Pride, in relation to other people, is comparing ourselves with others and seeing ourselves as superior to them in some way – whether it be in character, conduct, or achievement. One of the worst forms of pride is spiritual pride, an attitude that I am more holy, or righteous, or faithful, or obedient, or more fruitful in evangelism than others.
Jerry Bridges

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TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!

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#1 · December 9, 2002, 12:43 pm

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

Sent To Us By ChewYokeChing. Thank you for sending this to us for Idea Central.
 
*** TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS! ***
 
People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding
the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that
last  for days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 - the Day
of Epiphany- when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the
light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi.
 
From 1558 until  1829 people in England were not allowed to practice their
faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'
as  a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of
persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church.
 
Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.
 
1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
 
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
 
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
 
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
 
5. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the
Old  Testament.
 
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
 
7. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit.
 
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
 
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5).
 
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
 
11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
 
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the 12 points of belief in the
Apostles Creed.
 
There you have it, the HIDDEN meaning of "The Twelve Days of  Christmas"
and the secret behind the song.
 
******************************************************
 
*** The Christmas Spirit ***
 
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 wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. 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.
 
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, unbeknown 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, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
 
*******************************************
 
*** Angels ***
 
Angels are the guardians of hope and wonder,
the keepers of magic and dreams.
 
Angels watch over you where ever you go,
keeping each day perfect
and promising a bright new tomorrow.
 
Wherever there is love,
an angel is flying by.
 
Your guardian angel knows you inside and out
and loves you just the way you are.
 
Angels keep it simple and always travel light.
Remember to leave space in your relationships
so the angels have room to play.
 
Your guardian angel helps you find a place
when you feel there is no place to go.
 
Whenever you feel lonely,
a special angel drops in for tea.
 
Angels are with you every step of the way
and help you soar with amazing grace.
 
After all, we are angels in training;
all we have to do is spread our wings and fly.
 
Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
 
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