Tell Me A Story

Monday, November 25, 2013

2013 JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS: LETTER TO SANTA

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

2013 JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS

LETTER TO SANTA

Did you write a Letter to Santa?

Do your children write letters to Santa?

Here's a letter my daughter, Faith,

wrote to Santa in 2011.

Letter to Santa

Christmas 2011

Dear Santa,

Do you remember the Christmas of 1944?

That year a teacher named Donald Yetter Gardner wrote the silly song: “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth,” after he asked his 2^nd grade class what they wanted for Christmas.

Almost all of his students answered him with a lisp, because they had at least one tooth missing. (My mom, Marcia Norwood, sang the song when she was a kid in the 1950’s.)

I lived in China in an orphanage until I was eight years old. We never celebrated Christmas. I heard the song for the first time in 2002 - my first Christmas in America - when you, Santa, put a little toy mouse in my stocking that was missing one tooth. When I pushed on his tummy he sang: “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth!”

I asked for more than just my two front teeth my first Christmas. I hoped and dreamed and prayed for a pretty smile. Most of my teeth were in the wrong places because I was born with a cleft lip and palate. It must have been too much for my Chinese birth parents to handle, because I was found at a train station in Benxi City, Liaoning Province, when I was two days old.

Someone took me to an orphanage in northern China, and gave me the name: Fu Ju…which means blessing or great reward after much hard work.

My Forever Family adopted me in October 2002. My American parents kept my Chinese name as my middle name, and also gave me a new American name: Faith. My mom says both names fit me perfectly.

My wish for a pretty smile is almost complete. I had two surgeries in China, more surgeries at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and multiple surgeries at the Shriners Hospital in Chicago.

The Shriners even helped pay for my braces.

This Christmas 2011 – I’m not asking for something for me.

I’m asking you to bring a new mini-van to the Shriners at Ararat Shrine Center in Kansas City, Missouri. You can drive it right up to their door at 5100 Ararat Drive, Kansas City, Missouri, 64129.

Shriners help many children like me, regardless of their ability to pay, and whether they have insurance or not. They also provide free transportation to children and their families to Shriners Hospitals in the USA.

The Kansas City Center has about 40 Shriners screened to be drivers. They alternate driving one van that was donated by the Warsaw, Missouri Shrine Club. The Warsaw Shriners saved the proceeds from Bingo games to purchase the van for the Kansas City Center. That van is 11 months old and already has 68,000 miles. It makes four or five trips each week to Shriners hospitals in Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Sometimes the trips overlap, and they have to rent another van.

Santa, I know you have lots of helpers. Maybe one of them could donate a mini-van…or maybe 25 of your helpers could give $1,000 each…or 50 helpers could donate $500… or 100 helpers could donate $250…or 250 helpers could give $100. Just think how many children and families your donation will help!

I’ve waited for 17 years to have a pretty smile.

Some people stop and stare at me – just like in the lyrics to the song: “Everybody stops and stares at me…These two teeth are gone as you can see…”

My next procedure is a facial reconstruction/jaw realignment surgery at the Shriners Hospital Chicago.

SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN

CHANGING THE WORLD.

CARING FOR KIDS.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/

I hope that your helpers, Santa, will give the Shriners a Christmas present they will never forget: a new mini-van, so they can help other kids like me.

Merry Christmas!

Faith Fu Ju Norwood, 17 years old

SONG:

All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=all+i+want+for+christmas+is+my+two+front+teeth+song

Lyrics

“All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”

By Donald Yetter Gardner

Everybody stops
And stares at me
These two teeth are
Gone as you can see.

I don't know just who
To blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
Is as plain as it can be!

All I want for Christmas
Is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth,
See my two front teeth!

Gee, if I could only
Have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas."
It seems so long since I could say,
"Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!"

Gosh oh gee, how happy I'd be,
If I could only whistle (thhhh)

All I want for Christmas
Is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth,
See my two front teeth.

Gee, if I could only
Have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas!"

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood

America's STORYTELLER

Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Sunday, November 24, 2013

2013 JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS: WHERE'S THE LINE?

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

2013 JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS

WHERE'S THE LINE?

We've all done it.

Well - most parents have done it.

I've done it:

driven over the river and through the woods to the mall;
fought for a parking space;
pushed through the crowds;
only to stand in a long line to see Santa.

But not merely to see Santa.

The object of this Christmas adventure is to implore (beg earnestly, beseech, entreat) children to sit on the lap of a stranger with a long white beard, wearing a velvet red suit and black boots.

The ultimate purpose?

To take a memorable Christmas photograph of the children on Santa's lap.

Hilarious "Scared Kid" Santa Photos

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://thestir.cafemom.com/toddler/129585/7_hilarious_scared_kid_santa


I listened to Brenda Lee sing this song when I was a little girl in the 50's.

Song: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=youtube+brenda+lee+i+saw+mommy+kissing+santa+claus

Have you done it?

Have you ever forced your child to sit on Santa's lap?

