Grandma's Prayer Candle

Her example of faith helps me through tough times

BY JULIE MCCARTY

 Not everything about Sunday Tales has to be serious,
These were put together by Ben Witherington;

The Wisdom of Children in Sunday School 

A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?" "No", replied little David, 'cause he only had two worms!"

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments," answered the lady.

BUMPER STICKER SEEN ON AMISH BUGGY

While driving in west Pennsylvania , a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign....
"Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust."

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23.

She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

"GOD SPEAK TO ME"

The young man whispered, "God, speak to me!"



And a Meadowlark sang, but, the young man did not hear.

So, the young man cried out in despair.

"Touch me God, and let me know you are here!"

Whereupon, God reached down and touched the young man.
But, the young man brushed the butterflies away and wandered on.

So remember, don't miss out on a blessing because it
isn't packaged the way that you expect.

Take notice of the blessings around you.

 "In this world where we can only pray to our Gods, whom-ever it is we look too for help, maybe you will join with me in praying for all the little children who are being killed,  even as we sit here and pray."

Father, lead me day by day,
Ever in thine own sweet way:
Teach me to be pure and true,
Show me what I ought to do.

When I'm tempted to do wrong
Make me steadfast, wise and strong:
And when all alone I stand,
Shield me with thy mighty hand,

When my heart is full of glee,
Help me to remember thee:
Happy most of all to know,
That my Father loves me so.    

I was just reading through one of my very old poetry books, most of the poems already a hundred years old by the age of the book, but most of them date back to the 16th and 17th century's sometimes older again.
But these ten little lines I think, are ten of the most beautiful lines ever written and we know when they were written but not who wrote them.

GOD BE IN MY HEAD
(Sarum Primer)

God be in my head,
And in my understanding;

God be in mine eyes,
And in my looking;

God be in my mouth,
And in my speaking;

God be in my heart,
And in my thinking;

God be at mine end,
And at my departing.

 Anonymous (1558)           

 

I love these song lyrics, they are so beautiful and they make me think of everything that is precious to me.

“Who Am I” song lyrics by    Casting Crows

Who am I, that the Lord of all thee earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way to my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done
Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are

I am the flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean, A scent in the wind
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours,  I am yours

Who am I, that the eyes who see me
Would look on me with love, and watch me rise again

Who am I, that the voice that claimes the sea
Would call out through the rain, and calm the storm in me
I am yours!
whom shall I fear?  whom shall I fear.........

BEAUTIFUL, SO BEAUTIFUL,

T was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets.

         It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own.  

         So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in her hands. No one had bought anything off her the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny. Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along the windy street, poor little child, she looked the picture of misery. The snowflakes fell on her long, fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not. 

           Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve—yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together.

          She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money.Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers.

         She drew one out—“scratch!” how it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! and seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.

          She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where its light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room. The table was covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on which stood a splendid dinner service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more wonderful, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast, to the little girl. Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her. 

         She lit another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas-tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s. Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those she had seen in the show-windows, looked down upon it all. The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.

The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire. “Someone is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.

She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance. “Grandmother,” cried the little one, “O take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the large, glorious Christmas-tree.” And she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there. And the matches glowed with a light that was brighter than the noon-day, and her grandmother had never appeared so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.

In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall; she had been frozen to death on the last evening of the year; and the New-year’s sun rose and shone upon a little corpse! The child still sat, in the stiffness of death, holding the matches in her hand, one bundle of which was burnt. “She tried to warm herself,” said some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year’s day.

I spotted these little creative toys when looking for images. I thought they might make lovely stocking fillers for Santa. Kaboodle Felt Board Story Figures

THE VIDEO IS FROM YOU-TUBE, The films are about the litle matchgirl. Where still Images have been used you will see a few repeats but they are in a different language with a different song or music to accompany them. I have to admit they are all very, very good but my favourite is 8 on the screen, it is called Chinese Puppet Shoe, Little Match Girl and it has been put together y "Hongkongshowagent." If ever you want to go through to see You-tube, jusy click on the actual video and you will go to the original Video. If you want to come back, just click back in Browser. I intend making this page especially for Christmas, whatever nationality you are, for i hope find as many as possible. Some will be shared with Seligorscastle and diddilydeedot. that way I should be able to get quite a loadd of video's on.

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, Hans, Story-Teller

That look towards the sun,
Where thoughts are singing swallows
And the brooks of morning run.

In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine,
In your thoughts the brooklet's flow,
But in mine is the wind of Autumn
And the first fall of the snow.

Ah! what would the world be to us
If the children were no more?
We should dread the desert behind us
Worse than the dark  before.

What the leaves are to the forest,
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender  juices
Have been hardened into wood, -

That to the world are children;
Through them it feels the glow
Of a brighter and sunnier climate
Than reaches the trunks below

Come to me, O ye children!
And whisper in my ear
What the birds and the winds are singing
In your sunny atmosphere.

For what are all our contrivings,
And the wisdom of our books,
What compared with your caresses,
And the gladness of your looks?

This poem for children was written a long time ago by a wonderful poet called Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American educator and poet whose works included "The Song of Hiawatha."

His first wife, Mary Potter, died in 1835 after a miscarriage. His second wife, Frances Appleton, died in 1861 after sustaining burns from her dress catching fire. Longfellow himself died in 1882.

Longfellow wrote lyric poems which were known for their musicality and which often presented stories of mythology and legend.

He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas.

He has been criticized, however, for imitating European styles and writing specifically for the masses.