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Christmas Contest!

Respectfully not in. I’m already both blessed and self-indulgent this Christmas season.

Christmas break 1972. Self-supporting (aka broke), in trade school in Oregon. My Mom could use a little emotional support in Chicago. Dress warm, grab the pack, tarp, and the sleeping bag. Start thumbing.

East side of Portland, sky to the west looks grim. A surprise, given my level of planning.

Surprise! Caught a timely ride, just before the storm hits, with three dropouts in an eastbound drive-away Buick.

Surprise! It is a huge, nasty ice storm. We’re caught at a the top of the Columbia Gorge cliffs admiring the view. The storm will eventually Zamboni an Interstate hockey rink all the way through Idaho. But we skate back down to the Interstate and get ahead of it, on clear pavement, by Pendleton.

Surprise! My new best friends love to stop and look at the sights, the birds, the awesome clouds. We make it to LaGrande barely ahead of the storm.

Surprise! Let’s stop for the night.

Surprise! Clear skies, ice everywhere, creeping eastbound traffic. But this Buick and my buddies will take me all the way to southern Illinois!

Home for Christmas, just as “planned”.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I'm not in because I live in the Philippines but here is my best Christmas surprise.

It was Christmas 2017. My 94yo mother, living in a retirement village in Australia, had not had her 3 children all together with her on Christmas Day for over 15 years. My sister was in Israel, my brother in Japan and me in the Philippines.

My brother and I let my mother know that we would be with her for Christmas. My sister couldn't afford the airfare.

As a surprise for our mother I paid the airfare for my sister and her daughter's return flights from Israel to Sydney. When my mother saw her girls she burst into tears.

My mother passed away the following August. That was her last Christmas with us.
 
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FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I'm not in because I live in the Philippines but here is my best Christmas surprise.

It was Christmas 2017. My 94yo mother, living in a retirement village in Australia, had not had her 3 children all together with her on Christmas Day for over 15 years. My sister was in Israel, my brother in Japan and me in the Philippines.

My brother and I let my mother know that we would be with her for Christmas. My sister couldn't afford the airfare.

As a surprise for our mother I paid the airfare for my sister and her daughter's return flights from Israel to Sydney. When my mother saw her girls she burst into tears.

My mother passed away the following August. That was her last Christmas with us.
You are a good man.
 
I'm not in because I live in the Philippines but here is my best Christmas surprise.

It was Christmas 2017. My 94yo mother, living in a retirement village in Australia, had not had her 3 children all together with her on Christmas Day for over 15 years. My sister was in Israel, my brother in Japan and me in the Philippines.

My brother and I let my mother know that we would be with her for Christmas. My sister couldn't afford the airfare.

As a surprise for our mother I paid the airfare for my sister and her daughter's return flights from Israel to Sydney. When my mother saw her girls she burst into tears.

My mother passed away the following August. That was her last Christmas with us.

That is a phenomenal example of knowing when to spend your money. Well done!
 
I had a friend in need. She had little money and a child who would go without gifts for Santa. She reached out for help and I volunteered to buy several toys for her son, which my wife and I wrapped and signed “from Santa”. Made me feel sad that her kid would be without gifts while his friends would get cool, new toys. So I had to step in. He had a nice Christmas after all. This wasn’t really a story about us surprising someone. It’s a story about helping people in need. I hope he was surprised to find fun toys to play with, though.
 
Bear with me until the end, please. Going to start off harsh....

I hate people in general. They irritate, anger, disappoint, and disgust me. I struggle with this and am convicted of it regularly. My bad attitude and personal shortcomings are much to blame; however, I also place some of the weight on our negatively focused "news" and media. Sure you see some positive mixed in, but there is so much negative. I do have a big heart and I try to help others as much as possible. I can do that with my time, talent, and treasure....but my attitude is still lacking. I am near unapproachable. I stand with my arms crossed and a scowl on my face. I complain way too much. My wife apologizes to those who haven't met me, before they meet me. Just trying to paint a picture here. I think you get the idea, so lets move on.

