The Joy And Celebration Of Christmas

[DisRuptive1]

Christmas is a special time. A time for family, a time for caroling and giving, and singing and dredels and the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. It's about giving and being happy and merry and opening presents on Christmas morning, right? Nah. Christmas is the time where you open presents and then go to your friend's house and compare loot. What did everyone get that they wanted to get?

[Traveler]

Originally posted by DisRuptive1@Dec 25 2005, 11:21 PM

Christmas is a special time.  A time for family, a time for caroling and giving, and singing and dredels and the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.  It's about giving and being happy and merry and opening presents on Christmas morning, right?  Nah.  Christmas is the time where you open presents and then go to your friend's house and compare loot.  What did everyone get that they wanted to get?

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My most memorable Christmas was my first Christmas in the mission field in Moscow Idaho. There had been a fire in a private home rented to return missionaries about one month before. Though all were able to get out alive one fellow was very badly burned and at Christmas time was still in the hospital struggling for life (both physical and spiritual). I spent Christmas at the hospital with my companions and all the gifts I had received and all the money I had were given to the burn victim.

If you ever feel that you are lost in the world view from the spiritual joys of Christmas, I would suggest you find someone that has lost their hope and give them all you have. This year my wife and I decided to forgo our Christmas and take all that we would have spent for someone else in need. (BTW the victim of the fire was just back from his mission - his father was a evangelical minister that had dis-owned his son for joining the LDS church. The only contact by family was to tell him G-d had punished him for joining the LDS)

The Traveler

[Guest sugarbay]

LOL,Dis. Other than the obvious, that is EXACTLY what it is all about. You get anything cool? B)

[Palerider]

....I can tell you the best present I got yesterday......my son is serving a mission in Panama and he called lastnight and we spoke with him for 2hrs on the phone.......Merry Christmas........I asked the question after that "Is this Heaven"??? my wife told me no...we are still in Missouri!!!!!!!!

[DisRuptive1]

I got a new video card for my computer. It was the only thing on my list that I got. I didn't put down books or candy or chocolate or clothes on my list, but I put a bunch of things and I didn't get any except for the video card.

[sgallan]

I am at the age where what I want/need costs too much. So Christmas is for kids.

The kid got an electric guitar (she has a full drum set already - it's homeschool music). A skateboard with skateboard shoes she is getting good.. Plus some art and crafts, and a chemistry set, that will be incorporated into her schooling.

[prisonchaplain]

Originally posted by sgallan@Dec 26 2005, 09:02 PM

So Christmas is for kids.  The kid got an electric guitar (she has a full drum set already - it's homeschool music). A skateboard with skateboard shoes she is getting good.. Plus some art and crafts, and a chemistry set, that will be incorporated into her schooling.

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I'm wondering about this gifted, kinetic superchild. My middle girl "just wants" ice cream, cookies, cake, donuts, and candy.

Then again, she's only . . .

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[sgallan]

Minister -

You can always google her.... Reni Gallan. Or Reni Gallen. She comes up. You'll even see a couple of times when she isn't so super. Katie beat her good a couple of years ago when the girls were seven. Last year was a good one for Reni though. She got her paybacks in an exhibition (they both easily won their classes) against Katie in San Diego. It was a great match as Katie is tough (and sweet as can be as well).

FWIW, when you are raising a national level kid (any sport or activity) you tend to know who your competition is. In girls wrestling there isn't much as far as girls go. But at this age you track the boys too, because the girls do well and often beat them. Anyhow, these kids stand out early on. Reni's competition at her age is Katie and Kayla. She is a bit better than Katie. Kayla and Reni is a pick-em match. Often these kids become very close friends because they relate to each other. This is true among the boys too.

The kids in big tournaments compare accolades and results at first, as an ice breaker. Maybe trade some stuff. Or as the years go by renew acquaintances. And the girls often become inseperable for their time together - girls are girls even in non-traditional girl sports. For them it's like "wow", another girl like me.... as they have the same stories in different geographies. They root for, and watch each other wrestle. And when they compete...... there is no quarter given. They get after it in a big way. When it's over they give each other sincere hugs. The winner is happy. The loser cries and is temporarily inconsolable. 20 minutes later you would never know what happened.

[pushka]

I had lots of gifts to open up this year...being a mother of 2 teenagers it hasn't been often, over the years, that I've had much to open myself.

Anyway, my kids bought me a special 'Paws for thought' Mug with a chocolate mouse inside and a soft toy cat on top of it, they also joined at buying me the Bob Dylan Scrapbook/Cd. My sister bought me 3 wooden hanging Cats, with silly phrases on them, a necklace/earrings set, and a purse. I also received a Cute Kitten Calendar and a book about cats from one of my friends, and some cash, and with the cash from my mum I bought myself 3 Dylan Books, 1 book about David Bowie and a 'Ball and Band Workout Set' with props and a dvd...my mum also treated me to some much needed slippers and a body lotion gift set...very nice.

All were very much appreciated...

[prisonchaplain]

Originally posted by sgallan@Dec 26 2005, 10:01 PM

Minister -

You can always google her.... Reni Gallan. Or ...

Okay, Sgallan. I did this. And I found a dad with nearly 10,000 posts at the wrestling site! I thought you were prolific here.

Now I feel truly . I thought I was something of a writer. I thought I enjoyed posting stuff. 10K posts! You're the man, and I salute you in humble admiration.

[sgallan]

Yeah, that is over about 4 years and other than my recent activity here, and an Arizona board, it is the only board I post on anymore.. It is several boards in one. And since I am a fan of all aspects of wrestling..... international, college, HS, little kids, and women/girls, I post on most of the various sites. The non-topic one gets traffic all year. The others go up and down with the seasons.

Wrestling folks are a community, and a breed, of their own. I've set up matches on that board. Others have done fundraising for a child with cancer there. A really nice gentleman died on Christmas a couple of years ago. The nice things we had to say about him made the newspapers and his memorial. A lot of those people are friends I've met personally. And when I am hurting.... it is a place I can go to for a little unconditional love. I also moderate, and do rankings for an Arizona board. I lay a little low and watch what I say on the Arizona board as there are a lot of kids posting.

[Laureltree]

We actually did a small christmas this year and voted on living the meaning of it. We thought it to be better to have larger birthday parties instead...so not to take away from the true meaning of christmas.

I was impressed that my children were excited, and even suggested to do secret santa work.......

[Winnie G]

This year I was sitting with a young boy at the chapel before the JS broadcast and he started asking me all kinds of questions about Santa Claus.

He had seen me slip a box of gifts in to his house earlier that week.

He asked, “Do you know Santa Claus”?

I said “No but I know of him, my stepfather saw him in Holland were he was born, he was called St. Nicolas there, he road a large white horse and tossed candy to the children.

We talked about how shoes were used instead of stockings.

He asked about other places and we talked about Dominick the donkey in Italy and way Santa used a donkey and in Australia, he used Boomers huge large white Kangaroos because it was summer there and the rain deer would get sick.

We also talked about it being Jesus Birthday and how Santa does not go every were in the world because he wanted Jesus to be the best present there.

When he looked around again for his mother I turned and looked over my shoulder, the pews had filled up, and they were all smiling at me. I had no idea people had slipped in so quietly and enjoyed our talk.

I felt kind of silly but he so enjoyed our talk.

That was my best gift this year.