Hallelujah, Light Has Come

This song was playing while my neice Meghan and her family were on their way to Alabama the first time. It touched her and managed to calm her down during this stressful move. I thought it was perfect for Christmas Day. Please hit the arrow to listen to the music while you read on....

Today's post is our group offering to the newborn king. We've all taken our biggest challenges and given thanks for them instead. And for those who suffer this Christmas, know that you are not alone. You are in our hearts and prayers. Holy, holy Christmas all!

-- I am thankful for the really exhausting days with a 5 year old and a 2 year old so that I can appreciate the really good days. *Amie Meschi

-- I am thankful for my lazy, messy children. I have friends with kids who are on drugs, in jail, behavioral problems, unwed parents, and other horrible things; so if all I can complain about is the fact that my kids aren't pulling their weight around here, I have to step back and count my blessings.

-- I'm thankful it's so cold outside, because I have a warm house to go into.

-- I am so incredibly thankful and grateful and blessed to be in a marriage that is centered on Christ... I have had both kinds of marriages and by far a Christ-filled marriage far outweighs the other choice... my husband loves God, loves me and prays for the well being of my children... I couldnt ask for more...A second marriage is very difficult and blending two families into one, especially when the kids are teens, but, again, when God is the center of it, it makes the difficulties bearable. *Cindy Belt

-- I am thankful my house is trashed. . . because the extra mess is from the extra person now living with us fulltime at last, putting his amazing Daddy skills to such good use. *Meg Ferrante

-- I am thankful to live one more winter in this cramped duplex while my husband finishes grad school for what should be a promising career. *Elaina Asay

-- I'm thankful for having been stuck in stand-still traffic for an hour and a half. Had I been on my journey a few minutes earlier I could have been in the accident that caused the backup. Blessings on those actually in the accident. *Anne Mistretta

-- I am so grateful for God’s goodness and timing...I am absolutely certain that He called my husband, Jason, home to be with his family when his Dad took his last breath. Peace in the midst of great sorrow is a blessing for which I am eternally thankful. *Katie Guest

-- I am so grateful for the many losses in my life--and the varied ages and circumstances behind them--for they have prepared me for the work God has called me to. Grief Counseling and support groups… would never have dreamed this was what God had in store! *Barb Kennedy

-- I am thankful for the truth being revealed regarding my husband's infidelity... because it has provided the opportunity (through a wise counselor and God's unending grace and mercy) for us to repair our relationship and to live in truth and authentic intimacy versus lies and false intimacy.

-- It is very busy here, and I am very tired, but I was just thinking (or perhaps it was the Lord gently admonishing me) that I should be thankful for good work to do. *Kelli Sasser

-- Thank you God for the vision before me this morning. Even if they make me unhappy, I will praise You for the extra pounds that make me look more like my Mom and the wrinkles on my face that give me a glimpse of my Dad. But most of all Lord, I am grateful for the fat and wrinkles that reflect my age and the experiences of my life, because they show I have been blessed to live long enough to see my sons married to wonderful wives and my grandchildren come into this world. *Mickie Ferrante

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I AM THANKFUL:

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND I AM THANKFUL:
FOR THE crazy people I hang with
BECAUSE THEY MAKE IT FUN AND INTERESTING TO BE ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Breath of Heaven

My friend Amy Gottschang told me yesterday that she regrets not finishing her blog piece for this season. She had planned to dissect the song "Breath of Heaven," this beautiful Amy Grant song that is a glimpse inside Mary's mind on the day her child was born. Amy says that specifically, the line in the song that always gets her is, "Breath of heaven... hold me together..." and how no doubt Mary was begging God to help her on that long ride and through the intense labor of childbirth. But more so, how those words are a metaphor for every day of the entire year, to be used by any of us, whenever troubled, any time.

This song (and this video with The Nativity story I found today) are so emotional and beautiful. I can't get through it without tears. (Maybe I should pray for the breath of heaven to hold me together :) -- but they aren't tears of sadness....) Amy, thanks for your wisdom. And for a new prayer this new year!

And for anyone who might be interested in making their Christmas creche really come to life, here is a wonderful procession to the nativity that Barb Kennedy shared. Her family did this for years, walking through the darkened house on Christmas eve, looking for room at the inn. This is a neat way to make a big deal about putting Jesus in the manger to signify the celebration of the night of his birth.

CHRISTMAS EVE PROCESSION TO THE MANGER

All gather in a darkened room. Lit candles are carried by each person.
One person/child carries the infant figure: others are assigned speaking
roles. Procession moves about house through darkened rooms.

