Message-ID: <6270024.1075855548778.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 23:05:00 -0800 (PST) From: angela.barnett@enron.com To: regina.blackshear@enron.com, eve.puckett@enron.com, lois.ford@enron.com, sandra.mcnichols@enron.com, leslie.smith@enron.com, diane.salcido@enron.com, judy.hernandez@enron.com, darlene.forsyth@enron.com, angela.gill@enron.com, caicedo9502@yahoo.com, topey0661@aol.com, sara.solorio@enron.com Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Angela Barnett X-To: Regina Blackshear, Eve Puckett, Lois Ford, Sandra R McNichols, Leslie Smith, Diane Salcido, Judy Hernandez, Darlene C Forsyth, Angela Gill, caicedo9502@yahoo.com, Topey0661@aol.com, kkjohnson@velocityexp, Sara Solorio X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Juan_Hernandez_Dec2000\Notes Folders\Notes inbox X-Origin: Hernandez-J X-FileName: jhernan.nsf ---------------------- Forwarded by Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT on 12/11/2000 07:03 AM --------------------------- "lsharris" on 12/11/2000 01:34:16 AM To: "Angela Barnett" , "Kim Gunter" , "Brenda Perron" , "Shonne Yoder" , "Stacey Lynn Harris" cc: Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle ----- Original Message ----- From: Noell To: Carol Denton ; Christine Whitaker ; Deb Pepple ; fmf_1 ; Joseph Gaunder ; Kathy Spaugh ; McFarland, Linda ; Marlene Beehler ; Julianna Bender ; Randy Rentz ; Sandy Farrell ; Stephen Rupchock ; Toni Wise Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 1:54 AM Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Toni Wise" > To: "Ruth Anne Gray" > Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 8:22 AM > Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Mary Cleary" > > To: > > Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 7:35 AM > > Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Christmas miracle > > > > > > > > > > Great story -- great prayer at the end! > > > > > > > > > > In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six > > > > > hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their > > > > > father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to > > > > > seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had > > > > > never been much more than a presence they feared. > > > > > Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel > > > > > driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. > > > > > He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. > > > > > Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no > > > > > more beatings, but no food either. If there was a > > > > > welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that > > > > > time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed > > > > > the kids until they looked brand new and then put on > > > > > my best homemade dress. I loaded them into the rusty > > > > > old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven > > > > > of > > > > > us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our > > > > > small town. No luck. The kids stayed, crammed into the > > > > > car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince > > > > > whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or > > > > > do > > > > > anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The > > > > > last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, > > > > > was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been > > > > > converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big > > > > > Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place and > > > > > she peeked out of the window from time to time at all > > > > > those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, > > > > > 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 > > > > > cents an hour and I could start that night. I raced > > > > > home and called the teenager down the street that > > > > > baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and > > > > > sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could > > > > > arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already > > > > > be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, > > > > > so we made > > > > > deal. That night when the little ones and I knelt to > > > > > say our prayers we all thanked God for finding Mommy a > > > > > job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got > > > > > home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and > > > > > sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-fully > > > > > half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went > > > > > by, heating bills added another strain to my meager > > > > > wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency > > > > > of > > > > > penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them > > > > > with air on the way to work and again every morning > > > > > before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I > > > > > wagged myself to the car to go home and found four > > > > > tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, > > > > > no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had > > > > > angels taken up residence in Indiana? I wondered. I > > > > > made a deal with the owner of the local service > > > > > station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I > > > > > would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot > > > > > longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do > > > > > the tires. I was now working six nights instead of > > > > > five and it still wasn't enough. Christmas was coming > > > > > and I knew there would be no money for toys for the > > > > > kids. I found a can of red paint and started > > > > > repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them > > > > > in the basement so there would be something for Santa > > > > > to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry > > > > > too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the > > > > > boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to > > > > > repair. On Christmas Eve the usual customers were > > > > > drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the > > > > > truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper > > > > > named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after > > > > > a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the > > > > > pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and > > > > > talked through the wee hours of the morning and then > > > > > left to get home before the sun came up. When it was > > > > > time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas > > > > > morning I hurried to the car. I was hoping the kids > > > > > wouldn't wake up before I managed to get home and get > > > > > the presents from the basement and place them under > > > > > the tree. (We had cut down a small cedar tree by the > > > > > side of the road down by the dump.) It was still dark > > > > > and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some > > > > > dark shadows in the car-or was that just a trick of > > > > > the night? Something certainly looked different, but > > > > > it was hard to tell what. When I reached he car I > > > > > peered warily into one of the side windows. Then my > > > > > jaw > > > > > dropped in amazement. My old battered Chevy was > > > > > filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and > > > > > sizes. I quickly opened the driver's side door, > > > > > scrambled inside and kneeled in the front facing the > > > > > back seat. Reaching back,I pulled off the lid of the > > > > > top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, > > > > > sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full > > > > > of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside > > > > > some of the other boxes: There were candy and nuts and > > > > > bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous > > > > > ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. > > > > > There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling > > > > > and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies > > > > > and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks > > > > > and one beautiful little doll. As I drove back through > > > > > empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most > > > > > amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with > > > > > gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the > > > > > faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, > > > > > there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. > > > > > And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop. > > > > > > > > > > THE POWER OF PRAYER When you receive this, say a > > > > > prayer. This prayer will do. That's all you have to > > > > > do. There is nothing attached. This is powerful. > > > > > Just send this to four people and Do not break this, > > > > > please. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we > > > > > receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's > > > > > continue praying for one another. Father, I ask you to > > > > > bless my friends reading this right now. Lord, show > > > > > them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy > > > > > Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this > > > > > very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace > > > > > & mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a > > > > > renewed confidence in Your ability to work through > > > > > them. Where there is tiredness,or exhaustion, I ask > > > > > You to give them understanding, patience, & strength > > > > > as they learn submission to Your leading. Where there > > > > > is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by > > > > > revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into > > > > > greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal > > > > > Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where > > > > > there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its > > > > > hold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give > > > > > them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and > > > > > friends to support, and encourage them. Give each of > > > > > them discernment to recognize the negative forces > > > > > around them, and reveal to them the power they have in > > > > > You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in > > > > > Jesus' name. > > > > > > > > > > Amen. > > > > > > > > > > Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will > > > > > bless you both. Passing this on to one not considered > > > > > a friend is something I know Christ would do. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > - FW_ Christmas Miracle.eml