HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-12-21, Page 25•
sukes
Inside:
Hello, Santa? How ya doin old
buddy?
Hope ya don't mind me callin ya old
buddy, but you're one of my all time
neat guys,
Now I know it's been a while since
you heard from me last, but I've never
forgotten you Santa.
Pardon me. Who is this?
Why it's Dave Sykes, Santa. The
'skinny reporter in Goderich, but most
people around the office :here call me
Spike. Why, I don't know, but if you
would rather call me that then just go
right ahead.
The reason I'm calling Santa is that I
need a few favors for Christmas and I
suppose I'm as guilty as everyone else,
just calling you up when a favor or two
is needed.
The faces of Christmas — from Goderich
Kindergartens Page 2B
A children's story - The Little Angel with
the Dirty Wings Page 17B
Carols on a pull out and save sheet
Page 16B
Plus Christmas pictures from all over the
area.
Forgive me but I do need your help
this year. You see, Santa, I write this
column in the newspaper here, have
been for airhost two years. Even got a
picture of myself in the corner,, with a
little seagull but that's a long story.
Anyway, about this little column
Santa, to be quite honest with ya it's
been sagging lately and I don't quite
know what to do about it.
What I need is some real zing for
these columns, a sprinkling of ad-
jectival phrases, a few bon mots and
maybe a laugh or two. I think the
columns have come'a long way though,
Santa, especially since I started using
verbs, but they still need a touch here
and there and perhaps a hint of daz-
zling wit.
You see, Santa, I don't spend much
time thinking about sparkling ideas for
my modest weekly offering and most
often end up writing it scant minutes
before the deadline about some in-
significant little topic that pops into my ,
head.
Surely other writers have required
your assistance in the past and maybe
if -you've just got a little box of witty
ideas or some extra bon mots that
could get stuffed in my stocking on
Christmas morning, this reporter
would be grateful.
Pardon me Santa. Have I been good?
Oh Santa, have I been good!
In fact I've been so good that,..well, I
couldn't lie to you Santa.
Actually there was this one thing, but
it wasn't all my fault you understand.
One day the "editor was away aid'
there's this girl reporter 1 work with
and we kinds locked her up in;the
editor's office. But we're gonna let her
out Santa, it was just a bit of fun.
Well I didn't know she was gonna
climb out the window Santa, honest, it
was such a small window, but she
didn't hurt herself too bad. That darn
window was so small she coulda got
stuck.
But look Santa, I really' have to go
cause if the editor sees this she's going
to send me out to the Carlow bureau
and figure I've gone right round the
bend, not to mention the only person
who reads this column.
thederich
SIGNAL—STA
131 YEAR -51
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21,1978
SECOND SECTION
Move over Santa -Jesus is come
[The following is a Christmas message,
especially prepared for Signal -Star readers by
Shirley J. Keller, editor. It reflects Mrs.
Keller's own personal Christian faith, but it
has much application for the lives of people
everywhere, regardless of their creeds. It is
published with the hope that everyone who
reads it will find a new measure of joy and
peace on this Christmas.]
When you think about
it, a great deal of pre-
planning....long term
planning....went into the
Christmas that . is un-
folding in Goderich and
area this December 1978.
If you have a Christmas
tree in your home ... a
real live Christmas tree,
not one of those com-
mercial artificial last -for-
a -lifetime types ...
somebody probably
started planning for it
seven or eight years ago.
year., ago.
Your. Christmas car-
ds....the ones you sent out
and the ones you
received....were designed
a year or more ago. Your
Christmas turkey is the
result of planning by a
turkey grower who hoped
to cash in on the holiday
market. The availability
of extra merchandise
needed to make
Christmas just
right...wrapping paper,
bows, -lights, decorations,
candies, fruit, gifts,
everything...is because
somebody planned well in
advance of this year's
Christmas.
Big events call for good
planning done early.
Of course, Bible
scholars will tell you that
God was -busy planning
for Christmas longbefore
that first Christmas. The
entire Old Testment
record is God's diary of
events which led to the
coming of. Christ 'on that
first. Christmas in
Bethlehem. Why,
evidence of the coming
_Saviour's birth was given
to Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden.
