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Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (5466)	12/21/1997 5:13:00 PM
From: greenspirit	Respond to of 71178

Hi Alexa, speaking of symbols. I thought you would enjoy this... Just a week before Christmas, I had a visitor. I had just finished tucking everyone in bed when I heard a noise in the front part of the house. I tiptoed down the stairs and peeked in tothe living room when, to my suprise, Santa Claus, himself, stepped out from behind the Chrismas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing..." I started to ask, but the words choked up in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone---gone was the eager, jovial soul we all know. Then he asnsered me with a simple statement of "Teach the children" I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement, brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood there bewildered, Santa again said "Teach the children". Teach them the old meaning of Christmas---the meaning that Christmas today has forgotten. I started to ask, "How can I?" when Santa reached into the toy bag and pulled out a brilliant shiny star. "Teach the children the star was the heavenly sign of promise long ago. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise. The countless shining stars at night, one for each person, now show the burning hope of all maonkind." Santa gently laid the star upon the fireplace mantle and drew forth from the bag a red piece of cloth. "Teach the children that red is the first color of Christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood, which was shed for all people by the Savior. The Savior wore a red cloak. Christ gave his life and shed his blood that each of us might have God's gift of Eternal life. Red is deep, intense, vivid-it is the greatest color of all. It is the symbol of the gift of God" "Teach the children" he said as he dislodged a small Christams tree from the depths of the toy bag. The deeep green of the fur tree was perfect against the brilliant red clot. "Here is the second color of Christmas. The pure green color of the stately fir remains green all year round" he said. "This depicts the everlasting hope of mankind. Green is youthful, hopeful, an abundant color of nature. All the needles point heavenward, symbols of man's returning thughts towards heaven. Suddenly, I heard a soft, tinkling sound. "Teach the children that, as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it shold ring for man to return to the fold-it means guidance and return. It further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord, that not one should be lost. He then pointed to a large bow and said, "A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit or the brotherhood of man. We shold remember that the bow is tied just as we shold be tied, all of us together, with bonds of goodwill toward each other. Goodwill forever, is the message of the bow. Michael

To: epicure who wrote (5466)	12/21/1997 5:39:00 PM
From: greenspirit	Respond to of 71178

Continued... Again Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a candy cane. He reached out and handed it to me. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the staff helps bring back the strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane represents the helping hand we should show at Christmas time. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keepers." At last, a feeling of satisfaction shone in his face. He read the wonderment in my eyes, and, I am sure, he sensed my admiration for this night. Finally, he reached into his bag and brought forth a large holly wreath. He placed it on the door and said, "Please teach the children the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love; it never stops, it never ceases, it never ends. It is one continuous round of affection. The wreath does double duty. It is made of many things and in many colors. It should remind us all all the things of Christmas." Please teach the children." I pondered and wondered and thrilled with delight, As I sat and viewed all those symbols at night. I dozed as I sat in the soft candlelight, And my thoughts were of Santa and all he made right. To give and to help, to love and to serve, Are the best things of life, all men can deserve. Old Santa Claus that jolly fat elf, Is the very best symbol of Christmas itself, He's the sign of the gift of love and of life. The ending of evil, the ceasing of strife. His message to me on this pre-Christmas night, Has opened a treasure of deepest insight. The one thing on earth we all ought to do Is teach the children the right and the truth. Christmas is more than a day at the end of the year, More than a day of joy and good cheer. Christmas is really God's pattern of living, to be followed each day by unselfish giving. Then peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. Beautiful thoughts and symbols indeed.... Michael p.s. Sorry for all the typo's, I accidently pressed return after the first paragraph in the first one. That was a fun challenge to type it that quick :-) But alas my accuracy needs work.

To: epicure who wrote (5466)	12/22/1997 10:49:00 AM
From: Rambi	Respond to of 71178

Ah-well-as an agnostic, that makes perfect sense. We can pick and choose whatever we want whenever we want; I find it a wonderful solution to having to decide anything definitively, which seems to me impossible anyway. I just posted on Feelies about religious music. I get very upset this time of year about the restrictions placed on schools and public facilities regarding the use of Christian music. It's a pet peeve and I think your attitude is very healthy. You don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water. (Or would it be the bathwater with the baby in this case?)

To: epicure who wrote (5466)	12/22/1997 1:08:00 PM
From: Jacques Chitte	Respond to of 71178

I shall see to it taht next year our tree shall wear a human bone. Now I need to find me a good scrimshander. As for the bra, sometimes real ones in a suitable unmentionable are better than these polymer wonders jutting stiffly out of the thoraces of this year's crop of anorectic starlets. Saw a buncha Bond movies on TBS this weekend. Ah, the subtle charms of real ones, even when they're A-cups.