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Post by *~Nicky's Girly Girl~* on Dec 25, 2008 13:12:41 GMT -5
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!! hope you all have a wonderful day with your loved ones!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx
Lifer Legend
*WESTLIFE FOREVER* ... I will forever be by your side, with support and love! You've made my life xx
Posts: 68,536
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Post by xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx on Dec 27, 2008 5:47:51 GMT -5
Just popped bye to say I hope you all had a lovely x-mas! Hope to catch up with you soon lots of love to you all xxxx
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Post by Suze on Dec 14, 2009 14:36:32 GMT -5
Thought you might like a little story, written by one of my sons. The Manhattan Mall Santa Claus By Simon Whitfield A number of years ago in New York City, Christmas took on a new meaning for hundreds of families. In the Manhattan Mall, across the street from Macy's and the Empire State Building, the Christmas decorations were bigger and brighter than ever before. Included in the magnificent display was a substantially sized Santa's Grotto. It looked as anyone would expect a Santa's Grotto to look. There were helpful Elves, giant candy canes and the perfect amount of snow on the tiny buildings surrounding Santa's enclosure. The Santa Claus this year particularly suited the role. The man was about six feet tall, heavy set, and wore glasses. He had a genuine head of white hair and a real, full white beard. He wore the red suit with pride and seemed to have a permanent smile on his face. He had a manner about himself that made every child love him. The Manhattan Mall had managed to obtain the perfect shopping mall Santa. For ten dollars children could visit Santa, sit on his knee, get a photograph with him, and leave with a gift. As the days passed and children lined up to sit on Santa's knee, more and more children were leaving without the customary wrapped gift from Santa. They left with a small photo showing them and Santa, and a small, sealed envelope. On a number of occasions, a child would leave the Grotto holding a gift, but would walk only three or four steps before running back in through the exit and leaving a few seconds later with another small, sealed envelope. Parent after parent would ask their children whether they enjoyed their visit with Santa, and inquired as to what had happened to their gift. Each child who was asked the question would silently point to the envelope. Each child's envelope had the words, “Do not open until Christmas Eve” written under the child's name. The Manhattan Mall received calls and letters from angry parents, wondering what the Mall's Santa had done with their child's Christmas gift. Each of the complaints were received and assurances were given that the matter would be investigated. Before too long Christmas Eve arrived. Excited children opened their envelope, interested to see what was inside. A handwritten note simply said, “Father Christmas will have your gift by the large Christmas tree in the middle of Central Park at 7pm on Christmas Eve. Remember what you promised.” Parents and excited children headed to Central Park. By 7pm a large crowd had gathered around the incredible Christmas tree. At exactly 7pm Santa stood up at a podium in front of a large and increasingly impatient crowd. “Good evening, and Merry Christmas!” said the Santa. “I know a lot of parents want to know what's been going on this Christmas and I'm here to give you an explanation.” Murmurs started spreading through the crowd. Santa started to explain. “I told every child who sat on my knee this year about the hundreds of children in New York that wouldn't be getting any Christmas presents this year. Every child here agreed to receive their gift here this evening, and then to hand it to a child who needed it more than they did.” The parents were surprised but proud of their children. One by one the children were called up to the front to take a gift and hand it to one of several hundred children in tatty clothing. The children were overjoyed at receiving the gifts. While the children shared their gifts, Santa explained the children were from orphanages and homeless shelters not too far from Central Park. The children, after giving their gift, returned to their parents with a beaming smile, outshining the smiles of the happy children who now had something to open at Christmas. By the end of the evening there was not a mother or father in the crowd with a dry eye. They were so proud of their children for being the example in Christmas charity. In the heart of New York City, on a night when thousands of people were in a frenzy seeking gifts and all but forgetting the basis of the Christmas spirit, these children gave up something that meant little to them to someone who needed it more. The Christmas spirit as a result of the charitable idea of one shopping mall Santa gave hundreds of families a Christmas they would not forget, instilling an attitude of giving in children that would hopefully remain for years to come. May each of us this Christmas take greater joy from the giving of gifts, as opposed to receiving them. May we all take every opportunity we can spare to help those in need and thus feel a greater sense of warmth and joy in this season of giving.
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Post by Suze on Dec 14, 2009 14:41:42 GMT -5
If you liked that one, you'll love this one.
A Home for Christmas Luke Partridge was much like any other only child who had grown up in a middle-class family. He was now seven years old and was very much looking forward to Christmas. His father had a good job and his mother was a housewife. There was never much discussion on religion. Both parents attended church as children but were not interested in religion in adulthood. Luke was therefore unaware of much to do with religion. For him Christmas was all about presents, Santa and reindeer. Life was good for Luke. He was a typical lively and friendly child. He had the typical group of friends, played outside with neighbours and attended parties. He had the life of almost every boy of his age.