Christmas will not
come as a surprise to
many people in Goderich
and district. Everywhere
there are reminders that
the glorious festival is
approaching. As it draws
nearer, the reminders
will increase in number
and force.
But the first Christmas
was something of a
surprise. God's people
knew that it was coming,
but they didn't know
when. There was no
advance notice that the
glory of the Lord would
rend the darkness on
Bethlehem's field that
particular night.
No wonder people were
surprised. Isaiah had
foretold that the name of
the Saviour would be
"Immanuel, King,
Wonderful Counselor,
Servant of God, Prince of
Peace."
Who would have
thought such a person
would come as small
baby, born in a stable, of
a very human mother?
Immanuel -God with us -
making . the Child of
Christmas Very God.
King -one far greater
than any earthly king.
Wonderful Counselor -
man marvelled at His
wonderful words of truth;
they were amazed at His
wonderful power; they
still stand in awe at the
wonder of His love.
Servant of God -Jesus
Himself said, "The son of
Man has not come to be
served but to serve and to
give His life to set`many
others free."
Prince of Peace -man
cannot be at peace with
others when he is (i at
peace with himself, and
he cannot be at peace
with himself when he is
not at peace with God. It
was to establish such
peace that Christ came.
The birth of Christ in
Bethlehem is far more
than history. It has
deeply affected the
course of history, and its
influence has been a most
ennobling one. Still, in
our sophisticated and
tottering world, modern
manihas been trained by
formal education, and by
other influence, largely to
ignore God and Christ
and to regard Christian
faith as something of a
weakness.
We all live every day by
little hopes: that the
flowers we plant will
grow; that the cake we
bake will turn out well;
that the money we invest
will be secure; that the
headache we have will
soon leave.
Such hopes are like an
antibiotic spread over the
wounds of failure, defeat,
and frustration to keep
them from becoming an
infection that
discourages us from ever
trying again.
Cicero said, "While
there's life, there's
hope." But Christianity
says much more: "Even
when there's death,
there's hope."
Every earthly hope
leads inevitably and
finally over a precipice.
Christian hope reaches
upward and is firmly
fixed on an eternity in
heaven. Christian hope
does not ignore life on
earth; it makes it more
meaningful. It does not
encourage a man to avoid
the responsibilities of
everyday living; it
prepares him for them. It
doesn't in ang�yy, way
weaken a man T great
living; it strengthens
him.
C.S. Lewis put it this
way:"Aim at.heavenand
you will get earth thrown
in. Aim at earth and you
will get neither."
How much time, effort,
planning and sacrifice -to
say nothing of money -We
put into turning 'up the
rheostat of Christmas
excitement. And then,
how quickly .we shut it, off
again. The stimulating
buildup can give way to a
depressing letdown.
Glitter, beautiful gift
wrappings, Christmas
cards, the familiar
Christmas music -all
these are embellishments
that have been added to
the festival. They are not
an essential part of
Christmas. Nor is the
added activity that may
leave us exhausted.
During the gay ac-
tivities of Christmas' a
person may behave
admirably. He may be
kind, generous, friendly,
helpful and co-operative.
But right after Christmas
he becomes his ,selfish
and mean old self again,
or whatever he was
before he got into the
spirit of things. His,
goodwill was as short
lived as the burning of a
small candle.
It is certain that the lift
he experienced came
from the embellishments
of Christmas, and not
from the spiritual
meaning of it all.
Christ did not come to
give us a short period of
jollity; not to make us
nice people for a season.
He came to make us new •,
creatures, with new
attitudes and Values, and
the motivation and
strength to li4by them.
When God's clock
strucle,felve, Jesus
came. The Almighty God
guided the World toward.
that first Christmas Day
and channelled its
religious, political, social
and economic currents
into the stream of time to
make it full at that point.
Peace, a universal
language, and ease of
transportation through a
remarkable network of
highways were evidences
of that time -fullness
which God chose .to best
carry out His .- savings,
purpose among m:en: `
When • the time was
fully come, God's Son
came into the world born
of woman, for whoever,
was to redeem lost
mankind would have to
be both God and man.
The Son of God was made
under the Law which He
had made, took on all of
its demands for us, and
kept them perfectly.
