General Music Chat

What is an Invisable Christmas?
This Holiday I would like to challenge you all. Times are hard and tuff
for many people all around you. Though there may not be visable signs
of their plight. You know its there, you can feel it, you can sence it.
I would like every one of you to do something out of the ordinary.

Open your eyes and observe. Find something or someone that you
can feel needs a little help. Make a donation that you wouldn't
normally make. Buy something for someone that you don't even know
but you know is in need. In other words go out of your way to make
someone you don't know smile in appreciation. It will be a present to
yourself after you do it. You wont see the smile. You wont see the
appreciation but you WILL feel it in your heart. Commit a selfless humanistic
act of spontaneous charity.

From this you will feel, experience and know the Invisable Christmas.

I am not promoting this , but its nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsp66hO1fIo

This is the true Christmas spirit.
S'ok to promote it.
And, if you treat someone with kindness they may feel good enough to treat someone else with kindness.
It's like a plant spreading roots and allowing new plants growing up.

Everyday on the way to work there's a guy standing on the corner with a sign that says "Still out of work". Most people drive by, but I've been throwing some greenbacks in his paint can (maybe he's a painter?). I just can't help but think, what if that was me?

Was a lady of similar issue in Longview a few years ago.
I went to observe at a distance by request of a friend of mine.
At the set of the evening sun she walked about two blocks down, threw her ragged coat into the trunk of a new Lincoln and drove off.

A few years after that I observed a man take his panhandling into the nearest liqueur store.
Shortly after another fellow approached me in the same area at a Whataburger drive through.

" Can you spare me a few dollars, I'm hungry "

I bought him a burger and a drink. His look of disappointment was obvious and I observed him throw it down as I drove off.

I frequently help those whom have need.
Those whom I know will use it wisely.

Otherwise ... forget it.

It's possible he's scamming me, but it's the time of year to give, and if necessary, forgive.

I have been out finishing my shopping as I have today off. I am pleasantly surprised by the positive Christmas spirit I have been seeing today! Folks a little friendlier while driving. I was buying a necklace for my wife and I was checking out the clerk noticed an issue with the one I had chosen and pointed it out. She then helped me pick another one out!
One thing about the human race that always amazes me, when we are experiencing hard times the human race is at its BEST!

Merry Christmas to all you WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS!

You too Jeff, I bet your wife will love her present.

Back in 2008 I lost my job and didn't work for six months. I remember how scary it is out there. We're all just one job, a divorce or an illness from disaster. It's easy to say "get a job" when you're working and things are going well. But it's not that easy. So if I get scammed it's not a big deal, because it made me feel better to think that maybe his kids are eating tonight.

Before I can reply I need to know what "Invisable" means?

sans

This may be a viable option for you.

http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/

[/b]

I knew an old man who once lived in Cairo Egypt in a nice apartment building on the edge of downtown. He was a cost accountant for a large company there. Each day , he's step out of the lobby of his apt building, and would pass a beggar on the corner of the street. Each day , he'd give the beggar some change. For two years , that beggar worked that corner... It was years later that the old man discovered that the owner of his apt building was that beggar.


Klugmo, I do work at our local Rescue mission from time to time... Hell, one year, I donated a car to them... (long story for another time)

I totally agree with your philosophy about invisible Christmas...The un-apparent...The generosity behind the scenes...

What I have discovered... The best charity one can offer really DOES begin at home. In the name of invisible Christmas, I would say to everyone.... re- bond with your kids if that's possible... Spend your hearts on you families.. If everyone in the world did that...can you imagine how much poverty we could conquer, how many wars we could avoid... and how much more peace on earth we could generate? Its all relative, to how we treat those closest to us.

Just sayin...

I knew an old man who once lived in Cairo Egypt in a nice apartment building on the edge of downtown. He was a cost accountant for a large company there. Each day , he's step out of the lobby of his apt building, and would pass a beggar on the corner of the street. Each day , he'd give the beggar some change. For two years , that beggar worked that corner... It was years later that the old man discovered that the owner of his apt building was that beggar.


Klugmo, I do work at our local Rescue mission from time to time... Hell, one year, I donated a car to them... (long story for another time)

I totally agree with your philosophy about invisible Christmas...The un-apparent...The generosity behind the scenes...

What I have discovered... The best charity one can offer really DOES begin at home. In the name of invisible Christmas, I would say to everyone.... re- bond with your kids if that's possible... Spend your hearts on you families.. If everyone in the world did that...can you imagine how much poverty we could conquer, how many wars we could avoid... and how much more peace on earth we could generate? Its all relative, to how we treat those closest to us.

Just sayin...

The old man should have said "did I mention that all the money I gave you for the past two years was to go towards my rent?"

sans

This may be a viable option for you.

http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/

[/b]

Thanks.

I keep most of sharing close to home. My family extended family and my family of friends.

My wife and I assist in supporting quite a few families in our area.
Some perhaps more deserving than others.
But like Jimmy said forgiveness is important. Though difficult for me especially when I see no efforts in changing of destructive behaviors.
We work our asses off for what we earn. Often seven days a week and for months at a time with no breaks or vacations.
Makes me a little less susceptible to sob stories from lazy people who would rather sleep in then stand at the gate every morning with a lunch bag in their hand, till the company hires them, like I have in the past.

I fully believe in a hand up ... not hand outs.

Personally sans I know what you do for a living and the hands on
human relief that you give cant be measured.
Thank you for your service to mankind.[/b]

Any of you folks watched the movie "Limitless"?

Seriously, the thing I have noticed this season is how freely I have thrown out the words "Merry Christmas"
I am so UNBELIEVABLY surprised at the REPLY! Folks have been so responsive!

I am invisible. i say something, Bam, a loud noise from no where obscures my words yet no one asks me what I was talking about. I've tried a few times in the last couple of weeks to get this one point across to my wife- here it comes- The Bible (God's Word) says that when two people come together and agree that all things are possible. It has come to the point that I Had to get someone to agree. I was Adamant, sometimes loud, or even louder. Repeated that one idea from the scriptures until it was understood. I required my wife to agree we needed help from the Lord who provides all. She said she had faith in the Lord, but not me. I was OK with that. I provide only what God gives me. I looked at CL want ads, researched, called talked to and for one reason or another, denied. A week ago, I posted an ad on CL, selling my truck. Don't leave this story now, it's just Getting interesting. The ad I placed last week was submitted, but you would have had to be looking for key words Jeff's 1986 GMC flatbed that is tan with black tires to have found my post. And my camera had took a crap, so, no picture. I needed my ad in the listing with the other vehicles on the list without having to keyword search. Still, I was adamant, My wife and son worked on line w/ Cl to get my ad as I prescribed. I was getting hollard and screamed at. I was on a mission to get their help. The computer we gave my son a year ago had a picture on file. Flash drive jump ahead, now CL has a picture. Two hours of my wife and son banging heads to get my ad up- Bingo! I've already got a very prospective buyer coming tomorrow. He asked me if I'd take $2000. I said I would without the stereo. (Cash on hand, I'd let him keep the stereo). This may not only bring in what we immediately need, but may restore my wife's faith in me and most importantly God. She's visiting across the road right now. I haven't yet been able to tell her a guy's coming out tomorrow. One sided faith could mean your unreasonable expectations are just that. Charles manson may want an automatic weapon, finding someone to agree that he needs one is another story. Merry Christmas! Pay it forward. A really good movie.