tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61957653723809338962024-03-13T15:23:29.666-07:00Remembering Christ at Christmasmamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-27260500630120279662015-12-14T19:16:00.000-08:002015-12-18T19:23:08.190-08:00December 14<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<h2 style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A Pattern of Love by James Faust</span></h2>
<div class="" id="p3" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p3">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At this Christmas season, let us take time to ponder the significance of the birth, the life, and the death of the Savior of the world. Of all the pronouncements in sacred or profane literature, the announcement of the angel to the shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night was highly significant:</span></div>
<div class="" id="p4" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p4">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p5" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p5">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/2.10-11?lang=eng#9" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Luke 2:10–11</a>).</span></div>
<div class="" id="p6" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p6">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After 2,000 years, in many countries—indeed even in so-called <a class="no-link-style" href="http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/jesus-christ" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Christian</a> nations—we still have not only internal and external wars but also hunger and neglect. In the war in which my father served on the western front, in the stillness of Christmas Eve there wafted over the trenches to the ears of the American soldiers the soft sound of the voices of their enemy singing, “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht” (“Silent night! Holy night”; <span class="emphasis" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hymns,</span>no. 204). Their enemy in turn could hear the American soldiers singing, “Peace on earth, goodwill to men” (“Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains,” <span class="emphasis" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hymns,</span> no. 212).</span></div>
<div class="" id="p7" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p7">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Twenty years later, in the war in which I served, the same area and the same enemies were involved. Although I did not serve on the western European front, on Christmas Eve the English and American soldiers could hear the Germans sing, “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,” and the Germans could hear the Americans sing, “Peace on earth, goodwill to men.” Fortunately, our erstwhile enemies are now our friends.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p8" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p8">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You have heard it said that the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p9" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p9">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the heart of the message of the Savior of the world is a single, glorious, wonderful, still largely untried concept. In its simplest terms the message is that we should seek to overcome the selfishness we all seem to be born with, that we should overcome human nature and think of others before self. We should think of God and serve Him, and think of others and serve them.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p10" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p10">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is not difficult to apply these principles in a <a class="no-link-style" href="http://www.mormon.org/values/family" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">family</a>setting, especially to our children. Parenting is good training to become good Christians; occasionally children think of their parents in that context. Years ago, Jack Smith told of a poignant story of two young boys at Christmastime.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p11" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p11">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I didn’t question Timmy, age nine, or his seven-year-old brother, Billy, about the brown wrapping paper they passed back and forth between them as we visited each store.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p12" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p12">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Every year at Christmastime, our Service Club takes the children from poor families in our town on a personally conducted shopping tour. I was assigned Timmy and Billy, whose father was out of work. After giving them the allotted $4.00 each, we began our trip. At different stores I made suggestions, but always their answer was a solemn shake of the head, no. Finally, I asked, ‘Where would you suggest we look?’</span></div>
<div class="" id="p13" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p13">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“‘Could we go to a shoe store, Sir?’ answered Timmy. ‘We’d like a pair of shoes for our Daddy so he can go to work.’</span></div>
<div class="" id="p14" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p14">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“In the shoe store the clerk asked what the boys wanted. Out came the brown paper. ‘We want a pair of work shoes to fit this foot,’ they said. Billy explained that it was a pattern of their Daddy’s foot. They had drawn it while he was asleep in a chair.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p15" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p15">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The clerk held the paper against a measuring stick, then walked away. Soon, he came with an open box. ‘Will these do?’ he asked. Timmy and Billy handled the shoes with great eagerness. ‘How much do they cost?’ asked Billy. Then Timmy saw the price on the box. ‘They’re $16.95,’ he said in dismay. ‘We only have $8.00.’</span></div>
<div class="" id="p16" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p16">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I looked at the clerk and he cleared his throat. ‘That’s the regular price,’ he said, ‘but they’re on sale; $3.98, today only.’ Then, with shoes happily in hand the boys bought gifts for their mother and two little sisters. Not once did they think of themselves.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p17" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p17">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The day after Christmas the boys’ father stopped me on the street. The new shoes were on his feet, <a class="no-link-style" href="https://www.lds.org/topics/gratitude/" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">gratitude</a>was in his eyes. ‘I just thank Jesus for people who care,’ he said. ‘And I thank Jesus for your two sons,’ I replied. ‘They really taught me more about Christmas in one evening than I had learned in a lifetime.’”<sup class="noteMarker" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love?lang=eng#footnote1-99912_000_002" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 9px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1</a></sup></span></div>