CHILD ASKS (IN EACH ROOM): “Sir, do you have room for us in your Inn?”


ADULT (IN EACH ROOM): “No, there is no room for you here.”

AFTER PASSING THRU THE VARIOUS ROOMS, THE PROCESSION ARRIVES AT THE PLACE OF THE MANGER & THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

CHILD ASKS: “Sir, we are very tired. We have come a long distance, all the
way from Nazareth to this town of Bethlehem. Do you have any room for us here?”
ADULT: “Yes, there is room. Tho the conditions are sparse, you are all welcome.
I will show you to the stable and help to make you comfortable.”
(pause here and CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS ARE NOW PUT ON)

ALL SING: Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

OLDEST CHILD: A reading from the ancient book of martyrs:
“In the 42nd year of the empire of Octavian Augustus;
in the 6th age of the world; while all the earth was at peace
Jesus Christ, eternal God, and Son of the Eternal Father,
Willed to bless the whole world by His gracious coming.
He was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary.”

ALL SING: Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake, at the sight.

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,

Christ our savior is born... Christ our savior is born.

(INFANT FIGURE IS NOW PLACED IN THE MANGER)

St. Luke’s Gospel continued:
“and it came to pass, when the angels had departed.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over

to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.”

So they went with haste, and they found Mary and

Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. And the

shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for

all they had heard and seen.”

MOTHER: Let us pray:
O Almighty God, we are so happy that once again we
can now join in celebrating the birth of our Savior.
May Jesus be our friend and be with us at all times.
May we prove worthy to be His friends by being at
all times, obedient, joyful, forgiving, and kind to
others. Amen

ALL: O come all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant.

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of angels.

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him

Christ our Lord.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

It's much better in person

By Meg Ferrante

My oldest woke me this morning sticking a camera in my face. Not to shoot a disheveled picture of me trying to fight the light, but to show me a photo he'd just taken of the sun coming up.

The first one out of bed, he'd peeked outside to check for what he hoped would be snow. No such luck, but he'd noticed the morning light fighting it's way up in a clouded, wintry sky. So he grabbed his camera and recorded the still of the moment.

"Come on, Mom," he said, showing me his masterpiece. "You gotta come out here. It's much better in person."

I went to the door, and sure enough, he was right. I love the picture he took, but how can it really compare to the real sight? The real light? The morning chill and that dry smell of the woods and grass all mixed in with something rotting and something somehow citrusy?

A good friend stopped by to see us today, with cookies and a lap harp for the boys. The house is not at its finest, I hadn't showered and breakfast wasn't ready. I think there were dishes in the sink from last night. I really could have used a good hour or two to tidy and make a nice brunch. But a full three hours later, after eating eggs (and cookies!), drinking copious cups of coffee, watching a lap harp recital (oldest picked up on it quickly and is smitten) and playing probably 17 hands of cards with the boys on my dirty family room floor, she and I agreed it had been a perfect morning.

Now, as I'm sitting down to write, I realize that all the best moments of my life, the most dramatic, the most memorable, the ones that are frankly worthy of a movie scene, are the ones I experienced in person. Where I put my heart and mind into the mix. And without thinking about dinner menus or the laundry needing to be folded, without thought for the story I committed to writing that I should have started a week ago or the youngest's shots that aren't quite up to date, without distraction, I was in the moment. And being there was good.

I'm off on the less exciting task of scrounging the next meal and trying to finish those dishes. But when I keep myself open to it, they're just brief dull moments in a long string of downtime, linking the hours between the memorable moments that make this life so worthwhile.

Here's to a magical Christmas!

Thank you for the wait

by Barb Kennedy

But Lord... I do not like to wait.

I have become so accustomed to “now,” that waiting is painful.

Fast food, instant rice and potatoes, high speed internet, “no wait” lines, pre-packaged meals, credit so I can “buy now – pay later,” fast cash, instant gratification... everything around me screams do it now, eat it now, get it now, now…now… now… don’t wait!!!!

Waiting? Foreign. But You did make me wait five memorable times of note. And they were worth the wait. In each of those nine months of waiting, as they grew to completion – I grew (literally and figuratively). In those months of waiting, I left childhood behind and prepared to be a mother. I learned so much from You about patience, making decisions that affected another for good, slowing down, quieting, nesting and preparing... and I would have missed it all if You hadn’t made me... wait.

I also learned that as much as I didn’t want to wait, if I didn’t put in that time, things could turn out very poorly. The occasion seemed more like a blur in the rush to get it done and over. Food wouldn’t be cooked well – undone, too rubbery, too mealy, too rushed. The preemie that wasn’t quite “ready” to be rushed into the world... sometimes “now” really isn’t good at all.

