with permission from my friend... Charles Quick ;)


A very strange thing happened the other day. I was doing a
Google search attempting to look up the words to a sermon that I
thought I shared on my site. The results brought me to an online
friend's blog.
Turns out I had shared the sermon in a comment to Charles under a post he
made called:

Christmas Remembrance - December 14, 2007

I just now went and searched through Charles AKA - Ceeque's blog
to see when it was I first met him. That was back in June of 2007.
I landed at his site from a link I had found on someone else's blog. :)

As with so many of my online friends, I will most likely never meet them
in person.
You see Charles lives across the POND over in the UK. Still, he's become like
a back yard neighbor and a special part of my life.

In his post of Christmas Remembrance Ceeque was facing his 6th
Christmas holiday without his son James. Charles shares his thoughts
of the upcoming holiday
along with 'an inspiring piece' that his son James wrote.

James was born the same year as my Vinny, he would have
turned 25 this year. If I were reading someone's message like this,
I'm certain I would wonder what happened that this young man
passed at the age of 17.
Let me say that Charles has a post on his site right up on plain view......
'Memo to Suicidal Young People'.


I would like to share James' words with you............



” Prose No.1 version 1

comment: This is inspired by several people, writers and someone I think is a writer! Its not very good …..

“STOP, yes, STOP! I`d just like you to take a moment and reflect. Right now you`re sat somewhere reading this. Are you eating or drinking something you normally eat or drink? If so, have some slowly, feel the textures,smell the aromas, let your taste buds get a good taste. Something you don`t normally do … you eat and run. I think its about time we all sat back and realised what we have.

We`re cruising along in life not realising the potential we all have, each day. We fear whats to come tomorrow, we regret what was yesterday but we ignore today. And today you`ll go through what you felt yesterday and tomorrow.

Appreciate whats today, the potential you have. Make a change, stand up, and shout. Shout anything you like. Express yourself, tell people you love them, like friends and family. Step back from that computer, turn the tv off. Talk and appreciate people.

We take SO MUCH for granted, the air we breathe, food we eat, bus drivers, that sexy blonde at the local shop .. and family and friends. Over this Christmas spend as much time as possible with the things you love (or should love) as you just don`t know when its gonna get taken away from you….

And remember what the great John and Paul said …

“ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE”

in remembrance of George Harrison. “

..........................................................................................................................................

LINK TO CEEQUE'S BLOG ARTICLE - CHRISTMAS REMEMBRANCE

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER FOR CHARLES AND ALL WHO HAVE BURIED A CHILD.


Christmas Remembrance

James Wallace Quick
September 29, 1984 ~ March 21, 2002

Midnight Mass Sermon

They come……. often uninvited but not wholly unwelcome…..
But they will surely come…..
As soon as the Christmas tree is lit this evening….
As soon as the Christmas dinner is served tomorrow….
As soon as the presents are unwrapped…. They will come….

Who are they? They are the ghosts of our Christmases past.
Not some scary spooks from out of a Steven King movie,
nor some dour figment of Charles Dickens imagination….
No…. these ghosts are neighbors, who have moved away,
grandchildren, too busy to come home,
childhood friends, long since lost touch with,
and all our beloved dead.

These ghosts come to us at the holy time, tinged with
sadness, but so much a part of our Christmas memories
we could not banish them if we would want to….
but who could wish something so dreadful!

Our memories, and the ghosts they conjure, are as much
a part of today’s celebration as the packages sitting under
the tree this very minute or as the lights that beautify our
church this very night.
They are a part of us and they are holy.!

They come back to us….. served up in special Christmas
recipes they hand down….. unique Christmas ornaments that
were theirs, and those special songs of the season that they
loved to sing. They are our special holiday friends.
Aunts smelling like lavender, Grandmother’s who baked the
best bread in the world, small friends who shared their newly
arrived red wagons, and brothers and sisters who wrapped their
Santa’s workshop gifts with all the love their small hands could muster.
They are our special holiday friends,
these ghosts of Christmas.

For you see…. they are part of our history, and our history
is holy. For if this Christmas celebration means anything at all, it
means that when God became a part of our human story, our lives
took on a part of the divine story.
The moments of our lives, each one of them, bears the mark
of the divine life. And therefore, the people of our lives,
all of them, are holy images of God among us.
These ghosts who visit us, trimmed in evergreen and glowing in
Christmas lights, these ghosts remind us that our story is a
part of God’s story…. For God touched our lives on this holy night.

We need not fear them, these ghosts of love and laughter,
these ghosts of family and friendship……
We need not fear them, for they are our own history,
coming back to reminisce in this holy season.

Our history, made holy, by God becoming one of us.

And so, as I drive down the turnpike tomorrow to celebrate
with my family, they will come back to me,
the ghosts of my own Christmases.
My Grandfather fussing to make sure the house is spotless,
my Grandmother standing in her apron in front of the stove
cooking macaroni.

I hope yours visit you, and when they do, when those
memories of people not with us this day come to reminisce,
remember, they are signs to us of how holy our history is….
Our own history that is made holy by God who took on
our history when he came to Earth this very night.

Greet those ghosts with love for they are signs of God’s love….
Greet them with love…. welcome them home…..
and Merry Christmas to you and to all who are with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Father Patrick Ferraro

St Joan of Arc – Streetsboro Ohio
December 2003

This sermon was given at
my parent’s Church.

I thought it was so touching I had my Dad ask
Fr. Patrick for a copy to send to my son Vinny who was
serving in Iraq at that time.

~* Happy Birthday Deb *~

I don't believe I have made a post about my birthday in the past.  :)

Years ago, in my childhood, I would rather not have had my birthday
mentioned.   Ahhhhhhhhh THANK GOD for the growth of my self esteem.
I did hesitate a moment in choosing the category of holiday ~

WHO deems their own ~birthday~ a holiday.   
WELL....  I just DID and you know what......... 
Your birthday would be a ~*HOLIDAY*~ to me as well. !!!

Today, I see it from a perspective that I am grateful to have been born into
the world at this time.   I am thrilled to be a person who contributes to making
this a better world.   

This is not only MY birthday, but I share the day with my beautiful daughter in law,
Dana.   Today February 5th is her debut day into the world too. !!!



I could not begin to get all the candles on my cake, but just go on and
multiply those 5 times 10.    LOL

I would also like to add, that the inspiration for my thumb print drawings
comes from this book - Ed Emberley's Complete Funprint Drawing Book.



One does NOT have to be an artist to create thumbprint drawings !!!
Just grab a stamp pad and a marker.   The book shows step by step
how to to create a picture.     Consider this book as a gift for a child,
or even for an adult you know to bring BACK their inner child. 

Ed has several different book of thumbprint drawings.   Check out
this link for the list.

Thanks for celebrating with me.  ;)

LOVE

Deb

I Wish You A ~*Happy New Day*~

Imagine folks walking around wishing one another a Happy New Day.

It's quite common place to be checking out through a store clerk and have
them say to you, "Thank you and have a good day", but has anyone ever
said to you..... "Thank you and have a happy new day"?    I can't recall it ever
having been said to me.   :)

Around this time of the year it's quite common for total strangers to
wish you....   Happy New Year. !!!     Hmmmmm all 366 days of 2008 Happy.
What a nice thought.    

Just maybe, the wish of Happy New Year from family, and friends, and total
strangers starts by waking up each morning and first off
wishing ourselves..........   ~*Happy New Day*~

And to all of you as you awake each morning of 2008.........

I wish you.... ~*Happy New Day*~

A Letter From Jesus About Christmas

A friend emailed me this message and I thought it was

worth passing along.   

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

It's a fine line to presume what Jesus would

say but the statements are worth thinking about. 

Have a Blessed Christmas.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless?  Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :      I LOVE YOU, JESUS

Holiday Memories of Yesteryear

Two nights ago, I was out driving and flipped on the radio.