<div class="" id="p18" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p18">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I do not wish to conclude without expressing the hope that is within me that the teachings of the risen Christ can be extended beyond family, to friends and neighbors, communities, states, and nations.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p19" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p19">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For many years I practiced law with a fine Christian gentleman who was not of our faith. He was a man of humble origins whose family had not long been in this country. By hard work and faith, he worked his way through school and became successful and wealthy. But he never lost his interest in and compassion for the poor of all faiths. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, he would take his family, load up the car with turkeys and groceries of all kinds, and go to the poorer sections of the city, where he would personally deliver food to the poor.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p20" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p20">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He would enlist my help in contacting bishops who lived in the less-affluent areas to identify people of our own faith who might be in need. Year after year he did this without any thought of recognition. He literally fulfilled the Lord’s admonition in the <a class="no-link-style" href="https://www.lds.org/topics/doctrine-and-covenants?lang=eng" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none !important; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">Doctrine and Covenants</a> to “remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted,” for, as that verse continues, “he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple” (<a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/52.40?lang=eng#39" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D&C 52:40</a>).</span></div>
<div class="" id="p21" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p21">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I leave you the witness of my soul that Jesus lives, that He loves us, that He is our redeeming Savior. This witness has come through the assurance of the Holy Spirit. It has come richly and fully and without reservations or doubts.</span></div>
<div class="" id="p21" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p21">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scripture: 2 Nephi 25:10,26</span></div>
<div class="" id="p21" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/ensign/1999/12/a-pattern-of-love.p21">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carol: "O Holy Night"</span></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-5061816372997771842015-12-13T19:13:00.000-08:002015-12-18T19:16:43.845-08:00December 13<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BETHANN’S CHRISTMAS PRAYER</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><small class="single-by" style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: justify; text-transform: capitalize;"></small><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"></span></span><br />
<div class="entry" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Marilyn Morgan Helleberg</span></strong></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Put that doll down!” growled Mrs. Skorp, owner of Willow Creek’s only store. “You’ll break her!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Oh no,” said Bethann. “I wouldn’t hurt her. I love her!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Love her, do you?” Well, you’d better get over that in a hurry.” Mrs. Skorp whisked the doll out of Bethann’s arms. “That’s the most expensive doll in the store, and with your dad laid off.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“It’s o.k.,” said Bethann, her wistful brown eyes scanning the drawn face of the middle-aged shopkeeper. “I won’t touch her again until she’s mine. She’s my Christmas prayer!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Oh? I suppose you’ve been talking to Jesus again?”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Why, yes! I have!” Bethann’s pale, plain looking face took on a sudden glow. “Last night, I talked to Him a long time – and when I went to sleep an ange1 with golden wings floated down on a cloud and told me I could have one Christmas prayer answered this year. I could have anything I asked for – but only one thing. I’ve asked for Betsy.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Betsy!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Yes, that’s what I’ve named her.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mrs. Skorp tossed her hands over her head and walked away. “Angels now!” she muttered.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the time she got home, Bethann was near to tears. “I can’t stand her, Mommie! Mrs. Skorp is the meanest lady in the whole world!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Don’t be too hard on her, dear,” said her mother. “Mrs. Skorp used to be a very nice lady before the accident.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The accident?”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Yes. It was before you were born. The Skorps were driving home from Kansas City, after spending Christmas with relatives, when they hit a patch of ice and went off the road. Mr. Skorp was killed instantly, and their baby daughter died a couple of days later. Mrs. Skorp wasn’t even hurt – at least, her body wasn’t.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I didn’t even know she had a baby,” said Bethann, fingering the hem of her skirt.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“After that, Mrs. Skorp just kind of dried up. She stopped going anywhere, closed herself off from everybody, even quit going to church. Some say she’s been mad at God ever since.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I’ve never heard of anyone being mad at God,” said Bethann.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At bedtime, she knelt down and started talking with her Friend. “Lord, You know Mrs. Skorp, – the one with the pinched up face and the screechy voice? You probably haven’t heard from her lately because, well, I guess she’s been mad at You for a long time. Anyway, Jesus, I’ve been thinking, and I’ve figured out a way to get her over being mad at You. So if You don’t mind, I’d like to take back that Christmas prayer for my Betsy doll. Instead, Lord, would You please send Mrs. Skorp a new baby girl? Then maybe she won’t be mad at You anymore. Thank You, Jesus.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After school the next day, Bethann stopped at the store again, only this time, she was very careful to not even look at Betsy.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Mrs. Skorp, I talked to Jesus again last night. . .” The tall, gaunt lady grunted and turned away, but Bethann continued. “I asked Him to give you a new baby girl.