Meaning of Christmas Day

By Anna Morrison|
Dec. 24, 2009

“Boys,” said Mrs. Howard one morning, looking up from a letter she was reading, “I have had a letter from your grandmamma. She writes that she is returning to England shortly.”

The boys went on with their breakfast without showing any great amount of interest in this piece of news, for they had never seen their grandmother, and therefore could not very well be expected to show any affection for her.

Now Mrs. Howard, the mother of two of the boys and aunt to the third little fellow, was a widow and very poor, and often found it a hard task to provide for her “three boys,” as she called them, for, having adopted her little orphan nephew, she always treated him as her own son.

She had sometimes thought it strange that old Mrs. Howard should not have offered to provide for Leslie herself but she had never done so, and at last Mrs. Howard had ceased to expect it. But now, right at the end of her letter, Grandmamma Howard wrote:—

“I have been thinking that perhaps it would come a little hard on you to support not only your own two boys, but poor Alice’s son, and so, on my return to England, I propose, if you are willing, to adopt one of them, for I am a lonely old woman and shall be glad of a young face about me again.”

After thinking the matter over, Mrs. Howard decided she would say nothing about their grandmother’s intention to the boys, as she thought that it was just possible she might change her mind again.

Time passed on, and winter set in, and full of the delights of skating, the boys forgot all about the expected arrival of their grandmother.

During the Christmas holidays the boys one morning started off to Broome Meadow for a good day’s skating on the pond there. They

Carried their dinner with them, and were told to be sure and be home before dark.

As they ran along the frosty road they came suddenly upon a poor old woman, so suddenly that Leslie ran right up against her before he could stop himself.

The old woman grumbled about “lazy, selfish boys, only thinking of their own pleasure, and not caring what happened to a poor old woman!”

But Leslie stopped at once and apologized, in his polite little way, for his carelessness.

“I am sorry,” he said. “I hope I did not hurt you; and you have such heavy parcels to carry too. Won’t you let me help you?”

“Oh! Come on, Leslie,” said his cousins; “we shall never get to the pond at this rate!”

“Yes, go on,” said the old woman sharply; “your skating is of a great deal more importance than an old woman, eh?”

But Leslie’s only answer was to take the parcels and trudge merrily along beside his companion.

On the way to her cottage the old woman asked him all sorts of questions about himself and his cousins, and then, having reached her cottage, dismissed him with scarcely a “thank you” for the trouble he had taken. But Leslie did not take it much to heart.

He raced along, trying his hardest to overtake his cousins before they reached the pond, and was soon skimming about with the rest of them.

Squire Leaholme, in whose grounds the boys were skating, afterwards came down to the pond to watch the fun, and, being a kind-hearted old gentleman, offered to give a prize of a new pair of skates to the boy who should win the greatest number of races.

As it was getting late, it was arranged that the racing should come off on the following day, and the Squire invited all the boys who took part in it, to come up to his house to a substantial tea, after the fun was over.

How delighted Leslie was, for he was a first-rate skater, and he did so want a new pair of skates!

But the Squire’s skates were not to be won by him, for on the following day as he and his cousins were on their way to the pond, they came across the queer old woman whom they had met on the previous day.

She was sitting on the ground, and seemed to be in great pain. The boys stopped to ask what ailed her, and she told them that she had slipped and twisted her foot, and was afraid that her ankle was sprained, for she could not bear to put it to the ground.

“You mustn’t sit here in the cold,” said Leslie; “come, try and get up, and I will help you home.”

“Oh! Leslie,” cried both his cousins, “don’t go. You will be late for the races, and lose your chance of the prize.”

Poor Leslie! He turned first red, then white, and then said, in a husky tone of voice.

“Never mind…you go on without me.”

“You’re a good laddie,” said the old woman. “Will you be very sorry to miss the fun?”

Leslie muttered something about not minding much, and then the brave little fellow set himself to help the poor old woman home, as gently and tenderly as he could.

She would not let him come in with her, but told him to run off as quickly as he could, and perhaps after all, he would not be too late for the skating.