So against all the blaring “do it nows,” “have it nows,” and “don’t waits” in my face, my eyes, my ears... I wait. Why? Because I know of the lessons of waiting; the joy, the beauty, the alleluias, the over-flowing heart, the precious gift of love at the end.

So thank you Lord... for this time of preparation... and for... the wait.

Season's Gift (concluded)

(photo by Lillian Craze)
By Frank Varano

Christmas is just one day set aside to rejoice in the coming of Jesus Christ as intended by those reflections on the church wall. But why should it be only one day? What about the other 364? We do well to learn from the eight year old's joyous face, experiencing everything for the first time.

Make no mistake--a child's reaction in the snow would be the same by the poolside if Christmas were August 5th. This is the natural state of every human ever born--excitement, wonder and irrepressible joy. The Real World as it was meant to be and can be. This is what Jesus referred to when he beckoned His disciples to have the faith of a child (Matthew 18:5). "The Good Old Days" is really more a reference about a time in my life when I was more easily contented than it was about a period in history when the world was a better place.

Like seeing the first snowfall, Christmas also teaches me that it is possible to live each day as if it were a new, separate and distinct day unlike any other in history. We were intended to! It doesn't matter if yesterday's events impact our actions today. To those of us who see it, this newness is evident not just daily; it is reflected on an annual basis with the change of the seasons. God has established a regualr pattern in our lives, each part being different from the others, but the sequence never changes. It establishes the order and continuity we need, but the sense of newness we crave. This is each season's gift to us, and its power is most strongly felt at Christmas.

The earth's cycle of spring, summer, fall and winter closely mimics the human cycle of birth, growth, maturity and death. The average human only has the chance to live through about seventy of thses annual cycles. Few ever notice the them. Even fewer understand its intent. Seen in this light, how wonderful it would be if on our birthdays, people wished us a Merry Christmas!

It is far too easy to get bogged down with the details of the Christmas card mailing list and what color lights hang on the porch. Keep in mind that "this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!" (Psalm 118:24) God created the past, and He has a future mapped out for us. But today, ah, today is like you and me: unique and unrepeateable. It is the one point in time where history and eternity embrace. Today is God's gift to us. That's why it's called the present.


Dedicated to the memory of Dad.

Season's Gifts

(photo by Lillian Craze)

By Frank Varano

How we react to snow can be a good indication that our attitudes are changing. As a child growing up in the suburbs of New York, I always greeted the first snowfall of the year with shouts of joy, shortly followed by volleying salvos of snowballs among the kids in the neighborhood. I would gladly trade being repeatedly pelted by the older kids (even my big brother) for a glorious day off from school. Even shoveling was fun--it provided us with raw material for our impermeable, yet all too fleeting snow fortress.

The newness of the first snowfall made everything (even our neighbors' yards) look pristine. The streets were shrouded in silence until the piercing shrieks of children hurling themselves down icy hills in unsteerable contraptions raised even the most indifferent heads from their morning newspapers. Such fun afternoons logically progressed into serene evenings watching marshmellows melt in hot chocolate and gluing eyes to the evening news weather reports, hoping for more forecasts of snow and school closures. There was never anything wrong with these (dare I use the term?) good old days. Each year, I was seeing snow as if I saw it for the first time. And that's what gave it its excitement. But of all the great things about the first snowfall, one was clearly the most signficant: it meant that Christmas is coming. The near future brought promises of more days off, gifts, unmitigated fun.

Grown-ups (usually the type who gave socks for presents) occasionally discouraged us by saying, "Wait until you get into the Real World!" But there was nothing more real than experiencing the happiness we were meant to. Undaunted, I would throw them a puzzled look, followed by a snowball. Yet despite their imposing (and perhaps self-imposed) schedules, even grown-ups were forced to slow down and take a break from the hectic pace. After awhile, they would realize that the world wouldn't end if they couldn't make it to their 9 a.m. appointment. The weather certainly didn't mind.

Now many years later and an official grown-up, my reaction to the first snowfall has changed dramatically. No longer a novelty, it has become a nuisance. I have to wake up earlier to scrape the white debris off my car while ungracefully hopping around to avoid getting my shoes wet. As I drive to work, I mutter threats to an indifferent dashboard vent which refuses to pump out warm air any faster. In the evening, I run inside as if avoiding a swarm of locusts, and brace myself for the forecaster's predicition of how many more inches are expected this evening. The onset of winter has become an onslaught.