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You WHAT?!” said Mrs. Skorp, wheeling around. “You really have lost your senses! Besides, if there is a God, He sure doesn’t answer prayers. Now you get home!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the day before Christmas, Bethann made a paper card for Mrs. Skorp. The shopkeeper was alone in the store when Bethann tiptoed in. The woman was staring at a framed picture, clutching it so tightly Bethann saw that her knuckles were white.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I brought you a Christmas card, Mrs. Skorp.” Surprised, the woman laid the picture on the counter and reached for the card. She opened it and read the childish scrawl: “Jesus loves you. And so do I. Bethann.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mrs. Skorp coughed and turned away. That was when Bethann sneaked a look at the picture on the counter. She saw a beautiful, smiling young woman holding a curly haired baby in her arms.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Is that your baby that died?” asked Bethann.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mrs. Skorp slumped into the old library chair and put her head in her hands. Her name was Betsy,” she said. Bethann stared at her. The woman’s body began to shake as deep, low sobs poured out of her. The little girl tiptoed over and put her hand timidly on Mrs. Skorp’s knee.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I asked Jesus to send you a new little girl to love,” said Bethann. “Are you crying because He didn’t answer my prayer?”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“No,” said Mrs. Skorp. She scooped Bethann up into her lap, pressing the little head close to her heart and rocking back and forth, back and forth, in the straight chair.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“No, my little. . . darling. “I’m crying because. . .because He did.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scripture:</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The words of Nephi, the son of Lehi, toward the end of his record:</span></span><br style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God . . . And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:19, 26)</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carol: "O Holy Night"</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-size: 1.05em;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-76776193800008185282015-12-12T19:10:00.000-08:002015-12-18T19:13:41.340-08:00December 12<h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">The C-C-Choir Boy</span></span></span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By Fred Bauer</span></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Everyone was surprised- everyone except Mrs. Brown, the choir director—when Herbie showed up in November to rehearse for the church’s annual Christmas cantata.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Mrs. Brown wasn’t surprised because she had persuaded Herbie to “at least try.” That was an accomplishment, for lately he had quit trying nearly everything—reciting in class, playing ball or even asking his brothers or sisters to pass the potatoes.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">It was easy to understand: He stuttered. Not just a little, either, and sometimes when his tongue spun on a word, like a car on ice, the kids laughed. Not a big ha-ha laugh, but you can tell when people are laughing at you even if you’re only nine.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Mrs. Brown had figured Herbie could sing with the other tenors—Charley and Billy—and not have any trouble, which is exactly the way it worked. Billy was given the only boy’s solo and the rest of the time the three of them sang in unison, until Charley contracted the measles. Even so, Billy had a strong voice and Herbie knew he could follow him.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">At 7:15, the night of the cantata, a scrubbed and combed Herbie arrived at church, wearing a white shirt, a new blue and yellow bow tie and his only suit, a brown one with high-water pant legs. Mrs. Brown was waiting for him at the door.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“Billy is home in bed with the flu,” she said. “You’ll have to sing the solo.” Herbie’s thin face grew pale.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“I c-c-can’t,” he answered.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“We need you,” Mrs. Brown insisted.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">It was unfair. He wouldn’t do it. She couldn’t make him. All of these thoughts tumbled through Herbies mind until Mrs. Brown told him this:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“Herbie, I know you can do this—with God’s help. Across from the choir loft is a stained-glass window showing the manger scene. When you sing the solo, I want you to sing it only to the Baby Jesus. Forget that there is anyone else present. Don’t even glance at the audience.” She looked at her watch. It was time for the program to begin.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“Will you do it?”</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Herbie studied his shoes.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“I’ll t-t-try,” he finally answered in a whisper.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">A long 20 minutes later, it came time for Herbie’s solo. Intently, he studied the stained-glass window. Mrs. Brown nodded, and he opened his mouth, but at that exact instant someone in the congregation coughed.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“H-H-Hallelujah,” he stammered. Mrs. Brown stopped playing and started over. Again Herbie fixed his eyes on the Christ Child. Again he sang.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">“Hallelujah, the Lord is born,” his voice rang out, clear and confident. And the rest of his solo was just as perfect.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">After the program, Herbie slipped into his coat and darted out the back door—so fast that Mrs. Brown had to run to catch him. From the top of the steps, she called, “Herbie, you were wonderful. Merry Christmas.”<br />“Merry Christmas to you, Mrs. Brown,” he sh</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">outed back. Then turning, he raced off into the night through ankle-deep snow—with-out boots. But then he didn’t really need them. His feet weren’t touching the ground.<br />The End</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the vision of Nephi, the son of Lehi:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: ‘Nephi, what beholdest thou?’ And I said unto him: ‘A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.’ Ad he said unto me: ‘Knowest thou the condescension of God?’ And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. And he said unto me: ‘Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.’</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: ‘Look!’ And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: ‘Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!’” (1 Nephi 11:13–21)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #990000;">Carol: "What Child is This"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-6113883507060277702015-12-11T19:03:00.000-08:002015-12-18T19:10:16.825-08:00December 11<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> “The Christmas Gift” by Hugh Oliver (in </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Oxford-Book-Christmas-Stories/dp/0192782444/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Oxford Book of Christmas Stories</a>)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nephi, writing of the words of Lehi, which he gave to his family while traveling in the wilderness:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Yea, even six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world. And he also spake concerning the prophets, how great a number had testified of these things, concerning this Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the world.” (1 Nephi 10:4–5)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carol: "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen”</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></span></span>mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-52670117503787799242015-12-10T19:00:00.000-08:002015-12-18T19:03:15.166-08:00December 10<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="color: #78b749; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Keeping Baby Warm</span></h3>
<div class="post-header" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><em>by Lynda H Laughlin</em><br /><br />It was an inexpensive dime store Nativity set, and he was only three years old. His back was toward me, but I could see that his chubby little hands were busily working on something at the old table.<br /><br />"What are you doing?" I asked him impatiently, annoyed at him for touching the decorations after he had been told not to. As I started toward the scene of this latest mischief, he turned toward me with wide blue eyes filling and a single tear starting down his cherubic cheek. Then I saw it. A carefully folded tissue had been tenderly placed over the small ceramic infant.<br /><br />"Baby Jesus was cold, Mommy," he whispered. Ten years have passed, and the tiny Nativity has been replaced by a much larger one. But this year, as every year, I found a carefully folded tissue covering the baby Jesus. I think I know who did it, and I hope he never stops.</span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<br /></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<i>Scripture:</i></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<i>Jeremiah 23:5-6</i></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<i>Jeremiah 33:14-15</i></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
<br /></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3146894265263179609" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;">
Carol: "Far, <span style="line-height: 1.6em;">Far Away on Judea's Plains"</span></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-87705432013676880382015-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:34:00.912-08:00December 9<br />
<h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><em><span style="color: #38761d;">Mr. Jinks Hands Out The Holly</span></em></span></h2>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">David had just finished making a snowman. He was very large and round with the jolliest face ever. He wore a high hat and a red plaid muffler, although, why any snowman should want a muffler, David didn’t quite know. He only knew that it seemed to suit Mr. Jinks.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Of course his name was Mr. Jinks because that was what David named every snowman he had ever made. He had made several—three this very winter, but not one of them had seemed as handsome and jolly looking as the present Mr. Jinks.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“I’m glad that you’re close to the sidewalk,” David told him, “because you look as if you were wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">He had just added another coal button when the parcel-post truck drove up and the driver carried a huge box into the house. “I’ll bet that’s the holly Grandpa sent from Oregon, “ David called, following the man into the house.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“Yes, I’m sure it is,” replied his mother. When they had opened the box she said, “there’s an extra lot this year. We can make wreaths for every one of the front windows.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">David helped, and when all the wreaths had been made, there was a large basket of small pieces left over.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“I wonder what we can do with these,” David’s mother asked? “They are much too pretty to be thrown away.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“I know!” cried David. “I’ll let Mr. Jinks give them away. He can help make a merry Christmas for everyone who passes.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“I think that’s a lovely idea,” Mother agreed. “And I’m sure that Mr. Jinks will think so too.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">First, David made a sign which read “Merry Christmas. Help yourself.” Then he took the basket of holly out and propped it up in front of the snowman. After that he stood in one of the front windows to watch the people pass. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Mr. Bromley, the banker, was the first one to come by. He was walking very fast and looking straight ahead. David was very much afraid that Mr. Bromley was going to pass right by without so much as a glance. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">But no, he saw the sign and stopped long enough to put a sprig of holly in his button hole. David could see a smile on the banker’s face and he couldn’t remember ever having seen him smile before. David quickly reminded himself that he didn’t see Mr. Bromley very often and that maybe it worried him to have so much money in the bank that belonged to other people. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Next came Mrs. Ross, who worked in the bakery. She was walking slowly, as if she was very tired. “I guess that she has been making hundreds of fruit cakes, “ said David to himself. When she noticed Mr. Jinks’ smiling face, she smiled back and took a sprig of holly. Then she walked along as if she weren’t nearly so tired. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Some boys with ice skates came next. They each took some holly and called to the snowman, “Thanks, old fellow. A Merry Christmas to you, too”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">David watched people go by until it grew too dark for him to see any longer. “Mr. Jinks sure made a merry Christmas for a lot of people,” he said to his mother.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">“So he did,” she smiled. “With the help of you and Grandpa”</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Scripture:</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i> Micah 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Carol: "O Little Town of Bethlehem"</span></span>mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-39174873827478547642015-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:27:54.559-08:00December 8<div class="entry_header" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<h1 style="color: firebrick; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 0.2em; margin-top: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
