Motivational Minute (060)

(Compliments of www.ActionVisionCoaching.com)

Quote of the day:

The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best. Therefore it tends to become the best. It takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best.—Wallace D. Wattles

Consider:

Ask those who have achieved greatness in any field, for the secrets of their success, and somewhere near the top of most lists will be a visualization of their goal.

If you want to succeed in this coming year and beyond, "keep your eye on the prize" —whatever it is that you want to accomplish. For the ultimate in success, find out what it is you are suppose to contribute in this life, then set your sights on that.

Motivational Minute (059)

(Compliments of www.ActionVisionCoaching.com)

Quote of the day:

“The man who moved a mountain was the one who began carrying away small stones.” -- Chinese proverb

Consider:

This is the time of year when we set ambitious goals. There is nothing wrong with this. In order to accomplish your goals, remember this simple rule: break it down in to small steps. Just as the quote above suggests, carry away each small stone one by one. The result of taking such steps, is you’ll actually reach your goal, even if it takes time.

Motivational Minute (058)

(Compliments of www.ActionVisionCoaching.com)

Quote of the day:

I pray that the New Year brings with it tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future and that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace -- Agnes M. Pharo

Consider:    

The above quote is also my prayer for you for the New Year. I hope that the inspirational material that I send you this coming year will be a blessing and help to you and your friends.

Be positive, live fully, and give generously,

Coach Dana

Motivational Minute (057)

Quote of the day:

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” --Sir James Matthew Barrie

Consider:

Did you ever think about the sunshine—and how it freely shines down on all mankind, rich, poor, young, old, red, yellow, black or white? The sun unreservedly gives light, warmth and happiness to all of us; it certainly is no respecter of persons. Oh, that we all would be like the sun.  

Little acts of kindness throughout the day can bring sunshine to others—a warm touch, an understanding glance, a listening ear, the soothing tone of your voice, the sparkle in your eyes, the kindness of your smile. Try spreading a little light of this kind on others—you’ll be pleasantly surprised, because every time you do, the sunshine reflects right back on you.

REFLECTIONS

A Candy Maker's Message

Author Unknown

I don’t know if you have ever seen a candy cane but it is a white with red striped candy, in the shape of a hook, given out at Christmas. Here are some interesting facts about it that I thought were interesting.

A candy maker in the state of Indiana in the USA wanted to make a candy that would represent God's Message to us, so he made the Christmas candy cane. In that simple shape, he incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy--white to symbolize the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus; and hard to symbolize the solid rock of faith and the firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious Name of Jesus, Who came to Earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs.

Thinking that the candy looked somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with four red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed. The single large red stripe was for the blood shed by Him on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

The candy became known as the candy cane--a familiar decoration seen at Christmas time, though few understand its intended symbolism. For us it can serve as a reminder of the wonder of Jesus coming down at Christmas and His great Love that remains the ultimate and dominant positive force in the universe today.

Motivational Minute (056)

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

"We have become addicted to having, rather than being, and confusing our needs with our wants. Studies show that if you place high value on those things, you are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety, addictions, and personality disorders. We cannot carry on consuming in this manner and feel confident our great-grandchildren have any future." -- Oliver James

Consider:

To many of us, what we buy, where we shop, how often we shop, how much we have to spend, and how our buying affects others' perception of us, means a great deal—in many cases probably too much.

The issue is not whether we have one car or three, or whether or not we own the latest mobile phone, laptop computer, or iPod. Nor is it whether we shop at a designer store or hunt for used bargains on eBay. What matters is not the content of our closet or garage, but the content of our lives.

The Christmas season is a great time to stop, reflect, and think about the content of your life. Why not give it a try?

Motivational Minute (055)

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  —Janice Maeditere

Consider:

If there's any time of year when consumerism goes into overdrive, it's Christmas.

When the very first Christmas card was printed in December 1843 at the request of Sir Henry Cole, an Englishman living during the reign of Queen Victoria, who would have ever imagined that 165 years later an estimated five billion Christmas cards would be sent each year worldwide?

It's not only greeting card sales that have increased exponentially. The billions spent on Christmas shopping makes it the top profit-making period in the year for many retailers. In fact, "Christmas" seems to start earlier each year, reflecting the ever-increasing drive for profits. In some countries it's now not uncommon to find Christmas items on sale in September.

In this season of glittering enticements, let's keep our priorities straight and remember that the most worthwhile gifts we can share with others is our love, our time, and our genuine concern.