One thing still has not changed: Christmas is coming. But the future isn't what it used to be. Even this blessed event has degenerated from the one day that every child could wholeheartedly enjoy, to an annual ritual of socially imposed parties, baragain-hunting among crazed mothers clamoring for the latest movie-action-figure-du-jour, and irreverent plots to find tactful ways of telling friends that I don't want another necktie this year. And yes, the year-end resolutions which I know I'll keep as long as the fruitcake. All the while, TV shows and department store ads remind us that this is the happiest time of the year. No wonder depression sharply rises during the holiday season. It has become a season to be endured rather than enjoyed. What went wrong?

I can't recall a specifici Christmas when it started going from good to worse. Perhaps it was when I began taking on progressively larger responsibility. When I finished college and started work, I began running out of time. This is a common excuse. My day still has 24 hours in it, as it did when I was eight. It's not what I've done with these hours, it's the attitude I have that has made the difference.

I'll admit that my intention at Christmas when I was an 8-year-old boy was not to welcome the Messiah into the world, but to see how many presents I could receive. My attitude, however, was one of joy, excitement and wonder. As refelcted in my grown-up reaction to snow, it is an attitude which changed remarkably for the worse over the years. And I was unaware of it.

Then, I had the tremendous fortune to spend Christmas 1995 in the southern Italian village where my parents were born. There was no tinsel or eggnog in sight, and I loved it. It was perceptibly real experience. One evening, I came across a small church where I found the most poignant expression of the meaning of Christmas humbly displayed:

If you have enemies, reconcile your differences;
Christmas is Peace.

If you have sinned, asked forgiveness;
Christmas is Friendship with God.

If you have friends, seek them;
Christmas is Gathering.

If you have debts, pay them;
Christmas is Justice.

If you have the poor at your side, help them;
Christmas is Giving.

If you have pride, overcome it;
Christmas is Humility.

If you have erred, reflect;
Christmas is Truth.

If you are sad, rejoice;
Christmas is Happiness.

If you have hatred, defeat it;
Christmas is Love.

-- post to be continued tomorrow... --

It only takes a minute

By Meg Ferrante

Five minutes. That's when the grandparents get here. Five minutes to finish Jeremy's birthday cake, make the salad, set the table, clean the back hall toilet, write the blog for tonight. Five minutes? Obviously this isn't all going to happen. Six days until Christmas? Obviously, it can't all get done.

I know myself and I knew it was coming. I am starting to panic.

But this year, there is a huge difference. I have committed myself to this blog and that means I am doing all I can to find advent in the ordinary. And it's working.

Last night at dinner hour, rushing, rushing, rushing, I stupidly raced into Walmart at 5 p.m. I needed more icing for the cake and sourdoll rolls for the Italian sausage. There were not a lot of happy people in Walmart. My children were three of them all the way home. Dinner wasn't ready, everyone was whining and fighting, I felt like a gerbil on a wheel; I'm moving as fast as I can but nothing's happening. I could feel the simmer go to a boil. I had to run out to the car and on the way back, I could hear daddy yelling through closed windows. I felt my heart sink. I felt deflated. The facade of a peaceful lead-up to Christmas was falling fast.

With one foot on the back steps, heading toward the house, I stopped. I took a deep breath. Looked up at the few stars in the dark sky. Said a quick prayer. Reminded myself that everything I love most in the world was right there in that kitchen. Adjusted my attitude like I was adjusting a too-tight bra and headed back inside. I wouldn't call it my favorite night of the year, but what might usually get ugly was definitely not.

You can do a lot in five minutes. You might not get the toilet clean, but you can give it up to God.

I like to think I just did.

Give This Christmas Away

By Anne Mistretta

In these difficult financial times, it is hard for many to give like they are accustomed to. But what if for this season of Advent and Christmas we look at a new way of giving - giving LOVE. It doesn't have to cost a cent. It can be in the smile you extend to the harried cashier, the kind words to a sick relative or friend, a handwritten note telling someone just what they mean to you, taking care of another's children while they have some much-deserved time alone or with others. After all, giving begins in our own families and communities. It begins with the love in our heart - the love that is meant to be given to others.

I heard this song today and it touched my heart – what a beautiful message!
“For God so loved the world That He gave His only Son
so we could be His hands, His feet, His love.”