But Leslie could not bear to leave her alone and in pain, so he decided to run home and fetch his Aunt.

When Mrs. Howard arrived at the cottage, you can think how surprised she was to find that Leslie’s “poor old woman” was none other than Grandmamma Howard herself, who wishing to find out the

Real characters of her grandsons had chosen to come in this disguise to the little village where they lived.

You will easily guess which of the three boys Grandmamma chose to be her little companion. And oh! What a lovely Grandmamma she was, as not only Leslie, but his cousins too, found out.

She always seemed to know exactly what a boy wanted, and still better, to give it to him.

Walter and Stanley often felt terribly ashamed of the selfish manner in which they had behaved, and wished they were more like Leslie.

But Grandmamma told them that it was “never too late to mend,” and they took her advice, and I am quite sure that at the present moment if they were to meet a poor old woman in distress by the roadside, they would not pass her by, as they once did Grandmamma Howard.

Source: Apples 4 the Teacher

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Time to Remember Jesus

by Jim Liebelt
Dec. 25, 2009

But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman,
subject to the Law. Galatians 4:4 (NLT)

Most of us have our traditions when it comes to Christmas gift opening. Some families open their gifts on Christmas Eve.

Some families open their gifts on Christmas morning. Some spread out
their gift opening over several days to extend the enjoyment.

Regardless of when you open your Christmas presents, you likely feel that you have the “right moment”.

It’s fascinating to me that God’s gift to us, the birth of His son Jesus; when God became human, was just at the right moment. Not a moment too early; not a moment to late. “But when the right time came,” the Scripture reveals.

Thankfully, we have the certainty of Scriptures, that Jesus did come; that He lived among us; that He died for our sins; that He conquered death and rose again.

We have the benefit of those Christ-followers who have gone before us, passing down to us the assurance of Jesus’ life and ministry among us.

We share in the legacy of what God has done in human history and continue to do in during our time.

We are a part of His ongoing story in the world.

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel (from O come, O come, Emmanuel)

we celebrate Christmas as the time to remember and give thanks
for Jesus, who came “just in time!”

 

 

Source: Home Word

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

My House to the White House

Teen Finds Dinosaur Fossil

By Laura Linn
Dec. 24, 2009

It turns out that fourth-grader Gabrielle Block, 9, has an eye for fossils. She is the first person to find a dinosaur bone at the new Dinosaur Park, a fossil site in Maryland, since the park opened to the public last month.

“Usually it takes a well-trained and practiced eye to be able to pick out the fossils from the rest of the clay,” park manager Donald Creveling told The Washington Post.

On November 21, Gabrielle found a half-inch fossil believed to be a bone from the tail of a small, meat-eating dinosaur. The dinosaur most likely lived more than 100 million years ago.

The fossil is now at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where paleontologists will examine it more closely.

Gabrielle found the fossil while sifting through dirt and rocks with her parents and 7-year-old sister, Rachael, who is the true dinosaur lover in the family.

“I was really excited and happy,” Gabrielle told The Washington Post.

Dinosaur Park

A dinosaur park may sound like something you’d see in the movies, with dinosaurs roaming among humans. Rather, it is an area of land where dinosaur fossils have been found that is open for public use.

Dinosaur Park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is a 41-acre piece of land that is open the first and third Saturday of each month, so anyone who has an interest can hunt for fossils.

Gabrielle made her big find on just the second day the park was open to the public.

Amateurs, or nonprofessionals, and expert paleontologists have been finding fossils in this area for more than 150 years.

The state of Maryland created Dinosaur Park to preserve the fossil site from being destroyed by the construction of buildings in the area.

Creveling told The Baltimore Sun that Dinosaur Park is “one of the most productive sites for dinosaur and plant fossils east of the Mississippi River.” One big discovery made there was a 5-foot-long dinosaur bone in 1991.

The fossil was later identified as belonging to a brachiosaur that was at least 60 feet long and weighed several tons. The dinosaur likely lived during the Cretaceous period, between 65 million and 144 million years ago.