By the age of seven he was now very much accustomed to the routine for their family when Christmas rolled around. Towards the end of November he'd leaf through a number of mail order catalogues and write a list of things he really, really wanted. By the time Christmas day arrived, a couple of those presents would have been delivered by Santa, much to his delight on Christmas morning. In the mean time, Luke would help his parents put up decorations all over the house. There was a large tree, a lot of tinsel, and lights inside and out. Yes, Luke liked his simple Christmas with his parents and was happy for things to remain exactly as they were for many years to come. His ideas changed one day when his parents left him in the care of his grandparents for one day in early December.
Luke's grandparents had the same kind of Christmas decorations, but they had something Luke wasn't familiar with. On top of the fireplace was a collection of figures in a wooden structure. Luke pointed at this and asked his grandmother, "What's that?" "It's our Nativity set." His grandmother replied. "What's a Natibaty set for?" His grandmother laughed softly. "A Nativity set helps us remember what Christmas is all about." She pointed at a small cot in the middle with a baby lying on some straw. "It's about the birth of this baby called Jesus a long, long time ago." "What makes that baby special?" "He was a King and he treated everyone kindly as he grew up." "He was a King?" "Yes he was. He was a King but he was born in a stable." "So he was a King but he was born in a stable?" "Yes he was. They weren't born in hospitals back then." Luke screwed up his face slightly. "With animals and things? Didn't he have a home?" "Not really. He travelled from place to place and helped poor people and taught everyone to be good to each other." Luke nodded and didn't ask any more questions for a while. He approached his grandmother several times to clarify things about Christmas and Jesus. She told him more details as the day went on. He asked what this Jesus person had to do with Santa and why Shepherds were there. His grandmother didn't think too much of it and put it all down to a child being inquisitive and wanting to know everything about everything. A week later Luke ran up to his mother as she was preparing food in the kitchen having spent time playing with friends. "Mummy," he said, clearly leading to a question, "can I have some friends over for Christmas dinner?" She turned to him and met his gaze. "Of course you can, but won't your friends' mummies and daddies want them at home for Christmas dinner?" "I thought of that," he said with some authority, "and they said their parents won't mind." "Okay," she said, not sure how to respond, "so how many friends have you invited?" "Three" Three friends wasn't a problem. There was usually plenty of food for them. They had a table that could easily sit six, especially if three of them were children. She would have to prepare a little more food and set more places at the table, but it was simple enough. Not many days after came Christmas Day. It started in the same way as every other one Luke could remember. He woke up early after saying he couldn't sleep. During the night of Christmas Eve he was so full of excitement over everything that would follow on Christmas Day.
Luke pestered his mother and father until they agreed to get up and open presents. It was at least two hours before they would usually Get out of bed.
Christmas music played in the background and Luke's father was capturing all of the action with the family video camera. In amongst all of the usual Christmas morning events Luke didn't seem quite as excited by his presents as he was usually.
When all of the presents had been opened and played with, when all wrapping paper had been disposed of, and when they'd all described their presents to the video camera, it was almost time for Christmas Dinner.
Luke's mother was preparing to feed six instead of the usual three. "Are you sure their parents don't mind?" She asked him. "No," he replied. "They're all old." She wondered what he meant by that. He didn't know many people that were older than nine. Maybe they were slightly older than he was, and so seemed old to him. "Who did you invite?" She asked. Luke smiled back and said, "You'll see."
Several seconds later the doorbell rang. Luke's mother answered the door and saw three scruffy men, all at least fifty years of age, on the doorstep. When these men stood there looking uncomfortable, she guessed they weren't carol singers. "Can I help you?" She asked. "He... Hello.” One of the scruffy men stuttered. “do you have a son called Luke?” She didn't know what to think. Were these the friends they were expecting for dinner? “Yes we do.” Another of the men worked up the courage to speak. “Ma'am, we feel uncomfortable being here. We can tell you feel uncomfortable. Your son has been speaking to us as he's seen us on the street over the past two weeks.” The man's voice started breaking with emotion as he spoke. “He said he knew Jesus was homeless but he still had someone to love him at Christmas and that he wanted us to have somewhere to go too.” Luke's mother felt tears form at the bottom of her eyes. She let the men continue to explain. The first man spoke again. “We're normal people, we're just homeless. We're honoured to have even been invited anywhere and we completely understand if you don't wish for us to join you.” The men started to turn around. “Stop!” She said, louder than she'd intended so say it. “We have the food, we have the places set. You're welcome to come in.” The men were surprised but delighted. As they entered through the front door she said, “Luke will be looking forward to seeing you.”
