DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1975-1982 | 1976-12-26 May Tangen to Mr. and Mrs John Stanley

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May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1975-1982

1976-12-26 May Tangen to Mr. and Mrs John Stanley

"Joy is quite different from happiness.  Joy comes directly from God and is not related to circumstances; therefore no circumstances can ever destroy it.  If we belong to God and allow God to use us and fill us with joy, along with all the other fruits of the Spirit, we will triumph." 
From Adult Bible Studies, 
December 26, 1976
Dear Stanley folk:
It's the 4th day of Christmas, four colly (I thought it was "calling") birds day and I have cleared time to write you all.  Projects lie all around me, notably the new Tangen Family Record, stalled at page 8 but in the plans for this afternoon.  I'm on the page were I can describe to US folk how our relatives' homes look and the view they have of beautiful Lake Mjosa from their picture windows.  The Record is a typing job so it lies on the table next to the typewriter stand beside me.
In the kitchen lies my anthology, "Fruit of the Spirit", ready now for an entry of Joy, for which I typed the above.  Beside it lies the great temptation, the novel I'm reading "I Take Thee, Serenity", Quakers and simplified living, lent me by Clarice Campbell who joins me in trying to simplify.
In the living room, is a new set of minutes I haven't written up yet.  Just last Sunday I was elected secretary of the trustees of our church, my fourth secretaryship.  Next to it is a review of a book I want to send for: "OO Being A Christian" by Hans Kung, whose Christ is not the Christ of Faith but the historical, human Jesus.  The review is in Dec. 6 Newsweek.
Then there are letters awaiting envelopes -- to our senators - copies of a letter I wrote to Mr. Carter to stop the production of the B-1 Bomber. I have already sent Carter's to him and to Representative Whitten.  Also a copy to the IRS with a note about why I am not paying the federal portion of the telephone tax because it is earmarked for military purposes.
Temporarily suspended for the week because I yielded to temtation to have this week uncumbered by any social obligations is the pile of books I take to the children here at Rankin Circle three days a week.  Had a tremendous pre-Christmas series with them "telling it on the mountain" that Christmas is Jesus' birthday.  We've moved to the recreation room for Book Days. I spread newspapers on the floor, hang up a picture of a black Madonna and Child with a slip saying "Happy Birthday," Jesus".  I typed copies of the Christmas story from the Children's Bible, heading it with the chorus of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" which they all seem to know.  We each have a copy of the story, everybody sits on the floor, we sing "Go Tell It..." and then read the story, usually I read a

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"Joy is quite different from happiness. Joy comes directly from God and is not related to circumstances; therefore no circumstances can ever destroy it. If we belong to God and allow God to use us and fill us with joy, along with all the other fruits of the Spirit, we will triumph." From Adult Bible Studies, December 26, 1976 Dear Stanley folk: It's the 4th day of Christmas, four colly (I thought it was "calling") birds day and I have cleared time to write you all. Projects lie all around me, notably the new Tangen Family Record, stalled at page 8 but in the plans for this afternoon. I'm on the page were I can describe to US folk how our relatives' homes look and the view they have of beautiful Lake Mjosa from their picture windows. The Record is a typing job so it lies on the table next to the typewriter stand beside me. In the kitchen lies my anthology, "Fruit of the Spirit", ready now for an entry of Joy, for which I typed the above. Beside it lies the great temptation, the novel I'm reading "I Take Thee, Serenity", Quakers and simplified living, lent me by Clarice Campbell who joins me in trying to simplify. In the living room, is a new set of minutes I haven't written up yet. Just last Sunday I was elected secretary of the trustees of our church, my fourth secretaryship. Next to it is a review of a book I want to send for: "OO Being A Christian" by Hans Kung, whose Christ is not the Christ of Faith but the historical, human Jesus. The review is in Dec. 6 Newsweek. Then there are letters awaiting envelopes -- to our senators - copies of a letter I wrote to Mr. Carter to stop the production of the B-1 Bomber. I have already sent Carter's to him and to Representative Whitten. Also a copy to the IRS with a note about why I am not paying the federal portion of the telephone tax because it is earmarked for military purposes. Temporarily suspended for the week because I yielded to temtation to have this week uncumbered by any social obligations is the pile of books I take to the children here at Rankin Circle three days a week. Had a tremendous pre-Christmas series with them "telling it on the mountain" that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. We've moved to the recreation room for Book Days. I spread newspapers on the floor, hang up a picture of a black Madonna and Child with a slip saying "Happy Birthday," Jesus". I typed copies of the Christmas story from the Children's Bible, heading it with the chorus of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" which they all seem to know. We each have a copy of the story, everybody sits on the floor, we sing "Go Tell It..." and then read the story, usually I read a