Give This Christmas Away
(Matthew West & Amy Grant)
What if I told you
You have the power
To give someone hope
Beyond their wildest dreams
What if I told you
It’s right there in your hands
In your hands

It’s hard to imagine
How something so small
Can make all the difference
Tear down the tallest wall
What if December
Looked different this year
What if we all just

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away

It’s feeding the hungry
Serving the poor
It’s telling the orphan
You’re not forgotten anymore
It’s doing what love does
Even when no one’s watching you

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only Son
So we could be
His hands, His feet, His love
His love

What if I told you
You have the power
To give someone hope
Far beyond their wildest dreams
What if December
Looked different this year
Yah what if we all just

Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away

Give this Christmas away
You have the power
Just give it away
Give it away
Give it away
This Christmas
Give it away
Give Christmas away
Give it away

Lighting a Candle in the Darkness

By Tony Ferrante

Advent is defined by Miriam Webster’s Dictionary as, “1 : the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas and observed by some Christians as a season of prayer and fasting.” Many people traditionally light candles on an Advent Wreath in order to commemorate their passage of time as they await the arrival of Jesus.

But Jesus is always with us. He’s not laying in wait for Christmas to come so that He can make a grand entrance. I have come to look upon Advent as the period of time when I’m forced to look up from my life, and light a candle in the darkness.

We all have our trials and tribulations. The Human condition always seems to throw situations at us that cause darkness to creep into our minds, hearts, and souls. If we dwell on the negatives we run the risk of living merely to survive, not thrive.

Advent is when I’ve learned to try and remember to look at Christmas through a child’s eyes. Their pure joy for the season is my inspiration to light the candle and chase away the darkness.

Years ago I was seemingly at the bottom of a well, content to live in the darkness and grudgingly involving myself in the Holidays, if at all. Years of working in public safety, restaurants and retail had made the Holiday Season my least favorite of the year. I was assured to be overworked, underpaid and dealing with horrible attitudes from customers and employees on a daily basis. And the soundtrack to this turmoil was always the constant playing of Christmas Carols on the PA systems at my place of business. I came to associate the sound of Christmas music with getting my brains beat out at work. I vividly remember once changing my nametag at work so that it read “Ebenezer Ferrante.”

The first Advent celebrated in a new apartment after my divorce promised to be a dark and lonely Christmas. I missed my children horribly and had decided against decorating at all. They’d only be with me every-other weekend anyways, what was the point? Well, Jesus was there beside me after all, and He had different plans.

I picked up my children for our weekend together. Alexis was 6. Anthony was 10. And Angelica was 12. As soon as they got in the car they started begging me to put on one of the radio stations that was playing Christmas carols 24/7. I resisted, saying that I didn’t really like Christmas Carols. They groaned, complained, and then each of them explained why they love Christmas carols so much.

“It always makes me happy when I get to hear these songs. I know that Jesus is coming.”

“I love this music because it makes me think about our family, and love and great food.”

“I never get to hear these songs until now, and it’s my favorite time of the year.”

Through the graces of the Holy Spirit I actually heard and understood for the first time in a very long time. I’d allowed myself to dwell in the darkness, refusing to light a candle to show me the way. I was 38 years old and somehow I’d allowed this wonderful music to have negative connotations when I heard it. But my children were experiencing only their 4th, or 8th, or 10th true Christmas season in their lives. Everything was still new, unblemished and joyous in their eyes. The wonder and beauty of the Advent Season was as fresh as unbroken morning snow.

On that brief car ride my life was changed. I lit that candle in my heart and the light warmed my soul. We decorated my little apartment that weekend and sang every Christmas carol we heard on the radio. When they were gone for two weeks I felt their warmth in my heart as if they were right there beside me.

Christmas is a horrible time for depression, loneliness, and anxiety. When I look at an Advent Wreath today I pray that the candles being lit signify that someone out there who is mired in darkness has just had a candle lit in their lives and they can feel the warmth, comfort, and strength of the love of Christ.


(photo by Nate Craze, Lillian's husband, taken on an early morning hunting trip in the wilds of Nebraska.)

One solitary life

He was in born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.

He never had a family or owned a home. He never set foot inside a city. He never travelled 200 miles from the place he was born, he never wrote a book or held an office. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.

While he was still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends deserted him. He was turned over to his enemies, and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for the one piece of property he had -- his coat. When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.

Two thousand years have come and gone, and today he is the central figure for much of the human race. All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned--put together--have not effected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as this "One Solitary Life."

(My Mom and Dad took my niece to see the Radio city Music Hall Christmas Spectacular last weekend and were thrilled to see a live nativity at the end of the show. These words were played across the stage screen and Mom was happy to see them in the program as well because she found them simple and moving and wanted to share them with me and all of you.)