 

From Dinosaur to Fossil

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed over much of what is now the U.S., but the chance of finding a dinosaur fossil in your backyard is slim. Why? Many factors need to be just right for a fossil to form. Maryland’s climate and landscape during the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth varied.

Parts were steamy, volcanic lowland, while other areas were shallow, warm sea. The region was overflowing with life. The conditions were perfect for the preservation of dinosaur remains that would eventually become fossils.

The bones and shells of organisms that lived on land and in the sea were quickly buried in sediment, or tiny grains of material like ash, sand, and clay. This sediment was washed into the low-lying areas from the sea.

If the organisms’ remains were not destroyed, they eventually became fossilized.

How? As sediment accumulates, pressure causes the sediment to harden into rock. A fossil may be created that preserves an impression in the rock of bone, shells, or even plants. The remains within the sediment can also become petrified, or turned to stone.

This happens when minerals dissolved in water soak into the buried remains. Eventually, the minerals replace all or part of the organism remains, turning them into rock. The fossil that Gabrielle found is an example of a petrified fossil.

Paleontologists believe Dinosaur Park has many more fossils yet to be found. And Rachael Block hopes to follow in Sister Gabrielle’s footsteps by finding one of the dinosaur fossils that is still buried.

“I promised [Rachael] we’d go back next time [Dinosaur Park] is open,” her mom told The Washington Post.

Source: Scholastic News Online

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Lookout for Santa

by Cladine Zap
Dec. 23, 2009

Christmas Eve is a busy day for one Santa Claus of the North Pole. But just leaving out cookies and milk and hoping that St. Nick will make it to your house is so last century.

This year, with the help of social-networking tools and GPS, you can track Santa’s movements throughout the night, from your mobile phone, your computer, or your car.

Normally, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is the U.S.-Canadian military organization that watches over the air and water for security threats.

But on Christmas Eve, the command center switches to Santa mode, and operation Santa Tracker is in full force.

The live tracker incorporates radar, satellites, “Santa Cams,” and yes, even fighter jets, to follow Father Christmas on his goodwill gift-giving tour.

Last year, the Colorado Springs command center needed 100 phones and 25 computers to handle almost 70,000 calls and 6,000 emails from some 200 countries who wanted to know when Santa would make it to their town.

And if Yahoo! searches are any indication, NORAD may need more than that this Christmas Eve. Queries have soared 240% for “santa tracker norad” in the last day alone.

Lookups have also increased on “santa trackers,” “live santa tracker,” and “norad santa tracker games.”

NORAD has a partnership with Google Maps, which incorporated Santa’s path on its map software, as well as on Google Earth.

(Last year the tech company mistakenly placed Toronto on the U.S. side of the border. But that has since been corrected — international crisis averted.)

This year, the vehicle-navigation company OnStar is on board with GPS tracking, so drivers with the in-car GPS can keep an eye on Santa’s trip while en route to Grandma’s house.

The NORAD Santa Tracker will also be up on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. Don’t say Santa doesn’t keep up with the times.

Follow Buzz Log on Twitter.

 

Source: Yahoo News

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

America We Have Come Too?

By Adam Parker
The Post and Courier
Dec. 21, 1009

After charges that it illegally promotes Christianity with a nativity scene at Fire Station 12 in West Ashley, the city of Charleston removed the crèche from display.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, which advocates separation of church and state, sent a letter dated Dec. 17 to Mayor Joe Riley and Fire Chief Thomas Carr notifying them of the city’s Constitutional breach and requesting removal of the crèche from the fire station.

The letter expressed dismay that the problem has occurred for at least six years. A local resident had complained to the organization about the crèche, the letter states.

“As you are aware, this display has been erected each year in December since at least 2004,” wrote Freedom from Religion Foundation staff attorney Rebecca S. Kratz.

“Last year’s display included an illuminated Latin cross (the preeminent symbol of Christianity) atop the firehouse roof.

We were pleased to learn that as of the date of this letter, the Fire Department appears to be honoring the separation of church and state by at least not displaying a Latin cross this year.”

A large, white, illuminated cross was on display Sunday evening at the station, though no crèche was to be seen. The nativity scene had been removed Thursday in response to the complaint, according to fire department personnel.

