Monday, December 24, 2012

Best Wishes to You All!

 
From Spanaway Washington!

Greetings of the Season from Woodbridge VA!

 
 
Even though we live in Florida we still love scenes of snow...like  on paper Christmas Cards...this beauty came from Woodbridge, Virginia and looks like our property did back there. We loved listening to the wind blow through the pines on our snowy walks. We loved following the animal footprints and guessing what they were and we loved the crunching sounds of taking steps through the silence of the woods in the snow. 

Christmas A Time of Beauty


A wonderful Christmas card from Apollo Beach FL from friends who battled a hard year physically with support of their familyand friends' love and prayers. And here they are sending out God's message and not sitting back having a pity party!

Merry Christmas from Baltimore!


This beautiful card came to us from Baltimore Maryland friends and has the words Merry Christmas in the upper right black area that has the material bow. See the red stones in the flowers and the glittery outlined petals? The gold is smooth and glossy. More fun memories come into our minds from this message from family friends! Yep that's the wonderful thing paper Christmas cards do. Bring back the ol times!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

30 Years of Teaching And Friday in Connecticut

30 years of teaching and loving every minute behind me.
And then...Friday... here came another event.
My heart is so sad AGAIN.
I am proud of those teachers and adminstrators. You all honored our profession unlike the sexual perverted teachers down here in Florida and elsewhere who are serving terms in jail.
But I'll tell you this. Every teacher who has taught from the 60's on to their retirement year has seen this coming. And it will come  again and again and again.

Here are a couple of my thoughts ..not to say they are right...just some thoughts for you to think about...and act on or throw out or put on your mental backburners.

1. Think about this: I read this online  and am republishing the link:
Rev. Dwight Longenecker: James Holmes, Alleged Aurora Shooter, Was Possessed By A Demon
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/28/rev-dwight-longenecker-james-holmes-possessed-by-demon_n_1712452.html

Could the demons driven out by Jesus in the Bible in his many experiences be what we call today "mental illness"? I don't know but I do wonder when I look at the faces of the shooters in the paper and on tv and the computer.

2. Think about this:
I wrote this after the Colorado movie killings earlier this year and I repeat it here:
Is it possible for demons to enter your house through your television? I have wondered that a long time. Could it be that shows like Criminal Minds and the CSIs "rev the evil up " to the point that evil/demons can move through space ...like the GOOD Star Trek guys could beam themselves out to other places. Watch and monitor what your kids are watching on your tvs and computers. I am not talking about putting ideas in their heads. I mean could it be demons can move thru the screen into your homes?

3. Think about this:
After 30 years of teaching and watching the kids change in those/these years I have been expecting something like this long before now. It's only begun. Til the next generations feel the effect of being out from under their parents/grandparents umbrellas of protection of belief and prayers.

4. And finally:
Gun control will never change things.  Concentrating on developing FAITH of your choice in your children at home and school and church is the only hope. Stop obsessing on giving them all the "stuff" they want and instead fill  their "holes in their souls" with faith experiences and thoughts instead. Then maybe they won't strike out on others they don't even know. Don't wait til events like this to develop faith in your kids. Build it as wisely as you develop their home, clothes and toys.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Christmas Cards Take You Back... Reason #5

 FROM PASADENA, MD
I had no idea when I started thinking about Christmas cards I would have these many reasons and memories...like this one...the religious one...the real reason for Christmas to join in keeping the paper Christmas cards alive! My husband and I were recently enjoying one of our church's Christmas events and we starting thinking back to the beautiful church services, the Church Christmas plays and musicals, the church friends' events at their homes and ours, our Sunday School party get togethers. And in it  is a long list of good times, good tastes, good sounds and good memories. Each church's memories : From St. James Irvington in Baltimore to  Goshen Baptist church in Spotsylvania to  Zoan Baptist Church in Fredericksburg to  Chancellor Baptist Church in Fredericksburg to Glen Burnie Baptist Church in Glen Burnie to 1st Baptist Church in Riverview and to Simmons Loop Baptist Church in Riverview  are special and  unique. When we get a card from the friends we hold in our hearts from these places it is like it takes us right back there in time and place and makes our days in this season happier!
As a kid I loved looking at how different each artist created the shepherds, the angels, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus...the silence of the night...the lambs and the 3 Kings...
I hope you are also enjoying this month filled with these memories also!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Long Live Paper Christmas Cards Reason #4

 
 
From Spotsylvania, VA
 
When I was a kid growing up in Baltimore,  Christmas cards were so hot the mailmen delivered them  more than once each day and I can even remember deliveries on Sundays for Christmas. It was so exciting wondering who we would hear from next and wondering what the cards would look like.. of course you guessed it...this was the 40s-50s. Reason #4 is....I LOVED and still love the artistic beauty of the paper Christmas cards...their bold colors...like this card: Pointsietta red, glossy gold, speckly white...shiny smooth and flaky textures...whirly abstract shapes...or more traditional and just as beautiful religious pics with the nativity scene or  a snow church in a country or city setting...different sizes cards...different shapes cards ...different fonts of their words..all this traveling on the backs in the mailmen bags many many miles and then hung on ribbon, taped on walls or doors to be enjoyed during the entire holiday season!

Long Live Paper Christmas Cards Reason #3

 
From Melbourne, Florida
 
 
Once you get "really rolling" with retirement and downsizing you get so busy accomplishing stuff  you had to put on back burners when you were teaching... you actually have so much you enjoy/want/and do your responding to others gets delayed and alas eventually the year ends... and these past "wonderful working friends" you don't see during the  year get lost in changed emails, planned but not done phone calls or visits on both/either sides. So it is wonderful to hear from your past close working/teaching buddies and hear how much their kids and grandkids have done this year and to hear they are doing ok! So Reason #3 : thanks ol friends for remembering us and reaching out with your special cards!

Monday, December 10, 2012

I Love Christmas Cards! Another Why??

Another why?? As this card says, Pausing at the holidays to think about all the blessings of the year...
 
From: Riverview, Florida

A big blessing this year in my life has been  working with these friends and others  in presenting and distributing God's Word to all...all around the world ...through the Gideons International and Gideon Auxiliary camps here in Florida and ALL around the world. Hearing my husband giving the Gideon presentations in churches of many denominations all worshipping the same God and praying, distributing and financially supporting this cause has been very moving spiritually for me!
http://www.gideons.org/?HP=USA&LevelID=5&sc_lang=en

And the card is a reminder of our year's activities together.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

CHRISTMAS CARDS....I LOVE THEM! WHY??


Christmas cards bring back times spent together....happy memories of many shared moments of laughter, love and family events.
Harrisburg, PA