British Kids Can't Sit on Santa's Lap

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/todds-favorites/kids-cant-sit-on-santas-lap.html

My parents did it.

They forced me to sit on Santa's lap...at Macys, where the tradition of sitting on Santa's lap started.

I had no problem talking to Santa, but I must have been a little bit nervous. The 1953 Christmas photo shows me at (4 and 1/2 years old) fiddling with my fingers: something I still do to this day when I get anxious.

I made my kids do it.

Daughter, Faith, had only been our daughter for one year (through the miracle of adoption) when she wrote this letter to Santa:

"Dear Santa,
My name is Faith Norwood.
Have a good trip."

Faith has always been gracious and polite. All the other kids in our family wrote a long list of specific things they wanted. Faith took another approach. I found her letter hilarious.

We still quote her letter:

"Dear Santa, Have a good trip!"

Will you do it this year?

Will you stand in line to see Santa?

Steve Haupt tells this story:

While at the mall last year, my four year old grandson saw kids lined up excitedly to see Santa Claus.

Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of God's son; with the innocence of a child, he asked his mom, 'Where's the line to see Jesus? If Christmas is Jesus' birthday, why don't we see Him more?

As his grandpa, I was so happy that little Spencer understood the meaning of Christmas at such a tender age, and then the words for a song were jotted down in just a few minutes.

The song was inspired by my grandson, and the message was inspired by my Savior. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand.

Hopefully Spencer's observation and our song will cause people to reflect on the love of Jesus, and the certainly that one day we will all stand in line to see Jesus. Merry Christmas everyone.

Song: Where's the Line to See Jesus?

Official Music Video by Becky Kelley.

Produced by Shock City Studios, Directed by Chris Benson.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=76LY6GNX

For more information, visit

www.wheresthelinetoseejesus.com

What line will you stand in?

Thank you for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Saturday, November 23, 2013

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2013: CHRISTMAS CARDS/FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

CLICK on images to enlarge.

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2013

What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

Do you send Christmas cards either through snail mail - or email greetings and facebook postings?

I do all three, and not just because I'm a first-born-overachiever.

It's my heart's desire to reach out to as many people as possible with the Good News that God sent us a Savior.

What do you talk about in your Christmas letter?

Vacations?

Awards?

Promotions?

Problems?

Probably not.

Some people are lonely during the holidays. Some are overcome with sadness because of health struggles, family problems, job issues and loss of loved ones.

No one is immune.

We all need prayer,

and tangible demonstrations

of love and support.

Each year I create our family Christmas cards with family photos, my songs, and messages of what God has whispered to me throughout that year.

I love to give and receive Christmas cards.

Christmas Eve our family spreads the cards we have received on the floor under the Christmas tree.

We take turns reading each card aloud.

Some years this has taken one hour!

It's like all those who send cards and photos are with us on Christmas Eve.

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS 2011. Editor: Marcia Norwood

Then we read or recite the Christmas Story, from The Holy Bible:
Luke, Chapter 2,
and finally we open gifts.

We celebrate the FUN Christmas (Santa Claus, Gift-giving, Elves, Snowmen, etc.) and the REAL Christmas: Jesus' Birthday.

Christmas 2007: Grandson Joshua's Baptism at Lake of the Ozarks. Copyright 2007 Marcia Norwood Note: Pastor Joey (in this photo) went to Heaven this week. He'll spend Christmas 2013 in Heaven with Jesus.

Do you take family photos as a keepsake or for your holiday cards?

I make my children and grandchildren dress up in matching/coordinating outfits and pose for our Annual Family Photo Shoot. Sometimes - they even have fun!

Here are samples of our family photos that might inspire you to take some of your own photos, or confirm your convictions not to.

Christmas 2013

Theme: "What Does the Fox Say?"

Have you heard the song, "What Does the Fox Say?"

Did you see the stars dance to the song

on "Dancing With the Stars?"

I purchased berets and scarves

for a French "Joyeux Noel" photo shoot -

but my girls rejected that idea.

We compromised on the FOX theme.

Dancing With the STARS: "What Does the Fox Say?"

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KIo.CKN5FS3RgA9w77w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTByZWc0dGJtBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMQ--?p=dancing+with+the+stars+what+did+the+fox+say&vid=7f6fefe4e854130877f497f888334621&l=2%3A44&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4554629370806797%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5UZWPwzyWbM&tit=What+Does+The+Fox+Say+-+Dancing+With+The+Stars&c=0&sigr=11at7r6hc&sigt=11e5fqki2&pstcat=arts+culture+and+entertainment&age=0&&tt=b

Christmas 2012

Theme: "The Church Mouse"

According to the narration in the "Silent Mouse", the true story of the famous Christmas carol "Silent Night Holy Night" started in a little town in Austria where a chain of strange events happened on Christmas Eve. According to the story this carol was miraculously created by a poor church mouse when it walked over a blanked music sheet and its little paws imprinted their marks on the paper, thus the carol "Silent Night, Holy Night" was composed.

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcdXWBHJi4