Pig asks, Dear GOD to give or not to give ?

Good Morning

And

to you too Pig.

That's is an interesting question.

I know, Pig said.

We have been waiting all week long to write this and all the stories you have been telling me and about the attitude of giving.

How to give and when not to give.

How JESUS GAVE THE BEST PRESENT OF ALL .

HE GAVE IT ALL TO US.

HE GAVE

HIMSELF TO YOU AND ME

When you know about the real Christmas and Easter.

HE WAS BORN TO GIVE US LIFE THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

NOW ALIVE FOREVER AFTER 3 DAYS DEAD NOW ALIVE FOREVER

HE HAS GIVEN US FORGIVENESS OF ALL OUR SINS.

TO THE WORLD

THAT IS ALL OF MANKIND

TO ALL HE SAYS

THAT SAY YES TO HIM  JOHN 3:16

AS YOU SAY

COME INTO MY HEART

AND HE SAYS : LEARN OF ME

READ HIS BOOK CALLED THE BIBLE.

YOU ARE FORGIVEN

PAST

PRSENT

AND

FUTURE

YOU ARE MADE BRAND NEW.

BELIEVE IN ME

HAVE FAITH

YOUR NAME IS NOW IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.

AMEN

Pig wants to talk about a Christmas

That was kinda sad.

Pig said, Go ahead and tell them.

Tell them about the little boy and the old Easter basket with the broken pieces of toys given to you and your sister on CHRISTMAS DAY.

Well, Pig you mostly told it.

I said.

But then, Pig interrupted me and said, "not about the details."

Like how the Boys' Mother was in the car with the motor running and he jumped out to knock on your door.

You mentioned we were probably the last drop off as an obligation he had to do for his good deeds for the day. Gifts collected from the local Church for the poor and needy.

Our Mother probably added our names somewhere because she knew no Christmas gifts she could see were coming for us.

Pig, I said,

You are doing a good job from your memory.

I know, Pig said.

But I didn't say anything about the bad Part.

You are so funny Pig.

You don't think that having the only Toys for Christmas Day were broken?

Yes,Pig said. But you did get those two fake Barbie dolls that were new.

That you said, their hair change color when you wet their hair.

True , I said, that was the redeeming moment.

I did take one of them to the kitchen sink and run water over hair and it did change color.

One for me one for my sister

I was glad she got something that she could play with later.

I did try and figure out why I had pieces of mismatched toys that were very little and didn't belong to anything even though I was trying to figure out to pass the time remaining  of the day and I was hopeful.

Tell them Pig said, About even though you had just lost your Dad he was only 45 years old and was placed into The Veteran's hospital and then put him the military Cemetery in mid March that year.

Your family was recovering over the loss of the Dad.

I remember you said, that your Dad mentioned how proud that he donated every week to make sure that you girls and your Mother would be taken care of.

That's just how the Teamsters Union is. They had a widows fund.

Mother checked later for help and all the money had been taken by

Hoffa and he was missing.

So there was nothing for her or us.

No widows pension because of Hoffa taking that.

Pig, really did you have to share that?

Yes, she said.

Your Dad was in the Teamsters Union and he was proud of it.

You told me that.

He would put weekly money out of his check to make sure your Mom was ok and if anything happened to her this was to be used

As a safety net.

It would be hard thing to help here if you were already in heaven.

True. I said.

Good to prepare.

But most people especially now wouldn't know who Jimmy Hoffa is?

I told Pig.

Pig said, Then Tell them now.

Ok Pig.

I began sharing the story.

Well, We lived in Las Vegas at the time and my Dad worked as a cement driver and finisher.

You would have to know that

Las Vegas , Nevada is in the middle of the desert and is the entire City is made of cement and then gambling and Big Hotels and lots of BIG lights.

This Part Pig you would like Pig

Is BIG FOOD and cheap prices to get you into the casinos.

OPEN 24 hours everywhere.

The CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS.

Pig asked,

Did they have Pancakes there?

Oh Yeah Pig.

Big and small with every flavor of syrup.

They had a complete breakfast for 59c

If you got up early enough to get you started really early to be in the Casino to start gambling.

Pig asked, I thought only adults could be in Casino to gamble?

You are right Pig,

but there were designated areas that you could be benches and gift areas

and the restaurants were one of them.

They later made Circus Circus for kids like a Carnival to play games and spend money win prizes and bring families together  in fun next to

The Caesar's Palace where Aunt Margaret was a Supervisor there and where  my Granny worked as a baby sitter for the big headliner acts.

But that's another story Pig.

It was just common knowledge that Hoffa was part of the mob explained to me as legal gangsters or what was called under ground organized crime.

They worked with Politicians and Police and Glamorous Hollywood studios as I was told as a child.

That was just how Las Vegas worked.

You just excepted that's the way things were and you did your job and go to school and  we all would go home to your wife and family.

Ok Pig said, That wasn't so hard.

Thank you,Pig.

I said.

Pig continued. Now tell them about the part where you are in California now.

You had moved and moved around to be around your sister in the hospitals and until you were in duplex Apartments now and with your older sister that was in a car accident at 21 as a passenger with her baby of 6 months old survived and was ok but she was forever in a wheelchair.

That you were close by in case she needed you.

Well, Pig that's right.

You remember well.

I should of been an elephant Pig said

They have great memories.

Oh, funny Pig you do just fine.

Anyway an elephant couldn't fit in our little bed.

Pig said, "That is true."

I like you just the way you are.

Me too.

Pig said and then we both we laughed.

Ok,Pig said.

Are  you going to tell them about Christmas Day ?

Or should I do it?