The cross was leaning against a stone memorial to the nine firefighters who died in the 2007 Sofa Super Store blaze. It was not part of a Christmas display, firefighters at the station said.

The complaint was referred last week to the city’s legal department which, citing U.S. Supreme Court rulings, advised that the display be removed, according to the Fire Department’s public information officer Mark R. Ruppel.

“The Supreme Court has said that the United States’ Constitution prohibits governments from taking any action that appears to promote one religion over another,” city officials said in a statement.

“The crèche is the universal symbol of Christianity, and therefore, based on the law; it was removed from the fire station.

The City and the Fire Department fully support everyone’s right to practice his or her religion in our city.”

Fire departments and holidays often are intertwined. Civic parades almost always include fire trucks and department representatives, and stations typically feature holiday decorations.

St. Andrew’s Fire Station on Ashley River Road includes a mechanical, life-sized Santa Claus and other Christmas decorations. Firemen at the station and main offices on Wentworth and Meeting streets were high on ladders stringing lights last week.

Station 6 on Cannon Street was dressed in seasonal garb, its doors and windows framed by white lights. Station 5/10 on Nicholson Drive at Savannah Highway featured a festive image of a fire truck painted on a wood board and mounted on an exterior wall, with the phrase “Merry Christmas” framed in lights.

First Amendment controversies are not new to South Carolina. Most recently, a federal district court judge ruled in November that a specialty vehicle license plate with the statement “I Believe,” and including the image of a cross overlaid on a stained-glass window, was unconstitutional because it was based on a discriminatory law promoted by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and passed by the Legislature in 2008.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation argued in its letter to the city that displaying religious symbols on city property “unmistakably sends the message that the City of Charleston endorses the religious beliefs embodied in the display” and therefore excludes residents who do not subscribe to those views.

“There are ample private and church grounds where religious displays may be freely placed,” Kratz wrote.

“Once the city enters into the religion business, conferring endorsement and preference for one religion over others, it strikes a blow at religious liberty, forcing taxpayers of all faiths and of no religion to support a particular expression of worship.”

Source: Post and Courier

 

Editor’s Note: You can reach Adam Parker aparker@postandcourier.com. We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Bad Posture Means Pain

by Catherine Clarke Fox
Dec. 18, 2009
Stop! Freeze right there!

Now, without moving a muscle, check out your posture. If you’re like a lot of people at the computer, you are sitting sort of slumped over, leaning toward the computer with your shoulders rounded instead of sitting up straight.

Ergonomics refers to the study of the relationship between people and their surroundings. If you are slumping at the computer, you have poor ergonomics.

It might not seem like such a big deal, but think about how much time you spend sitting at the computer. And then you might go on to spend a little more time slouching in front of the TV playing video games.

And then you get up to go to school the next morning and find yourself leaning forward to balance a very heavy backpack crammed with books.

Add all that up, and you get a lot of hours of sitting or standing with poor posture. When you don’t practice good ergonomics, that’s when the pain sets in.

James Melody of Houston, Texas, is the last person you might expect to be affected by a little thing like posture. James, 14, is an excellent athlete.

He plays baseball and basketball and wrestles. But last spring when baseball training started up, he noticed pain in his back around his shoulder blades.

“At first I thought it was just sore, but the pain gradually built up into something more,” he remembers.

The pain got so bad that his mother took him to see a physical therapist, an expert who can help with pain in joints and muscles.

When ergonomics expert and physical therapist Bill Case saw James in his office, he realized that baseball training wasn’t the cause of the discomfort. “He was in tip-top shape, but I saw his rounded shoulders right away, and asked his mom if he sat at the computer a lot.”

When James practiced pitching, the pain he felt came from muscles that were already strained by poor ergonomics.

Case wants kids to understand what he explained to James: You can end the pain or avoid it altogether with a few small changes.

He even has a computer workstation set up in his office so he can show patients how to sit correctly.

“It is just great how these problems can be reversed,” says Case. “I tell kids that when the way they sit feels good, it is probably wrong!”

He means that sitting up straight will seem weird at first, but after a week or two you will feel the benefits.