REFLECTIONS -- YOU NEVER LOSE BY GIVING

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

From Dana Bosley

I love this story. And by the way, I tried what the man suggests and it really does work.

Wishing you a loving Christmas,

Coach Dana

YOU NEVER LOSE BY GIVING

From DBB

It was Christmastime in the early 1970s and my wife and I were in London, England, living on a shoestring budget, staying at the cheapest boarding house we could find and spending as little money as possible.

We had gone for a coffee at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, and were chatting with our friendly waitress, an older woman with whom we had become well acquainted.

Hers was a demanding job that required her to be on her feet all day and to work long hours during the Christmas rush. She had taken the job in order to support her family since her husband had become ill. It was hard for her to earn enough for them to live on, but she didn’t complain.

“I’m lucky to have this job!” she said, promptly putting an end to that subject. Then adding cheerfully, “I better hurry and clear your table, or I might lose it!”

After thanking her, my wife and I sat for a moment, deep in thought.

“Honey…,” I started.

“Look at her hurrying around, trying to keep up with those young waitresses,” my wife said. “Poor dear!”

“I wish I had enough money to give these dear people what I know they need. This poor waitress works so hard and I know she’s not making as much as she needs.”

“And she’s always so sweet to us and waits on us so well,” my wife added.

“Well, what do you think? We don’t have much money ourselves, but we could tip her a pound.”

“Or maybe two,” replied my wife.

“You know I always wished I was a millionaire so I could really give like I’d like to, especially to poor people like this waitress when I see they have a need.”

You don’t have to be a millionaire to give what you’ve got, the voice in my heart spoke. You’ve got five pounds, so why not give them all to her? Give what you’ve got and you will get in return!

“Yes, I will!” I nearly shouted.

“Will what, honey?” my wife asked

“It’s Christmastime, after all, and the scripture says, ‘Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over’. I know she needs it. I’d like to give her five pounds!”

You see, God’s finances work the opposite of the world’s. We say, “When I’ve got my million, then I’ll start giving.” But God says, “Start giving what you’ve got now, and I’ll give you all you need and more.” As we give sacrificially from what we already have than more comes back to us.

So I called our special waitress over. “A little tip for you, my dear. You’re a wonderful waitress. God bless you!”

“Why, thank you!” she responded sweetly. “I can’t thank you enough!”

You know, she didn’t have to say anything—I felt great the moment I tipped her extra!

It did me so much good to give her that money, that I began giving double tips to the waitresses, the bus drivers, and to the newspaper venders.

And from that moment we began to receive the benefits of giving. Soon we were receiving more money for our living expenses. When I started doubling my giving to others, God doubled His giving to me—and the more He gives me double, the more I can keep on giving double! You never lose by giving!

How much have you given lately? Let God give through you and you’ll soon find He’ll give you more. “Freely you have received, freely give” Try it!

P.S. From Coach Dana. If you don't know where to start giving try giving to the Unsung Heroes. I know they could use it for sure.

Motivational Minute (054)

Quote of the day:

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”  —Calvin Coolidge

Consider:

Some years ago a popular song was the ballad, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree." There is an old Christmas story which pre-dates the song, but it tells of a similar homecoming.

In that tale, a young runaway boy is returning home on Christmas Eve by train. He has written ahead to tell his parents he wants to come back, but he isn't sure that he will be welcomed. The train runs right by the boy's home, so he has asked his father to tie a red cloth on the big elm at the back of the farm, to signal him.

When he is yet a few miles away, the runaway shares his anxiety with an older man sitting next to him. The man says he knows the teenager will be as welcome as another young man who ran off one time. Then he tells him Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son which is found in the Bible.

Sure enough, when the train reached the old homestead, the father's red signal was out. But instead of one banner, there were dozens of red flags waving in the wind, one from every conceivable branch, shouting the news to a runaway boy that all was forgiven at Christmas.

            Christmas is a time for healing

            When dis-agreers and disagreements meet,

            When longtime wounds are mended

            And love moves hatred to retreat.

Make this Christmas a time for forgiving and forgetting old grudges.

Motivational Minute (053)

(Compliments of www.ActionVisionCoaching.com)

Quote of the day:

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young. —Phillips Brooks

Consider:

I agree, it certainly does seem that sometimes the need is overwhelming and the burden of caring for our fellow humans is heavy. At times, I am tempted to feel discouraged that there is too much to do and I have so little to give compared to the great need.

