'Little Women' was just a story...

'Little Women' was just a story... even though I always wished it were more

However, nienie



and cjane



are very real - thank goodness!

Many of you have met these sisters, already - but - if you haven't,
it's definitely worth your while to take the time to acquaint yourself!

"HEARTS of COURAGE": “There are two survivors up on the mountain. We've got to bring them out!"

“There are two survivors up on the mountain. We've got to bring them out!"
Monday – January 12, 2009 – 8 p.m.
Thursday – January 15, 2009 – 9 a.m.
Monday – January 19, 2009 – 4 p.m.

(January 5, 2008 – Provo , Utah ) Hearts of Courage, a page-turning true account of an extraordinary Latter-day Saint in an unimaginable situation is now a new BYU-TV documentary to be broadcast on January 12th and 19th. BYU Dean Stephen Jones ( College of Fine Arts and Communications) learned of the story, was impressed with the story, met with John Tippets, and then forwarded the idea to the folks at BYU Broadcasting.

Coincidentally, Rob Sibley, producer, first read about the Gillam crash and Joseph Tippets in LDS Adventure Stories compiled by Preston Nibley. “In November 2007, I had a meeting with John and he told me about his dad and his amazing survival in the Alaskan wilderness. As he talked I thought, this story sounds really familiar. And then I remembered that I'd read about this exceptional man some years before. What makes some men extraordinary is their normal day-to-day persona that is pushed to the limits in extremes we can only imagine. They stand up to adversity; they face their challenges with a tenacity most of us never have to deal with. Few Latter-day Saints are tested to such a degree, literally putting their lives on the line to save others.”

Now intrigued, Sibley found additional sources through discussions with Joseph and Alta's four children, archival film footage, historical photos, and a special KUED interview that had been done with Joseph Tippets in the 1960s by Neal A. Maxwell.

The rescue took place 35 miles southeast of Ketchikan , Alaska in the winter of 1943. Joseph Tippets and Percy Cutting stood yelling with their last ounce of energy to a passing Coast Guard vessel on routine patrol. Bedraggled, barely alive, the two had pushed through rough Alaskan territory in one of the worst winters ever recorded. It was February, almost a full month since the Gillam plane had crashed in the middle of nowhere. Two more men lay in a makeshift lean-to in the wilderness desperately hoping Tippets and Cutting would get them out alive.

Back in January, Joseph had sat in the warm Lockheed Electra with four other passengers thinking of his reunion with his beloved Alta and their son John. He reminisced about the hurried flight he'd made to Utah from his home in Anchorage to be at the bedside of his dying mother. Gone over Christmas, Joe had left his expectant wife and made it to Utah . As the plane taxied down the runway, Joe thought of his hurried days visiting with family in Ogden and Heber and his opportunity to report on the state of the Church in that far northern territory to several Church officials in Salt Lake City. He was the first Anchorage branch president to a small LDS congregation, in the midst of World War II. Back home, Alta helped provide some sort of Christmas for many of the young servicemen, even though her prayers cried out for Joe's safe return. The couple knew their meeting would be especially sweet and Joe wrote Alta to say, “Godspeed our quick reunion and I hope I beat this letter to you!”


Alta and Joseph Tippets, December 1942

Alaskan bush flying in ‘43 was no place for a beginner pilot. Old-timers said there were three kinds of Alaska weather: clear and unlimited, ordinary, and “Gillam weather.” Harold Gillam, an aviator experienced in flying through some of the foulest weather, shook his head and said, “The weather's never as bad as it looks.” But the Territory was having one of the worst winters in 100 years and already there were ice accumulating on the plane. It not only got colder, but Gillam would approach his destination in darkness. Knowing all these factors, the pilot still felt confident as he pushed on through the clouds. The carburetor heat and de-icing systems were full on; the plane was on track and on time. The airplane was heavy with ice but within limits and still performing well.

Several hours into the flight, Gillam tuned in to what he thought was the Annette, Alaska radio range. Suddenly the left engine lost power; with the added weight of ice, the right engine couldn't maintain altitude. The last radio contact was, “one engine has conked out, expect trouble.” At 1,800 feet the snow cleared briefly to reveal an open spot on a mountainside. The plane slammed into the ground but only after smashing through trees, shearing off the right wing, and buckling the fuselage. The Lockheed slid into a deep gully, deep in snow and a tree crashed down to further bury the crumpled plane. The six passengers survived but were now completely hidden from view. Hearts of Courage is the account of the legendary Gillam plane crash and the two brave men who journeyed through the Alaskan undiscovered territory to attempt a rescue for the remaining passengers waiting in freezing weather.

Now, an exciting LDS Lives documentary, the tenacity and courage of Joseph Tippets and Percy Cutting is a story of real heroism against impossible odds, the stuff legend is made of. The miraculous events of those weeks—the ordeal of survival, the ultimate rescue—all are recreated and told with reverence as only a BYU-produced documentary can tell.

Author John Tippets stated, “I recently listened again to a recording of a fireside given by Dad where he said one possible reason his life was spared by his Father in Heaven was so he could tell this story to others and increase their faith and confidence that prayers are answered. With the book Hearts of Courage, and now with this wonderful BYU TV production that purpose is continuing to be fulfilled."


Click to Buy “An astounding story of unparalleled bravery and faith!”