Go ahead Pig.

I like the way you tell the stories.

Thanks she said as she began .

The Christmas was a dark Christmas

No tree or decorations

Not much furniture

And not much food.

The groceries you said were hard to make things because nothing matched up and you were not that good in cooking yet at only 14 years old.

Your Mother was  in her room with an all night headache so you keep all the lights out and it was night time so it was no problem.

Your sister in her room and you in yours with doors all shut and now it was late Christmas Morning.

No reason to get up.

Except for the knock on the door that you answered.

A little boy with a sad face as he gave the gift he was giving you.

A big Old Easter Basket the plastic kind bent and

He was embarrassed.

As he said,

looking you in your eyes with some kindness, Merry Christmas.

Then he ran to the car as fast as he could as the car motor was still running with The Mother in the drivers seat.

That's exactly true Pig.

But this Part I must tell myself.

I quickly scanned the gift and the attitude given except for the little boy and his obedience to what he was told to do.

I didn't really know GOD in my heart

then as my LORD AND SAVIOR.

But I knew GOD

and HE WAS REAL.

I promised right then that

I WOULD NEVER GIVE A GIFT

THAT WASN'T THE BEST I COULD DO.

With a heart of giving and making them feel special who ever it was with a ribbon or twine or something pretty to say.

I thought of you.

You are Special and I just want you to know that I want you to know that.

Be glad inside.

Not like the way the gift that included was all was broken with two plastic new dolls.

To make you feel sad and broken

too.

To think to give a so called gift

How could someone think this was ok?

To know the poor and needy that

You were thought of in what way.

This sure represented how I felt .

But then there was hope Pig.

I took the doll out and played with it.

Getting a new attitude.

I knew this wasn't from a Santa but

GOD saying to me in my heart and mind.

My Birthday they call Christmas on earth is not giving gifts to one another.

It's about me coming to show people love and kindness and to forgive one another as I have forgiven you.

Do you remember the song

Away in the Manger?

Do you remember the song

Silent night?

Do you remember GOD bless you merry gentleman?

Or

Joy to the world?

We had a talk in my mind saying

As I could hear HIS VOICE

That was a good promise to make.

That will bring you Joy throughout your whole life.

I promise I will always be with you even though it doesn't feel like it.

I felt some joy come and then I felt hunger.

Pig you can relate to that.

I started looking in the refrigerator and shelves.

Dry milk and instant potatoes

A can of chicken with broth

I didn't like that much but with

Some flour and a can of green beans.

I could make a dinner up.

Mash potatoes with chicken gravy

You pour over the potatoes.

The table was set up

As I waited for them to come.

They smelled the food and one by one without talking they came.

Some small talk and A Thank you for making food and then back to their rooms.

My sister got dressed later and played with the doll.

I played with her in the small little house

As we chased each other with these crazy dolls with baby suits on.

Mother felt better and opened the curtains to let the light in and cleaned the kitchen up.

The day passed by.

Pig interrupted,

I thought you had pancakes too

Yes, Pig you are right

I saw some pancake mix in the cuppard and we had

not much butter but we had

Pancake syrup.

Yes, Pig we had that too.

It was like a smorgasbord to fill the table with what we had.

I always like choices not to be forced to eat what everyone wants you to eat if you are not hungry for that.

I am surprise I didn't make oatmeal.

We had that too.

Because I did make up the instant milk that didn't blend very well it always had lumps in it.

I put in the refrigerator to get cold but that works for potatoes really well.

You would never know it wasn't real milk .

We had that milk so much we made our hot chocolate out of it.

With the Hershey powder you had to mix in hot and then add sugar to it.

Funny

That I got use to it and I drink it now.

I enjoy now as  a memory and as a comfort of a time when my family was with me.

Funny how foods can do that.

Pig asked

Is that why they call it comfort food?

Funny Pig

I think so.

I think that is why I like PANCAKES

Pig said

THEY BRING ME JOY

and a full belly..

Funny Pig..

We both laughed.

I will end this story with the lesson of giving.

To give unto others as you would like them to give unto you.

Mother would always say that.

Do the best you can

Be the best you can be .

GOD DOES THE REST-FOR YOU .

If you can't give

That's ok.

Having a heart to give is the most important.

And then when you can give

YOU WILL.

Pig agreed

that it was Better not to give a gift

that you didn't want to give

Or have money for

Or that you felt obligated to do.

Then give something that you both know that didn't have your heart in it.

So giving nothing is better.

Yep

But you can do something loving and kind  like

Giving a card or a call to say thinking of you is much better and more honest.

I love in the Old days they would can jelly's and make pies and cakes and give what they could do.

Grandpas and Daddy's made things out of wood and made sure you had a pair of shoes.

Or cloth doll or wooden soldiers

With all

Sincerity and LOVE

And then say this is for you.

A different time

May we pray we go back to the good stuff.

To be able to say

You were thought of

And

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Pig asked Is that why you made apple jelly to give with my picture on it to friends and family?

Yes,Pig .

I labeled it because of you .

Your love and kindness to others

Sharing the Love of Jesus.

Can we do that now with

The Lord's Prayer ?

Yes Pig .

Let's say it together

And welcome the day almost gone.

We bowed our heads as I held Pig close as we said together.

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

I feel better now Pig said

I do too.

Look for your blessings today no matter the time

They are new every morning

Waiting for you to find them.

Lamentations 3: 22-23

Pig said like a treasure hunt ?

Yes, ask and you will receive according to THE WORD OF GOD

AND HIS WILL..  FOR YOU

Mathew 7:7-8

IN JESUS NAME

AMEN

Our story for today

From Pig and Me