Yet how true is the latter part of this quote. Christmas is a time when I feel young and my strength is renewed when I remember not just the duty of giving, but what great happiness and satisfaction it brings.

Why not try giving to someone this Christmas season who you know cannot repay you and see if the joy of giving does not rejuvenate you?

Motivational Minute (052)

Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.” --Charles Dickens

Consider:

A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens in 1843, has been retold in numerous versions and forms. It is a timeless story and is much more than an account of a mean, miserable old man—Ebenezer Scrooge—who changes his ways after a Christmas Eve visitation by three spirits. It is a reminder that it is only when we give to others that we truly celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

Giving may be material, like a beautifully wrapped present or a monetary gift to someone in need, but true giving is more than that; it extends to sharing ourselves.

Why not make your celebration of Christmas extra special this year by not only giving at Christmas, but by giving all year long? You may even want to start by giving to the Unsung Heroes on the Action Vision Coaching site.

The Christmas Envelope

REFLECTIONS

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

From Coach Dana

This is a touching story and a wonderful personal family tradition and a great idea for gift giving. You may want to consider doing the same and even give to the Unsung Heroes.

Enjoy the story.

The Christmas Envelope

Author unknown.

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband, Mike, hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it--overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was on the wrestling team at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.”

Mike loved kids--all kids--and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition--one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. And the story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit of giving, like that of the One who gave Himself at Christmas, will always be with us.

Motivational Minute (051)

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

Let Christmas not become a thing
Merely of merchant’s trafficking,
Of tinsel, bell and holly wreath
And surface pleasure, but beneath
The childish glamour, let us find
Nourishment for soul and mind.

Let us follow kinder ways
Through our teeming human maze,
And help the age of peace to come.
From a Dreamer’s martyrdom.—Madeline Morse

Consider:

While consumerism may be a fixture of modern life, it shouldn't rule our desires and attitudes or overly influence the way we spend our time and money—or holidays. Possessions shouldn't become so important that they distract or take away from the things that give true meaning to life.

Christmas time is a magical time but it can also be a financial burden bringing stress instead of joy. Why not simplify this year?

Consider giving a Christmas gift to the needy in the other person’s name, with a card under the tree saying so, as was the case in the Christmas Envelope story. (Coming tomorrow Dec. 6.) You may want to consider giving a donation to the Unsung Heroes.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

 

Christmas Traditions From Around The World

From Coach Dana Bosley

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration. Many countries have unique customs and traditions that help make this a happy season. I thought this might be interesting to you as it was to me, how Christmas is celebrated around the world.

In Mexico, starting nine days before Christmas day, children parade through their neighborhoods reenacting Joseph and Mary’s search for lodgings. Two children carrying figures of Joseph and Mary lead a procession to a designated house singing Christmas carols as they go. They knock on the door and ask for a room. At first they are refused, but then they are allowed in. A feast and celebration follow. Blindfolded children enjoy using a stick to try to break a piñata, a large brightly decorated paper figure hung from the ceiling and containing candy or small gifts.

In Ireland, a candle is lit and put in the window on Christmas Eve to welcome any weary travelers. 

In Scotland, on the night after Christmas, boxes of food are wrapped and given to the poor.

In Russia, some Orthodox Christians fast during a period before Christmas. Then, at the sight of the first star in the sky on Christmas Eve, a 12-course supper begins.

In Greece, children go from house to house on Christmas Eve, knocking on doors and singing songs that herald the arrival of the Christ Child.

In Ghana, West Africa, the houses are decorated with bright paper ornaments made by local families for the occasion. A tree in the courtyard of each house—often a mango, guava, or cashew tree—is also decorated.

In Ethiopia, members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas on January 6th, following the ancient Roman calendar.

In southern India, Christians decorate their houses with clay lamps at night.

In the Philippines, Christmas carols start filling the airwaves as early as September.

In China, Christians build artificial trees—called “trees of light”—and decorate them with paper chains, flowers, lanterns, and other ornaments.

Americans decorate their houses with brightly colored lights. In some parts of the country they also line the streets with candles.

In many countries, nativity scenes are displayed to remind everyone of the birth of Jesus. In Italy, the family prays as the mother puts the figure of the Christ Child (Bambino) in the manger.

Throughout Norway, people ring in Christmas by ringing bells at 5 pm on Christmas Eve.

Where ever you are, and however you celebrate this joyous time of year, I pray you are richly blessed.

REFLECTIONS

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Dear Friends,

This true historical story about Charles Dickens and the circumstance he wrote a Christmas Carol in should be an inspiration to us all. I should especially inspire any of you who are in the mist of self-doubt and struggling with how to make ends meet. Take heart from this true story and go create your own Christmas Carol by helping others.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

The Story Behind A Christmas Carol

In the midst of self-doubt and confusion, a man sometimes does his best work. From the storm of tribulation comes a gift. For Charles Dickens, a little Christmas novel brought newfound faith in himself and in the redemptive joy of the season.

From its first publication in 1843, A Christmas Carol has charmed and inspired millions. Less well known is the fact that this little book of celebration grew out of a dark period in the author’s career—and, in some ways, changed the course of his life forever.

On an early October evening, Charles Dickens stepped from his home. He was deeply troubled. The 31-year-old father of four had thought he was at the peak of his career. But now, the celebrated writer was facing serious financial problems.

Some months earlier, his publisher had revealed that sales of the new novel were not what had been expected, and it might be necessary to sharply reduce Dickens’s monthly advances against future sales.

The news had stunned the author. It seemed his talent was being questioned. Memories of his childhood poverty resurfaced. Dickens was supporting a large, extended family, and his expenses were already more than he could handle and his wife was expecting their fifth child.

All summer long, Dickens worried about his mounting bills, especially the large mortgage that he owed on his house. He knew that he needed an idea that would earn him a large sum of money, and he needed the idea quickly. But in his depression, Dickens was finding it difficult to write. He hoped that resuming his nightly walks would help spark his imagination.

The yellow glow from the flickering gas lamps lit his way through London’s better neighborhoods. Then gradually, as he neared the Thames River, only the dull light from tenement windows illuminated the streets, now litter-strewn and lined with open sewers. The elegant ladies and well-dressed gentlemen of Dickens’s neighborhood were replaced by bawdy streetwalkers, pickpockets, and beggars.

The dismal scene reminded him of the nightmare of his childhood. He had worked 12 hours a day, six days a week to earn the six shillings to keep him alive. His father was in debtors’ prison. He felt helpless, abandoned. Fortunately, Dickens’s father had inherited some money, enabling him to pay off his debts and get out of prison. Thankfully he had escaped the dreary fate.

But now the fear of being unable to pay his own debts haunted Dickens. Wearily, he started home from his long walk, no closer to an idea than he’d been when he started out. However, as he neared home, he felt the sudden flash of inspiration. What about a Christmas story! He would write one for the very people he passed on the black streets of London. People who lived and struggled with the same fears and longings he had known, people who hungered for a bit of cheer and hope.

The book would have to be short, certainly not a full novel. It would have to be finished by the end of November to be printed and distributed in time for Christmas sales. The basic plot was simple enough for children to understand, but evoked themes that would conjure up warm memories and emotions in an adult’s heart: After retiring alone to his cold, barren apartment on Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly London businessman, is visited by the spirit of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Doomed by his greed and insensitivity to his fellow man when alive, Marley’s ghost wanders the world in chains forged of his own indifference. He warns Scrooge that he must change, or suffer the same fate. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come appear and show Scrooge poignant scenes from his life and what will occur if he doesn’t mend his ways. Filled with remorse, Scrooge renounces his former selfishness and becomes a kind, generous, loving person who has learned the true spirit of Christmas.

Gradually, in the course of his writing, something surprising happened to Dickens. What had begun as a desperate, calculated plan to rescue himself from debt soon began to work a change in the author. A Christmas Carol captured his heart and soul. It became a labor of love. Every time he dipped his quill pen into his ink, the characters seemed magically to take life: Tiny Tim with his crutches, Scrooge cowering in fear before the ghosts, Bob Cratchit drinking Christmas cheer in the face of poverty.

Each morning, Dickens grew excited and impatient to begin the day’s work. “I was very much affected by the little book,” he later wrote a newspaperman, and was “reluctant to lay it aside for a moment.” A friend and Dickens’s future biographer, John Forster, took note of the “strange mastery” the story held over the author. Dickens told a professor in America how, when writing, he “wept, and laughed, and wept again.” Dickens even took charge of the design of the book, deciding on a gold-stamped cover, a red-and-green title page with colored endpapers, and four hand-colored etchings and four engraved woodcuts. To make the book affordable to the widest audience possible, he priced it at only five shillings.