In doing this He saved
us from the sentence of
death which hung over .
"&if`h`eads because,'of-oi%^
violation of that . law.
Beyond that, He paid with
His life's blood the death
penalty which we had
deserved, thus freeing us
from the curse of the
Law.
Do we now see the real
meaning of Christmas?
God had to take the last
and most desperate step
to rescue us. He Himself
had to come to our world
to cut us loose from our
slavery to the unholy,
trinity Sing?deatfr.and,
hell, -and free us for life
eternal with Him.
So move over Santa.
You're standing .in front
of the manger and the
cross above the manger.
Christmas is more than
cash and presents. It is
the day when the mighty
God stepped into our lives
at the right time to set
things right again.
Christmas is His
promise of love and joy
and peace eternal come
• true. What. a gift! What a
lasting gift!
Donna Taylor Grade 5 Robertson P. S.
For a unique New Year's Eve party
this year people can salute the final 365
days of the 70's by going through their
closets and digging out clothing and
special effects from years gone by. All
those things that we bought during
flash in the pan fashion trends that
weren't worn long enough to get soiled
.before they were deemed to be out and
replaced by something else. We can all
welcome 1979 by getting a little
mileage out of the things we used in the
early 70's and the 60's,
Ladies, leave your curling irons
unplugged and put that eye shadow and
lip gloss back on the shelf. No need to
take that calf length skirt and billowing
blouse to the cleaners for the New
Year's Eve party. We're going to step
out in class December 31.
For starters you can wash your hair
about 6:00 p.m. 6n the evening of the
party. Instead of merrily stepping into
the bathroom and picking up your 1,500
watt blow dryer that blends so well
with the curtains rummage through the
closet and and those old curlers that
haven't been used in 10 years.
Somewhere there will be a box of
curlers in all that junk in the closet.
You'll recognize them when you spot
them. They will be all sizes, shapes -and
colors. Some will need clips, some will
need pins and some will have a little
hunk of elastic material With a ball on
the end to fit into the end of the curler.
Slap as many on your head as you can
and get out a very light, airy, see
through scarf and put it on top of the
mess.
Now that your head is ready you can
turn yourself into a ghoul by putting a
pound or so of makeup on your face.
The stuff was originally designed to
cover everything from boils to acne but
since we've licked those dreaded
problems you won't need as much as
you did 10 years ago. Throw on some
nice pink lipstick and cover it with a
little .white, slap the eyeshadow on
starting at the eyelash and ending just
under the eyebrow and your face is
ready.
Somewhere in the back of your closet
will be a short, short dress that you
may need a shoe horn to get into.
Before you slip into that dig out those
white, patent leather, knee high boots
and put them on. Find that waste
length imitation squirrel coat and
throw it over your shoulders after the
dress is on and you're ready to cut
some rug.
Men,before you start anything get in
the shower and get your hair 'soaked.
Don't towel dry it. While it is still
soaking wet get a large mixing bowl
and put it over the wet hair so that
when it dries your hair will be poker
straight and look more like a German
World War"Two soldier's helrnet.than a
hair style. Shave and then find that
bottle of Old Spice or Avon Wild
Country and liberally, and I mean
liberally, splash it all over your upper
torso and face.
At the back of your closet there
should be a 'pair of pants that have a
very prominent Crease, They will
appear to be only half a pair because
there is so little to them but they will fit
if you haven't ballooned in the past 10
years. When you struggle into the pants
you should look like you've just covered
your legs in shoe polish. Find those
boots that go just over your ankle and
have a toe on them that will enable you
to kick the eye out of a snake from five
feet away.
If your jacket is powder blue and has
no collar there should be a turtle neck
shirt thing in the drawer that will
closely resemble the thing your dentist
always wears. If the coat has a lapel
that looks like two strips of bark find a
nice, striped shirt and a piece of black
string that has Acme Tie Company
written on the back. Do the tie up in a
tiny knot and have the wife swing on it
to snug it up. Put the'knot a little to the
side so that part of the tie shows under
the collar on one side.
Now slide up alongside that beauty
with all the leg showing between the
boots and the skirt and you're ready to
do some dancing.
amessrmie
jeFF
Seddon
r
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