The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18
were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the
sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about
head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just
the right size to cover up the hole in the front
wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and
it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The
woman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria.
When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her
husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home, that
was the least he could do.. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return.
One older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home
again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
Island and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
Who says God does work in mysterious ways..

I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you, His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares you know He will see us through.

So when the road you're traveling on seems
difficult at best.. Just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest.

When there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need. Take 60
seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply
say the following small prayer for the persons
you want to bless.

Father, God, bless all my friends and family in what
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their life be full of your peace,
prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a
closer relationship with you. Amen.

God is sitting in heaven when a scientist prays to Him. "God, we don't need
you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of
nothing - in other words, we can now do what you did in the beginning."

"Oh, is that so? Tell Me." replies God.

"Well," says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness
of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man."

"Well, that's very interesting...show Me."

So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil into
the shape of a man.

No, no, no..." interrupts God, "Get your own dirt."

Take time to smell the roses.
Take a nap on Sunday afternoon.
Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Never deprive someone of hope. It might be all they have.
Be thankful for every meal.
Don't be afraid to say I'm sorry.
Don't take your health for granted.
Improve your performance by improving your attitude.
Listen to your children.
Leave everything a little better than you found it.
Keep it simple.
Keep good company.
Keep your promise.
Be kinder than necessary.
Take good care of those you love.
Make it a habit to do nice things.
Wear outrageous underwear.
Vote.
Judge your success by the degree that you're enjoying peace, health and love.
Be a good loser.
Be a good winner.
Be romantic.
Live so that when you your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you.
Never give anyone a fruitcake.
Remember other people's birthdays.
Sing in the shower.
Don't nag.
Don't gossip.
Don't tailgate.
Don't expect money to bring you happiness.
Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Never give up on anyone. Miracles happen every day.
Say thank you a lot.
Say please a lot.
Take your dog to obedience school. You'll both learn a lot.
Slow dance.
Don't rain on other people's parades.
Don't postpone joy.
Don't blame others.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Take care of your reputation. It's your most valuable asset.
Count your blessings.
Whistle.
Marry only for love.
Call your mother.
Do more than is expected.
Be there when others need you.
Never sell yourself short.
Never be ashamed of your patriotism.
Never be ashamed of honest tears.
Enjoy Life!

There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this!
When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you,
loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying
attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
People leave you because they are not joined to you.
And if they are not joined to you,
you can't make them stay.
Let them go.
And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that
their part in the story is over.
And you've got to know when people's
part in your story is over so that you
don't keep trying to raise the dead.
You've got to know when it's dead.
You've got to know when it's over.
Let me tell you something.
I've got the gift of good-bye.
It's the tenth spiritual gift,
I believe in good-bye.

It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful,
and I know whatever God means for me to have
He'll give it to me.
And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it.
Stop begging people to stay.
Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something
that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life,
then you need to ...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...
LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...
LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ...
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge ..
LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction ..
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or
talents .. LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...
LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new
level in Him...
LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help
themselves..
LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ....
LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling
yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past.
Forget the former things.
GOD is doing a new thing for 2006 !!!
LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then
LET IT GO!!!


"The Battle is the Lord's!"

During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever else you are doing, and take this opportunity. (Literally it is only One minute!) All you have to do is the following: You simply say "The Lords Prayer" for those you wish to bless:

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father,
who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom Come,
Thy Will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day,
our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power,
and the Glory,
forever. Amen.

Next, stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for
doing what you know is pleasing to Him.

"Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior. He Keeps
me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one. But with Him, I can
o everything, Christ is my strength."
God loves you and watches over you every day.

I imagine everyone was expecting an issue about giving thanks on
Thanksgiving Day. I deliberately didn't send such an issue.

Why?

Didn't you wake up THIS morning?

Can't you see this print NOW?

Don't you hear the sounds around you NOW?

Isn't your electricity on NOW?

Aren't you warm NOW?

Aren't you breathing NOW?

Won't you eat TODAY?

Thanksgiving Day is a great idea but it shouldn't be just a day,
it should be an attitude.

I am more thankful for today than I was for yesterday.
You see, I've got an "AND ONE."

This is the year "two thousand AND FIVE."
Next year will be "two thousand AND SIX."

We have been granted one more year, an "AND ONE."
Today is one more day than yesterday. It is an "AND ONE."
The breath you are taking now is one more than the last one.

We shouldn't wait until we are in our 90's to be thankful for
each additional day. I am thankful for each of them now and
especially, the "AND ONE."

If you spend only one day a year giving thanks you are missing
out on 364 gifts a year.

We should have Complaining Day instead of Thanksgiving Day.

We should spend one day each year complaining and griping about
the things wrong in our world. On that day we would complain
about everything and everyone that we had problems with.

Halloween would be a good day for that. We could all turn into
monsters for just one day instead of acting and feeling ugly
most of the year.

Often, we spend 364 days a year complaining and one day giving
thanks. We should give thanks at least 364 days a year.

That's what I do now. I don't wait until Thanksgiving Day.
I have Thanksgiving all year long and I'm working on Halloween.
I'd like to get rid of the one unthankful day that I have.

Saying thanks each day does more than acknowledge the giver,
it makes you realize the gift.

I give thanks now for tomorrow,
for it will be even more of a miracle than today,
or yesterday.

So Happy Thanksgiving Day. Today!

This has been ANOTHER MountainWings Original, an AND ONE.