On December 2, he was finished, and the manuscript went to the printers. On December 17, the author’s copies were delivered, and Dickens was delighted. He had never doubted that A Christmas Carol would be popular. But neither he nor his publishers were ready for the overwhelming response that came.

Despite the book’s public acclaim, it did not turn into the immediate financial success that Dickens had hoped for, because of the quality production he demanded and the low price he placed on the book. Nevertheless, he made enough money from it to scrape by, and A Christmas Carol’s enormous popularity revived his audience for subsequent novels, while giving a fresh, new direction to his life and career.

In a very real sense, Dickens popularized many aspects of the Christmas we celebrate today, including great family gatherings, seasonal drinks and dishes and gift giving. Even our language has been enriched by the tale. Who has not known a “Scrooge,” or uttered “Bah! Humbug!” when feeling irritated or disbelieving. And the phrase “Merry Christmas!” gained wider usage after the story appeared.

Motivational Minute (050)

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

Christmas takes place in the heart. It is opening our hearts to others, giving of our time and energy to others, forgiving when needed, and accepting others as they are, in our hearts. It’s letting God’s Spirit reign in our hearts. —Robert Rider

Consider:

It’s Christmas season once again, and so many people are in need--so many are feeling lonely and in need of love, comfort, and some assurance that they matter. Many others are giving gifts at Christmas, hurrying here and there to buy things, to find the perfect present, to not be caught short having forgotten someone. But does all the material gift-giving really make a difference? Naturally, it is nice to be remembered with a tangible gift, but take a moment to think about these I’ve mentioned. Think about the ones who are lonely, the ones who are hoping for a little company, a little friendship, someone they can connect with. What kind of gift would they appreciate most?

Why not consider giving gifts of greater value this Christmas—give yourself, give a listening ear, give your love by spending time with those who are alone. Invite them into your home, or visit them in theirs.  Think about how you can reach out to others. See what you can do to make a difference in someone else's life.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

Motivational Minute (049)

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

Quote of the day:

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!—Hamilton Wright Mabie

Consider:

So many people are tired, weary with life, discouraged with pushing on, lacking the energy and enthusiasm that it takes to get ahead, void of the inner peace that enables them to enjoy simple things. But you possess the power to change their circumstances. You can give them a smile, a kind word, a look of sympathy, a nod of understanding, a tender touch, a helping hand. You can show them the respect that they deserve and need to help them keep on keeping on. And this can turn their world around for good.

Will you join in on the conspiracy of love? Let this be your Christmas gift to those around you. Show love, even if only in small ways, to those who cross your path each day and see if it doesn't make a profound difference--not only to them, but to you!

Christmas is For Love

Author Unknown

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love.

I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocence and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas. Mark was an 11-year-old orphan who lived with his aunt, a bitter middle-aged woman greatly annoyed with the burden of caring for her dead sister's son. She never failed to remind young Mark, if it hadn't been for her generosity, he would be a vagrant homeless waif. Still, with all this scolding and chilliness at home, he was a sweet and gentle child.

I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day (at the risk of arousing his aunt's anger, I later found) to help me straighten up the classroom. We did this quietly and comfortably, not speaking much, but enjoying the solitude of that hour of the day. When we did talk, Mark spoke mostly of his mother. Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman, who always spent much time with him.

As Christmas drew nearer, however, Mark failed to stay after school each day. I looked forward to his coming and when, as the days passed and he continued to scamper hurriedly from the room after class, I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room. I told him how I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, "Did you really miss me?" I explained how he had been my best helper.

"I was making you a surprise," he whispered confidentially. "It's for Christmas." With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room. He didn't stay after school anymore after that.

Finally came the last school day before Christmas. Mark crept slowly into the room late that afternoon with his hands concealing something behind his back. "l have your present," he said timidly when I looked up. "I hope you like it." He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.

"It's beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?" I asked, opening the top to look inside.

"Oh, you can't see what's in it," he replied, "and you can't touch it or taste it or feel it. But Mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, warm on cold nights, and safe when you're all alone."

I gazed into the empty box. "What is it, Mark," I asked gently, "that will make me feel so good?"

"It's love," he whispered softly, "and Mother always said it's best when you give it away." And he turned quietly and left the room.

So now I keep a small box made of wood on the piano in my living room and only smile as inquiring friends raise quizzical eyebrows when I explain to them that there is love in it.

Yes, Christmas is for gaiety, mirth, and song--for good and wondrous gifts. But mostly, Christmas is for love.

Who are you sharing love with this Christmas?