The three men hung their old coats on a hat stand next to the front door and were invited to sit down in the lounge. They were shown the downstairs bathroom and offered its use to clean up for dinner. Luke descended the stairs, excited that his guests had arrived.
Only a matter of minutes later the family and their guests sat down at the table for dinner. As Luke's mother brought in a lovingly prepared Turkey she looked at the people sat around the table. The three homeless men sat on one side, all-of-a-suddenn they were clean shaven and smarter than they were minutes earlier. She could tell they were the same people that had humbly shown up at their door in disheveled clothes, but only just. The faces of the three men were bright with wider smiles than she had seen on any child. This was likely the happiest these men had been in years and it took their seven year old son to push them into such a charitable act.
A wonderful Christmas dinner followed. All people in attendance were wearing the multi-coloured paper crowns from their crackers. The poor quality jokes had been shared. It was a delightful Christmas day and it was one they would always remember.
When the meal was finished and the contents of the table were cleared away, no one seemed to quite know what to do next. After a few seconds of a silence that was bordering on uncomfortable, one of the men spoke. “We'd like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the kindness you've shown to us. We don't have much to give back, but we've been preparing a gift for your family.” The three men stood up and moved to stand next to each other. Without another word they sung the well-known carol Silent Night in perfect harmony. As scruffy as these men had looked earlier, the family could now swear the three men stood in front of them were angels in disguise.
This moment changed the Christmas Days of the Partridge family forever. This moment was everything to do with Christmas. The three men thanked the family and were quickly on their way. They were grateful for the meal they'd received, but were quick to refuse further offers of help.
The family returned to their typical Christmas Day, all the time thinking about those three men. It was a little thing that Luke had done for these men, but it was also a great thing. Every year from then on, the Partridge family would get excited when Christmas was approaching. Not because of presents, trees or parties, but because they could make Christmas very special for someone in need.
As we move into this festive season, may we all do something different to help make Christmas special for another. The greatest joy to be found at Christmas is found in giving to others.
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xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx
Lifer Legend
*WESTLIFE FOREVER* ... I will forever be by your side, with support and love! You've made my life xx
Posts: 68,536
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Post by xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx on Dec 15, 2009 17:22:02 GMT -5
OMG thanks Suze, these are amazing! love them! x
10 days till christmas woop woop !!!! ;D
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Post by shanegirl321 on Dec 21, 2009 6:39:14 GMT -5
Great stories Suze! ;D In case I don't come in here in the next few days I wanna wish you all A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! ;D ;D May you have a great one and get everything you want!!!! ;D ;D
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xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx
Lifer Legend
*WESTLIFE FOREVER* ... I will forever be by your side, with support and love! You've made my life xx
Posts: 68,536
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Post by xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx on Dec 21, 2009 17:45:27 GMT -5
Thankyou hun, you also! MERRY CHRISTMAS! hope you have a wonderful day, with lots of lovely presents xxxxx
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Post by Suze on Dec 22, 2009 10:47:35 GMT -5
I'm going to be away Christmas Eve and Christmas day, so I want to take a moment now to say hope you all have a lovely Christmas. Remember the real meaning of the celebration and that it's not about how much stuff you get, but about how much of yourself you can give. If you can make a difference to even just 1 person, then you will have blessed someone else's life as well as your own. Peace, joy and goodwill to all of you
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*ShanesTwinkle*
Ultimate Dedication
What About Now, What About today !!, Its The Filan Effect, Love You Shane xxxx
Posts: 75,903
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Post by *ShanesTwinkle* on Dec 22, 2009 12:49:46 GMT -5
Not sure how much im gonna be on, in the next few days, i just wanna wish all my friends a very happy christmas !!
I wouldnt of got through the year without some of you being there for me (you know who you are)
Heres to the new year and new tour bring it on wooohoooo
Love ya all xxxxx
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Post by shaenova on Dec 25, 2009 16:47:14 GMT -5
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Post by *~Nicky's Girly Girl~* on Dec 26, 2009 16:42:06 GMT -5
i hope you all had an amazing christmas! love you all so much! you mean a lot to me xxx
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xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx
Lifer Legend
*WESTLIFE FOREVER* ... I will forever be by your side, with support and love! You've made my life xx
Posts: 68,536
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Post by xX_Nicky's_Fantasy_Fan_Xx on Dec 27, 2009 18:28:52 GMT -5
I hope you all had an AMAZING christmas! lots of love xxxx
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