James has a tip: Make sure the chair is close enough to the computer table, or else you won’t be able to help leaning forward.

“Sometimes it slips your mind, and you fall back into the old way for a while,” he says. “But when I feel stiffness in my back, I correct for it now.”

James also learned to wear his backpack correctly. He used to find himself leaning backward because his pack was too heavy and his straps were too loose.

Lots of kids think hanging a backpack off one shoulder or letting it dangle on long straps looks cool. But there’s nothing cool about being sidelined by pain.

So besides being mindful of good posture when playing video games or surfing the Internet, James says, “Now I pack the heavier stuff closer to my body, and raise the pack on my back with the adjustable straps.”

And that’s just what the physical therapist ordered.

James has been feeling great ever since he made a few changes, and you can too. Just follow these tips:

Good Ideas for Gaming and Computer Use

• Sit up straight with your shoulders back.
• Make sure your feet are on the ground.
• Take frequent breaks; walk around and stretch.

Better Backpack Strategies

• Carry less. Buying an extra set of books to keep at home is less expensive than doctor visits.
• Tighten straps so the weight is close to your body, and don’t let the backpack ride below the waist.
• Put the heaviest items closest to your back and the pack will be less likely to pull you out of balance.
• Kids should not carry backpacks that weigh more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. So students weighing 100 pounds (45 kilograms) should not carry more than 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) in their packs.

Source: Kids National Geographic

Editor’s Note: Photograph by Martha Melody. We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

This is the Season to Give to Others

By KNG
Dec. 20, 200

This holiday make the season a little brighter for others. Giving back is a great thing to do all year round, but the holidays tend to bring out the charitable side in most people.

Try some of these ideas with your family and make a difference this holiday season.

• Donate to a charitable organization
• Invite an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone to join your celebration (ask your parents first!)
• Deliver a meal to a family in need
• Write a thoughtful note to someone special
• Bring your host a small gift to show your appreciation and offer to help clean up
• Donate clothes you’ve outgrown
• Donate food to a local charity or food bank
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Send a care package to a soldier
• Visit hospital patients
• Foster a dog or cat
• Adopt an endangered animal through a zoo
• Shovel snow for a neighbor
• Help pick up trash at a local park
• Join a church or school group that does community service projects

Source: Kids National Geographic

Editor’s Note: Photograph courtesy Jupiter images. We would like to know what you think. And we would like to hear your story of giving to others. dan@youngchronicle.com

Military Away Effects Children

By Healthy Children
Dec. 20, 2009

Children from military families may experience higher levels of stress and more emotional difficulties than the general population.

According to the largest study to examine the health and well-being of children from the perspective of children and non-deployed parents.

The study, “Children on the Home front: the Experience of Children From Military Families,” published in the January issue of Pediatrics (appearing online December 7), interviewed 1,500 children, ages 11 to 17 years, and non-deployed parents/caregivers to examine how children from military families manage social, academic and behavioral challenges.

Older children reported significantly more family, school and peer-related difficulties during parental deployment and girls of all ages experienced more challenges when the deployed parent returned home.

Caregivers reported that the longer a parent was deployed in the last three years, the greater the emotional difficulties children experienced when the deployed parent returned home.

In addition, parents/caregivers with poorer mental health reported having more difficulties with children both during and after deployment, suggesting that military families can benefit from seeking support to deal with stressors that may emerge over time.

Source: Healthy Children

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. And if you are in the military and you been away how it affected your children. dan@youngchronicle.com

Money for Kids

by Michael G. Peterson
Dec. 20, 2009

Children seem to be born with an insatiable desire to spend. Whether it’s Christmas, birthday parties, or a trip to the local mall, children are never too shy when it comes to vocalizing their wants.

And sometimes, they’re relentless.

Parents face this on a daily basis. Dealing with the barrage of purchase requests becomes a part-time job.

What’s the best way to give your child a deeper understanding of where money really comes from? Reducing greed, instilling awareness, and teaching good work habits in children will go a long way to creating financially successful adults.

 

Ways to Teach Your Children About Money

Start Early
The best way to start is when they’re young. Showing them the importance of money will help them to understand why they can’t have everything they see.

Begin by explaining the process of working:
• Why you have to go to work
• What you do for your employer
• What you receive for doing it
• Why you need money
As soon as they’re ready, teach them about coins and dollar bills. Show them how many coins equals one dollar, how many dollars equals a five-dollar bill, and so on.

The earlier they have an understanding that the green bill on the counter is not another coloring page, the better.

 

Turn the Water Off
Now that your child has some understanding of how money is earned, it’s important to teach about waste.

While explaining about spending money, teach them about the household bills. The ones they’ll grasp the easiest are the ones they can see. The utility bills are a good example. While they’re brushing their teeth, teach them to turn the water off until they need it again.

Explain how the water going down the drain is like money going down the drain. And, when leaving an empty room, teach them to turn the lights off. Explain to them that the less money wasted on unnecessary bills is more money that can be used for household groceries, fuel for the car, and family vacations.

Give them the sense that your wallet is not a bottomless pit and that, when payday arrives, the money is allocated for certain expenses.
 

Differentiate Between “Want” and “Need”
Children think they need everything they want. Teaching them the difference is an important step in helping them decide what to do with their money.

Some important questions for them to think about, include:
• Do they already have what they are asking for?
• If so, is it broken, lost, or missing parts?
• Can it be repaired?
• How often do they play with it?
• What do they really need, instead?
Marrying want and need can be a creative way to save money and teach restraint.

For example, a young child that wants a new fire truck but needs new sneakers, may be just as happy with a pair of sneakers with a fire truck on them.
Make Saving Fun
Put a piggy bank in the kitchen. Make a game out of cleaning up by letting them put coins in the piggy bank after each toy is put away.

Then, when the bank is full, have them sit on the floor with you and wrap their money into coin rolls. Bring them to the bank with all of their wrapped coins. Have them trade in some of their coins for dollars, the others for savings.

Sign up for a bankcard and let them use the ATM to make withdrawals from their own account. Reward their good efforts by taking them shopping to purchase what they need.
Give Them Purchasing Power
Let your children be king for a day. Take them to the store with you and help them to understand prices, sales, and ingredients.

Then, have them decide which items are the wisest to purchase. Establish a budget for the shopping trip and make it a goal to stay within that amount. Give them a calculator and let them keep track of how much you are spending.

If you need to override their decision, make sure they understand why. This will both broaden their sense of responsibility and improve their analytical skills.
Teach Them Personal Responsibility
The simple concept of teaching a child how to care for and take responsibility for their personal possessions helps them to understand value. Value is crucial in appreciating worth.

Once a child really appreciates worth, the concept of money will fall into place.

Easy exercises include:
• Putting coats and shoes away – installing easy-to-reach coat hooks solves the problem of little arms.
• Putting toys back together with all of their parts intact and storing them in a safe place.
• Keeping their clothes folded and stored in dresser drawers, so no one can step on them.
• Making sure books are always put on bookshelves, never on the floor.
• Carrying unbreakable dishes to the sink.

 

Let Them Work
Instead of just giving out a weekly allowance, let your children earn their money in small ways.

From cleaning up their room to mowing your lawn, jobs are essential in teaching children that money will never grow on trees. Pay a fair wage.

Don’t overcompensate but make sure the child has enough incentive to want to work, much like an adult. In addition to payments, make sure you praise them for a job well done.
Teaching children from an early age about money can save you and them a lot of trouble in their later years.

Remember that children, as adults, most appreciate those things that they’ve worked hard to get. You aren’t doing your children any favors by buying them everything they want.

 A little financial instruction can go a long way to helping your children become financially responsible adults.

Source: Spiffy Moms

 

Editor’s Note:2004 DebtGuru.com. Michael G. Peterson is the Vice President of American Credit Foundation, an IRS 501 (c)(3) non-profit consumer credit counseling organization that has assisted thousands of individuals and families with their financial situations through seminars, education, counseling services, and, debt management plans.

For more information, and free consumer resources visit www.debtguru.com

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »