TODAY'S FEAST

Daily Feast

A feast is a huge banquet of wonderful foods and wonderful friends to share it. It is a time when people honor people - and many memories are laid aside for this celebration. But another kind of feast is in the heart - at the core where life is decided. It is the human way to believe himself victim of many things, and he starves at his center. He worries excessively about who will take care of him and who will feed him and if he will survive at all.

Never start a day without gratitude - without an inner singing of "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!" Never start a day being sour and hard to get along with. Never talk trouble nor give credence to those who do. Never give another person reason to be unhappy..... And remember, this is your day. This is a day of celebrating new life and purpose.

by

Joyce Sequichie Hifler

'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II'

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Shared by Corinne Mustafa

December 18 - Daily Feast

I watched her in the woods circling a red cedar not much taller than she was. It was her gift back to the woods that had given her so much peace and comfort - even when life outside the woods could be trying. She laid garlands of popcorn and cranberries over the sturdy limbs along with burr acorns and suet in mesh bags. Scattered beneath the tree were sunflower seeds and millet that cardinals and would attract unusual guests - miniature marshmallows were scattered in and around the tree, a sweet touch for woodland friends. A sweet touch, the best part of the gift. She gave, and peace would be given back to her.

~ Sometimes we prayed in silence;

sometimes each one prayed aloud;

    sometimes an aged person prayed for all of us. ~

GERONIMO - APACHE

'A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II' by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Shared by Corinne Mustafa

A Christmas Picture

Regarding this title

“A Christmas Picture”….

it would probably be more appropriate to state 

“Picture This!”

(This Is a True Story…Names have not been changed to protect the innocent)

When I was five years old I lived in South Dakota on a farm with my parents, little brother and my step-grandmother.  I can remember most of my childhood of that little farm house out in the no land prairies of South Dakota.  I can still recall the stories that Mom and Dad used to tell of how cold Dakota (as they used to call it) used to be.  Snow drifts piled high against the house, barn and sheep shed until a lot of times they couldn’t get out to the roads because their vehicles would be blocked in by snow and the severe weather.  I can remember how Mom would tie a dish towel around my head and bundle me up when we had to go outside to do chores.  I can also remember how Mom would try to hang cloths out on the cloths line, but the cloths would freeze in the basket before she could even get them hung up….Those were the days!!  Before cloths driers, snow blowers and modern conveniences.  Those times were hard.

However this particular Christmas Eve 1952,  my folks were able to call (by the old wall telephone with the ringer handle….1 ringy dingie, 2 ringy dingies) to most of the neighbors around our part to see if they could come for Christmas Eve, for there would be a  surprise visit from Santa Clause.  I can still here my Dad telling this story about an old neighbor man that lived down  the road from them named Johnny Haffer…   Ole Johnny was a certified bachelor  and it was well known in those parts that  Ole Johnny Haffer was pretty lazy.  Especially during the winter months,   as they said that Ole Johnny slept like a bear in hibernation all winter long and they wondered how he ever survived!

Somehow my Dad talked “Old Johnny” into dressing up like Santa Clause, putting a sack of toys on his back.  Dad  talked him into coming to our house that evening where friends, kids and neighbors would be gathered >>> for a  surprise visit from “None the Less”  than Old St. Nick!.  (I’m sure that Dad had to pay Old Johnny though for his services.)

As I remember (and also hearing the tale)…. of  the neighbors weathering the cold to get to our farm house to celebrate Christmas Eve with the expectation and anticipation of Santy Clause soon to appear with Christmas Cheer for all the kids.

Some time during that early evening I recall… When what to our wondering eyes should appear! ….But Old St. Nick coming up on that cold and snowy front porch with a sack on his back and a loud Jolly  “Ho Ho Ho !” 

Being that I was only five years old, I can remember my heart just beating so hard as I was scared, and I hung on to my dads legs and hid behind his back.  But Old Santy Clause with his nose so red and his cheeks so rosy,  did a good job as he propped him self up against our gas stove and began to dig in his sack to hand out toys. 

When all of a sudden their rose such a clatter I hung to my Dad to see what was the matter !!   The Gas Stove that Old Santa was leaning against had accidentally gotten half turned on with gas building up (unbeknown to them) and before they knew it >>>>  BOOM !! gas accumulated and the stove blew up !….and I wanna tell you  “Old Santy Clause” ran out of their like a steak of lightening!

Now Dash Away, Dash Away, Dash Away All….as I heard him exclaim as he ran out of sight….

Merry Christmas

to all

and to all 

a Good Night!

Written by

Glenna Williamson

THE SHOEBOX

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box  on the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about. 

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. 

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. 

He asked her about the contents.

'When we were to be married,' she said, ' my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that If I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.' 

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

'Honey,' he said, 'that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?' 

'Oh,' she said, 'that's the money I made from selling the dolls.' 


A Prayer......
Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods; Because Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death, Because I don't have time to crochet.