It was set to a station that is all holiday music.
 

I heard him, Burl Ives singing Holly Jolly Christmas….

INSTANTLY… it was December of 1989…...

My 2 children were clamoring…….

“When will it be on”?
 

“How soon is 20 minutes”?

7 year old Nicole and 5 year old Vincent were excitedly anticipating

the TV broadcast of ………  Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

My eyes filled with tears and a part of me longed for those children

of yesteryear.    But alas…. that was then.   I do have Kevin who is

11 years old, and I know how in a heartbeat time moves on.
   

Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives passed away in April of 1995 at the age of 85.

His distictive voice was actually a ghost from my own childhood. 

The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer debuted on TV in December of 1964.

At that time I was 6 years old, but it’s always felt like the annimated

show has been a part of my life.
 

Thank you Mr Ives, Ummm I mean Sam the Snowman,

for the memories of generations of children…. even grown ones who

remember when.
 

IF you don’t have Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer on DVD,

you can catch it here is the USA   on………..………….

Monday Dec 3 – 9 pm Eastern time    The Family Channel

Tuesday Dec 4 – 8 pm Eastern time   CBS

A couple of You Tube videos of Mr Ives singing
on the animated Rudolph Show ……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki1JRTUeawg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aNUm1ePMDs

Mr Ives talks about his role as Sam……..

"When I lent my voice to Sam the snowman back in 1964, 1 had no idea
that the special would air on network television every year since then.
When I tour across the country, I am recognized as Sam by everyone from
the airline stewardesses down to the smallest of children.
The popularity of that special overshadows my Oscar performance in
The Big Country and my performance as ‘Big Daddy’ in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" put together."

"I loved that special, so much that we have had wood figures of the Rudolph
characters made and we decorate our front lawn with them every Christmas.
The role of Sam came natural to me because I like singing to children
because they like good songs and they are interested in some of the
same things I am, like frogs, flies and bees. I worked on several projects
with Rankin/Bass over the years ........and enjoyed making them all,
but Rudolph is still the most popular. ‘Silver and Gold’ and ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’
are two of my favorite and most requested songs.
I am grateful to have been a part of that special."

http://www.burlives.com/Fun.htm

Rudolph that Amazing Reindeer

by Stanley Frankel

About half way down the page at this link you will find this fascinating story.
It’s about Robert May the author of the Rudolph story.
Reprinted from Good Housekeeping Magazine.

http://www.frankel-y.com/append.htm

* Happy Thanksgiving *

~ Happy ~

On this special day set aside,

I give ~thanks~ for all who read at my site.

I ask that God bless you with both answered and

unanswered prayers.

As you gather with your family
would you please say a prayer for
military families who's loved ones will
never return to a holiday table.   Our heroes
who have given their all.

Would you also remember those serving
far from home in a land where it does not
even ~feel~ like a holiday at all and those serving
stateside, but too far away to be with their loved ones.

A special prayer for those who are having
a first holiday without a loved one at the table.
In the sadness of missing them, remember the joy
that you shared.
*  They are with you in spirit  *

We miss you our airmen, Vinny & Dana ...

we are so proud of your service.   

Love

Mom - Deb

http://www.livinglifefully.com/zine.htm

http://www.livinglifefully.com/thanksgiving.htm

These 2 links are just about the same, but

the first one will change with the weekly enzine.

So...  I dropped in the thanksgiving one, in case

anyone wanted to check back there later on.

You can sign up for the weekly or daily messages.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jessi ~ An Amazing Young Woman

Jessi's Mom -  Jessi  -   Kendra - Taken this past summer



This is a post asking for your HELP.   

Help to bring some cheer to a military family this holiday season.

The gal who wrote this message is Darlene.   An online friend,

I've known for several years.    These messages are from a

web site we are on together.   

Darlene and her friend Jessi live in Nouth Carolina. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jessi is a 18 year old girl who was born with brittle bones disease.

