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Subj:   RS: Christmas/R.S. Gift
Contributor: Kay B. Suber

Here are a few ideas for R.S. Christmas gifts

Gift in a Jar of Brownies or cookies
Candy Cane Heart
Food storage in a Jar
Homemaking Recipe Cook Book
The Story of the Candy Cane
The Three Trees
Cookie Garland
Reindeer Food
Grandpa's Key Story with attached keys

INTRUCTIONS BELOW FOR ALL IDEAS ABOVE:

*Brownie or cookie mix in a quart jar w/recipe (gift in a jar)

       " Relief Society Sisters have special hearts"
       "You hold a special place in my heart"
       " Have a Heartfelt Christmas Holiday"

 Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

The second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally, the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree, he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsman came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. The woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one",and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. T

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.  Years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and a woman came to the barn. She gave birth, and they placed the baby into the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said, "Peace Be Still," and the storm and the waves stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. They came to a stop and the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of the hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts in His timing. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your Own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

YOU COULD ADAPT THE POEM FITTING TO A RELIEF SOCIETY SISTER IN SOME WAY, JUST WANTED TO GIVE THE POEM OUT FOR OTHER USE WITH CHILDREN AT CHURCH OR FAMILY. (THIS PRODUCT IS NOT EATABLE) !!!

On Christmas Eve sprinkle this magic Reindeer food on your lawn.
The sparkle of the glitter in the moonlight and the smell of the oats will guide Rudolf and Santa's reindeers directly to your house.

~GRANDPA'S KEYS ON CHRISTMAS EVE~~

One Christmas Eve day when I was a young girl about ten years old , I was dropped off for the evening to visit my Grandpa and Grandma. I did not realize at the time but my grandparents were baby sitting me while my parents wrapped my Christmas gifts and I might get in the way.  I sure didn't care if I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa because the day was always filled with happy times.

Grandma would fix my favorite dinner along with my favorite deserts.  Grandpa would sit and tell stories about when he was young.

He told me stories about Rover his pet dog. He would tell me stories about when he was in the army. He talked about the good times, his dreams, his friendships and the things he liked most. He made up stories that stirred my very soul.

I would close my eyes and sail the pirate ships. I would fight the fire breathing dragons. I would travel the stars in space ships and experience adventures under the sea.

Most of all I remember what looked like a hundred keys that Grandpa had hanging on a nail at the back door. Grandpa had fashioned a piece of wire into a large loop with a clever hook that held the loop together much like a safety pin. All the keys were hanging from this wire loop.

Grandpa would put a towel on the kitchen table and I would take all the keys off the wire and line them up on the towel. Grandpa would caution me not to lose any of his keys.

I would organize all the keys into groups of similar looking keys and keys of the same color. He had some long black keys that looked like a nail with a round end and long black teeth on the other end.

He would pick up each key and gently rub it between his finger and thumb and explain about each key.

"This one is for the front door of the house. This is the one to the house where your mom and dad lived before you were born.

"This is the key to my mothers house, your great grandmother, before it burned down 25 years ago."

"This is my skeleton key" he would say with a smile. I loved my grandpa very much, but I was not about to ask any questions about his skeleton key.

Grandpa also had some brass keys which he studied with his keen eyes.

"This is the key to my old Ford that wore out many years ago. "

This is the key to the Oldsmobile that I drive now, and this the key to the trunk of my car. This is the key to the car that Grandma used to drive, and this is the key to the garage." Grandpa never does lock the garage though.

Grandpa lovingly studied more keys. "This is the key to the storage shed. Sometime on Sunday I go over to the church to start the furnace, so this is the key to the church."

Then grandpa picked up a strange looking key and smiled. "This is a skate key. This is the key to my bicycle lock." Grandpa had not had a bicycle in over 30 years and who knows when he used to skate.

Then Grandpa picked up the strangest looking key I had ever seen. "This is not a key at all." he laughed, "It is a wrench for tightening up my bicycle spokes."

"This is the key to the office building where I used to work, this is the key to the front door of the office, and this little key fits the file cabinet there." Grandpa retired 15 years ago.

Grandpa then picked up about 20 keys from the table and explained "These keys are LFL keys." Then he smiled and explained LFL meant long forgotten locks.

Grandpa also had another ring of keys that were hung very high on the back door frame. These keys were much larger, the ring was gold in color and the ring was welded so it could not be opened to remove keys.  Grandpa explained that these keys were hung on the highest point on the door because they were the most important keys of all and are not to be played with because they were so valuable. He said when I got older he was going to give me those special keys.

Each key was about 5 inches long and had words printed on them. Grandpa told me that the special keys were the keys to everything important.  These are the keys of life and the keys to Heaven. The wording on key keys must be studied, lived and its message imprinted in your brain and branded into your soul.

Grandpa lived up to his promise. On my eighteenth birthday I went to visit Grandma and Grandpa. He tenderly handed the keys to me. When I studied the keys I realized what my Grandpa meant when he spoke of the keys.  The first key was gold in color and the most important of all the keys. On one side it said "LOVE" . On the other side it said "Love of God, fellow man, friends, family and children, Love of country, Love of God's creations and Love of God's unfortunate souls".

The second key and all of the other keys were silver. On one side it said "FORGIVE" . On the other side it said "Forgive your enemy, forgive those who do you harm, forgive those who say and do unkind things to you or about you".

The third key said "PATIENCE" . On the reverse side it said "Patience of people, traffic, long lines, those who fail to show patience and patience toward children, old people and the handicapped.

The fourth key said "UNDERSTANDING" . Try to see the other side of the issue"

The fifth key said "HAPPINESS" . Be happy even in adversity. Remember every cloud has a silver lining and as the cloud passes the sun will shine again.

The sixth key said "THANKFUL" . Be thankful for all you have and do not be saddened by the things you do not have.

The seventh key said "INDUSTRIOUS" . Remember if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right, and a honest days work for an honest days pay".

The eighth key said "CLEANLINESS" . Keep your body and your mind clean.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness".

The ninth key said "HONESTY" . Be truthful at all times and remember some

of the worst lies are shrouded in silence".  The tenth key said "EDUCATION" . Learn to be all you can be. Do not let your mind go to waste".

Now, I'm a Grandma and although I do not have as many keys as my Grandpa had in his collection. The most important keys are hung on the highest point of my back door. When my first grandchild reaches her eighteenth birthday I will tell her about my Grandpas key and how she and her family should live by the keys message. I will ask her to pass them to her oldest grandchild.