– Stephen R. Covey
Author
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness


Be sure to catch this fascinating and faith-building documentary, airing on BYU-TV, Mountain Standard Time:

Monday – January 12, 2009 – 8 p.m.
Thursday – January 15, 2009 – 9 a.m.
Monday – January 19, 2009 – 4 p.m.

Kellie Coffey Sings...

(don't forget to pause the playlist up above...)

Sometimes you stumble upon something that reminds you how very blessed you are
and
you just have to share...

"The 12 Days of Christmas" ~ Origins and Religious Meaning ~

(This interpretation of the origin - though apparently controversial - is really informative)





"The 12 Days of Christmas"
~ Origins and Religious Meaning ~

Caveat: there is a controversy disputing the authenticity of this interpretation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" is in a sense an allegory. Each of the items in the song represents something significant to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help Catholic children learn their faith. The better acquainted one is with the Bible, the more these interpretations have significance.

The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…"

The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the Church.

1st Day:
The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them.
The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross.

2nd Day:
The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3rd Day:
The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and charity—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).

4th Day:
The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

5th Day:
The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

6th Day:
The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation.

7th Day:
The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

8th Day:
The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

9th Day:
The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

10th Day:
The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments

11th Day:
The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles.

12th Day:

The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in their "Apostles’ Creed": belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

So the next time we hear "the Twelve Days of Christmas" consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its origins in keeping alive the teaching of their faith.

adapted from email messages,from "How To Decode the Twelve Days of Christmas,"by Hugh D. McKellar,U.S. Catholic, 12/1979,and from "‘12 Days of Christmas’ is no nonsense, but a serious riddle"by David CrowderEl Paso Times, 12/19/1993.Also, Origin of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"An Underground Catechismby Fr. Hal Stockert 12/17/95 http://www.cin.org/twelvday.html

...she dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered.

A good Christmas message...
author ~ unknown

"I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: 'There is no Santa Claus,' she jeered. 'Even dummies know that!'
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. 'No Santa Claus!' she snorted. 'Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go.'
'Go? Go where, Grandma?' I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous, cinnamon bun. 'Where' turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.
As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. 'Take this money,' she said, 'and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car.' Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's second-grade class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. 'Is this a Christmas present for someone?' the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.


'Yes,' I replied shyly. 'It's for Bobby.' The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry
Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked
it in her Bible) and wrote, 'To Bobby, From Santa Claus' on it --
Grandma said, 'Santa always insists on secrecy.' Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. 'All right, Santa Claus,' she whispered, 'get going.'


I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.


I still have the Bible, with the tag tucked inside: $19.95."

author - unknown
===============================

He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree.

South Africa Durban Mission link, ACTIVATED

Just a quick update to let you know that Arlo and Sandy Mickelsen's Mission Blog has it's first post!!!

http://arlosandy.blogspot.com/

A reminder:

"Postage is expensive to and from South Africa, so we hope you will send us your Christmas greetings via internet! Our e-mail is arlosandy@aol.com and we will have a blog (http://arlosandy.blogspot.com) "

----- Original Message -----
From: Arlosandy
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 8:03 AM
Subject: Christmas Greetings from South Africa



Christmas Greetings from South Africa


From home to home, and heart to heart.
From one place to another,
The warmth and joy of Christmas,
Brings us closer to each other.

Emily Matthews


The words in the above poem say it all and how wonderful it is to have a season that allows us to renew the warmth and joy we find in our friendships! The holidays are truly upon us, and it just doesn't seem possible. The usual comment is, “Where has the year gone?” and we concur with that. Especially this year, as our holiday greetings need to come early for a special reason!


The Mickelsen's have received a mission call to serve in the South Africa Durban Mission for the next 18 months as Perpetual Education Fund missionaries. Our call came the middle of July and we have been busy since with all the preparations that a foreign call brings, but now we are ready and anxious to go. For those of you who don't know what the PEF is, we refer you to the Ensign, August 2008, page 76. Our entry date for the MTC is November 17th, where we will be for 10 days. Thanksgiving will be celebrated with lots of family and then on the 29th we will begin a very long plane ride (Salt Lake City – Chicago – London – Johannesburg – Durban) -- somewhere around 36 hours!!

There are 11 fantastic grandchildren in our family who keep their fantastic parents busy with all their school, church, music and sports activities.

Arlo served on the High Council and as our Homeowners Association President this past year and Sandy has coordinated the Humanitarian Projects for our branch.

As we bring this letter to a close, we send our love and friendship to you all. At this time of year, we are mindful of the birth of Jesus Christ and the sacrifices He made for us. Our past missionary service brought and continues to bring tremendous blessings to us and our family, and we are looking forward to this new opportunity to be of use to our Savior . Our prayers are for a wonderful Christmas season for each of you.

P.S. Some of you will receive this letter via e-mail and others by snail mail since we don't have e-mail addresses for everyone. If you have one, please let us know. Postage is expensive to and from South Africa, so we hope you will send us your Christmas greetings via internet! Our e-mail is arlosandy@aol.com and we will have a blog (http://arlosandy.blogspot.com/) as soon as we officially begin our mission, if anyone is interested. We'll be back in St. George sometime in May, 2010

P.P.S. This letter was written and to have gone out before entering the MTC and it just didn't happen. This is being sent from Johannesburg, South Africa where we are having additional training in this truly inspired Perpetual Education Fund program, before going on to Durban.

You can find additional information on the church website: http:lds.org
then follow through with these links:
Home and Family
Education
Perpetual Fund