(Brittle Bone Disease - Osteogenesis Imperfecta)

She has spent her life in a wheelchair and has to live very cautiously.
With as much caution as possible she still manages to break bones in her body.
Her wheelchair hitting something or running over a bump breaks bones.
She is a tiny thing.... If she could walk she wouldn't be 3 feet tall.
She is beautiful young lady with a bit of a fiery disposition.
She loves to paint and make friends.

A lot of people her age are afraid of her and making friends
is hard to do and she has every intention of keeping her friends
or in other words, making an acquaintance isn't what she strives
for and making you her friend is.

Jessi is presently writing medical history.....
She wasn't supposed to live this long and she surpassed her prognosis
many years ago. She is deformed because her skeletal system stopped
growing when she was little but her organs didn't.
It brings about another medical problem for her....
Her organs are all pushed together trying to fit in her tiny body.
If she gets a cold it's dangerous for her because her heart and lungs
are smooshed and it makes them work harder.


=======================================

My daughter Kendra met Jessi at school....
Jessi, in her wheelchair was being bullied and she attempted
to run her bullies down with her chair.... My daughter does
not like a bully and her dislike is even stronger when the
bullies select the defenseless to pick on. My daughter got
involved and she ran the bullies off and brought Jessi into
our lives as well as the lives of her other friends.
My daughter and Jessi will graduate this year from a small school...
They both plan on going to college...
My Kendra wants to be a veterinarian and Jessi wants to be
a counselor on her disease.

UPDATE - Nov 4th

She just returned from John Hopkins in Maryland and her surgeries

have been scheduled...

She will have surgery on December 3rd and be placed in suspended traction

until her next surgery on December 17th. She hopes to be home

in North Carolina for Christmas.

The risks of her surgery are high and she is 18 now.....

She was asked to sign a DNR (Do not resuscitate) form. It was

explained to her that if they tried to resuscitate her excessively that

it would kill her and with a heavy heart she signed the form.

We are being optimistic especially for her benefit.

I sense she will do fine with the surgeries, though. Please keep Jessi

and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE Nov 14th

Jessi's surgery is going to hinder Christmas for her family. I am asking for

your prayers and if you could send a care package for the family

that would be wonderful too.
I told Sheri, Jessi's mom, I would work on Christmas for everyone and

she should worry about the surgery.

If you are able to make or buy just one gift and send it for Christmas

it would help... Or even a gift card, Cheyanne and Jessi love books

and a gift card to waldenbooks or Barnes and Noble would be gold to them.

Cheyanne is Jessi's baby sister, she is 12.
Jessi wants to be home for Christmas but it likely won't happen...

Christmas will be waiting for her when she does get back home....

Emotions are beginning to show their head around here we are

crying one minute and laughing another minute. We are praying

and looking for hope... Other times we are just numb...

This family really needs the power of love and support that
only strangers can give....

Cody M.  age  19
Jessi  B. age 18
Cheyanne M.  age  12
Sheri M.  mom

Matt M.   step father

Matt is serving in the Navy and will be here for Jessi's surgeries.
She will have her surgeries at John Hopkins Hospital in Maryland.

Sheri, Jessi's Mom sent these words.....

"Life is about to change as we know it. Jessica and our family will

be embarking on a new chapter of our lives in a few weeks. Jessica is

scheduled for her first of two spinal surgeries on Dec. 3rd, and then on

Dec 17th for the final fusion.

We are hoping this will change Jessica's life for the better,

either way we are winners!!

WOW.... what an amazing young woman Jessi is. !!!!

Please keep Jessi and her family in your prayers.
I'll be posting updates on my site here of her progress.

I KNOW this is a whole lot to ask, but if everyone of my

friends who reads this message sent the family a couple

of dollars or even $5 or whatever you can  ....

what a difference it would make in their lives. 

I would rather not post their mailing address

directly on the web, but if you would please email

me --  I'll gladly send it your way.

AFMomDeb@aol.com

Remember what Alvin from  the Chipmunks says...

"It's a GIVING - GIVING - GIVING time"

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS

Photo collage of Jessi and friends

http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/4778/jessi224rh7.jpg

~ A Gift That Keeps On Giving ~

The big season of gift giving is upon us.   So many people
scramble around for just that perfect gift.   Only every now and
then will that gift be remembered. 

The words and music to the Christmas song
Little Drummer Boy was composed by Katherine K. Davis,
Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958.

“Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, “

“Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum? “

The Little Drummer Boy did not realize right away
that he did indeed have a gift.   

You have gifts all wrapped up inside of you.

Those gifts are ….  Your Words.

   

For your family members or close special friends

pick up a blank journal and in the first few pages

write out some shared memories, or some reasons

why these people are so important to you.

Drop in a special photo……..

Make certain you date the book.   All through the year

you can mail them items to add to the book.

If you think a blank journal is going to break the

bank, think again.   You can pick up wonderful

little journals at the dollar store.   Of course you can

go to the other end and do a leather bound one too.

This will truly be the gift that keeps on giving. 

 

Spooky Start To The Day

~* Happy Halloween *~

Midnight Mass Sermon

Midnight Mass Sermon

They come……. often uninvited but not wholly unwelcome…..
But they will surely come…..
As soon as the Christmas tree is lit this evening….
As soon as the Christmas dinner is served tomorrow….
As soon as the presents are unwrapped…. They will come….

Who are they? They are the ghosts of our Christmases past.
Not some scary spooks from out of a Steven King movie,
nor some dour figment of Charles Dickens imagination….
No…. these ghosts are neighbors, who have moved away,
grandchildren, too busy to come home,
childhood friends, long since lost touch with,
and all our beloved dead.

These ghosts come to us at the holy time, tinged with
sadness, but so much a part of our Christmas memories
we could not banish them if we would want to….
but who could wish something so dreadful!

Our memories, and the ghosts they conjure, are as much
a part of today's celebration as the packages sitting under
the tree this very minute or as the lights that beautify our
church this very night.
They are a part of us and they are holy.!

They come back to us….. served up in special Christmas
recipes they hand down….. unique Christmas ornaments that
were theirs, and those special songs of the season that they
loved to sing. They are our special holiday friends.
Aunts smelling like lavender, Grandmother's who baked the
best bread in the world, small friends who shared their newly
arrived red wagons, and brothers and sisters who wrapped
their Santa's workshop gifts with all the love their small
hands could muster. They are our special holiday friends,
these ghosts of Christmas.

For you see…. they are part of our history, and our history
is holy. For if this Christmas celebration means anything at all,
it means that when God became a part of our human story,
our lives took on a part of the divine story.
The moments of our lives, each one of them, bears the mark of
the divine life. And therefore, the people of our lives,
all of them, are holy images of God among us.
These ghosts who visit us, trimmed in evergreen and glowing in
Christmas lights, these ghosts remind us that our story is a part
of God's story…. For God touched our lives on this holy night.

We need not fear them, these ghosts of love and laughter,
these ghosts of family and friendship……
We need not fear them, for they are our own history,
coming back to reminisce in this holy season.

Our history, made holy, by God becoming one of us.

And so, as I drive down the turnpike tomorrow to celebrate
with my family, they will come back to me,
the ghosts of my own Christmases.
My Grandfather fussing to make sure the house is spotless,
my Grandmother standing in her apron in front of the stove
cooking macaroni.

I hope yours visit you, and when they do, when those memories
of people not with us this day come to reminisce,
remember, they are signs to us of how holy our history is….
Our own history that is made holy by God who took on
our history when he came to Earth this very night.

Greet those ghosts with love for they are signs of God's love….
Greet them with love…. welcome them home…..
and Merry Christmas to you and to all who are with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Father Patrick Ferraro

St Joan of Arc – Streetsboro Ohio

December 2003

This sermon was given at

my parent’s Church.

I thought it was so touching I had my Dad ask

Fr. Patrick for a copy to send to Vinny who was in Iraq at that time.

.