I have been reading on here some in the PIF threads and such. There was 1 about telling your favorite way to pay it forward. Then this thread. I heard a couple testimonies at church, 1 of which a woman had to go several states away for a surgery which had at least a years recovery time. Someone actually MOVED OUT OF THEIR house to let this lady and her husband stay in it, closer to the hospital she needed to be treated in. Didn't even really know each other. There is more but I am trying to keep this a post and not a book.


So anyway, my Christmas miracle is the transforming of my attitude and "hardened" heart, to see the good in the world. There are so many good, kind, giving, loving people out there. I hope I am not breaking rules by posting scripture and if you don't believe, I am not forcing only sharing my thoughts. Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." I personally need to pay more attention to all the good. Stop reading and dwelling on the crimes and the drama and all the terrible things we as people do to each other. I am feeling the peace and I am feeling..... a smile on my face. Like it is just lifting a weight from my back. My hat is off in gratitude and appreciation to all those making our world a better place, and putting a tear in the eye and a smile on the face of this old scrooge.
 
Bear with me until the end, please. Going to start off harsh....

I hate people in general. They irritate, anger, disappoint, and disgust me. I struggle with this and am convicted of it regularly. My bad attitude and personal shortcomings are much to blame; however, I also place some of the weight on our negatively focused "news" and media. Sure you see some positive mixed in, but there is so much negative. I do have a big heart and I try to help others as much as possible. I can do that with my time, talent, and treasure....but my attitude is still lacking. I am near unapproachable. I stand with my arms crossed and a scowl on my face. I complain way too much. My wife apologizes to those who haven't met me, before they meet me. Just trying to paint a picture here. I think you get the idea, so lets move on.

I have been reading on here some in the PIF threads and such. There was 1 about telling your favorite way to pay it forward. Then this thread. I heard a couple testimonies at church, 1 of which a woman had to go several states away for a surgery which had at least a years recovery time. Someone actually MOVED OUT OF THEIR house to let this lady and her husband stay in it, closer to the hospital she needed to be treated in. Didn't even really know each other. There is more but I am trying to keep this a post and not a book.


So anyway, my Christmas miracle is the transforming of my attitude and "hardened" heart, to see the good in the world. There are so many good, kind, giving, loving people out there. I hope I am not breaking rules by posting scripture and if you don't believe, I am not forcing only sharing my thoughts. Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." I personally need to pay more attention to all the good. Stop reading and dwelling on the crimes and the drama and all the terrible things we as people do to each other. I am feeling the peace and I am feeling..... a smile on my face. Like it is just lifting a weight from my back. My hat is off in gratitude and appreciation to all those making our world a better place, and putting a tear in the eye and a smile on the face of this old scrooge.

This. Is. Fantastic. Great message.
 
I hope I am not breaking rules by posting scripture and if you don't believe, I am not forcing only sharing my thoughts. Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Posting scripture is fine by this Believer. I am confident it will be fine elsewhere on B&B as well. Since this is a vendor sub-forum the vendor has some degree of latitude on what is allowed and scripture is more than welcome.

What an encouraging, amazing story of transformation you have shared. I have often said scripture is loaded with examples of second chances. When you look for them they are everywhere.
 
Last year my oldest really wanted an xbox and my wife and I have always told him no for several years now. This year the wife looked at me and said you know we need a new blue ray player and he has been asking for the xbox forever, why don't you stand in line at walmart after we have thanksgiving dinner and see if you can get it for a good price. Like an obedient husband and a little kid inside I did what I was told. Needless to say I got him his xbox and his face was speechless and priceless on christmas morning. Something I will remember for years to come.
 
Posting scripture is fine by this Believer. I am confident it will be fine elsewhere on B&B as well. Since this is a vendor sub-forum the vendor has some degree of latitude on what is allowed and scripture is more than welcome.

What an encouraging, amazing story of transformation you have shared. I have often said scripture is loaded with examples of second chances. When you look for them they are everywhere.

This right here has earned you my business. Whether I need anything or not.
 
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