A Brother Like That - Author Unknown</h1>
</div>
<div class="entry_body" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A man named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shining new car admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…" He hesitated.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what this lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Oh yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow and said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And someday I'm gonna give you one just like it…and you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Paul got out and lifted the lad into the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: "It's more blessed to give…"</span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Scripture:</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Isaiah 40:1-5 "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all fresh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Carol: "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing"</span></div>
</div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-35912371887441785732015-12-07T08:13:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:18:38.329-08:00December 7<h2 style="color: #004400; font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #bb0000;">In the Great Walled Country, <small><small></small></small></span><small><small>by Raymond Macdonald Alden</small></small></span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Away at the northern end of the world, farther than men have ever gone with their ships or their sleds, and where most people suppose that there is nothing but ice and snow, is a land full of children, called The Great Walled Country. This name is given because all around the country is a great wall, hundreds of feet thick and hundreds of feet high. It is made of ice, and never melts, winter or summer; and of course it is for this reason that more people have not discovered the place.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The land, as I said, is filled with children, for nobody who lives there ever grows up. The king and the queen, the princes and the courtiers, may be as old as you please, but they are children for all that. They play a great deal of the time with dolls and tin soldiers, and every night at seven o'clock have a bowl of bread and milk and go to bed. But they make excellent rulers, and the other children are well pleased with the government.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">There are all sorts of curious things about the way they live in The Great Walled Country, but this story is only of their Christmas season. One can imagine what a fine thing their Christmas must be, so near the North Pole, with ice and snow everywhere; but this is not all. Grandfather Christmas lives just on the north side of the country, so that his house leans against the great wall and would tip over if it were not for its support. Grandfather Christmas is his name in The Great Walled Country; no doubt we should call him Santa Claus here. At any rate, he is the same person, and, best of all the children in the world, he loves the children behind the great wall of ice.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">One very pleasant thing about having Grandfather Christmas for a neighbor is that in The Great Walled Country they never have to buy their Christmas presents. Every year, on the day before Christmas, before he makes up his bundles for the rest of the world, Grandfather Christmas goes into a great forest of Christmas trees, that grows just back of the palace of the king of The Great Walled Country, and fills the trees with candy and books and toys and all sorts of good things. So when night comes, all the children wrap up snugly, while the children in all other lands are waiting in their beds, and go to the forest to gather gifts for their friends. Each one goes by himself, so that none of his friends can see what he has gathered; and no one ever thinks of such a thing as taking a present for himself. The forest is so big that there is room for every one to wander about without meeting the people from whom he has secrets, and there are always enough nice things to go around.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">So Christmas time is a great holiday in that land, as it is in all the best places in the world. They have been celebrating it in this way for hundreds of years, and since Grandfather Christmas does not seem to grow old any faster than the children, they will probably do so for hundreds of years to come.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But there was once a time, so many years ago that they would have forgotten all about it if the story were not written in their Big Book and read to them every year, when the children in The Great Walled Country had a very strange Christmas. There came a visitor to the land. He was an old man, and was the first stranger for very many years that had succeeded in getting over the wall. He looked so wise, and was so much interested in what he saw and heard, that the king invited him to the palace, and he was treated with every possible honor.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When this old man had inquired about their Christmas celebration, and was told how they carried it on every year, he listened gravely, and then, looking wiser than ever, he said to the king:</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"That is all very well, but I should think that children who have Grandfather Christmas for a neighbor could find a better and easier way. You tell me that you all go out on Christmas Eve to gather presents to give to one another the next morning. Why take so much trouble, and act in such a round-about way? Why not go out together, and every one get his own presents? That would save the trouble of dividing them again, and every one would be better satisfied, for he could pick out just what he wanted for himself. No one can tell what you want as well as you can.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This seemed to the king a very wise saying, and he called all his courtiers and counselors about him to hear it. The wise stranger talked further about his plan, and when he had finished they all agreed that they had been very foolish never to have thought of this simple way of getting their Christmas gifts.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"If we do this," they said, "no one can ever complain of what he has, or wish that some one had taken more pains to find what he wanted. We will make a proclamation, and always after this follow the new plan."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">So the proclamation was made, and the plan seemed as wise to the children of the country as it had to the king and the counselors. Every one had at some time been a little disappointed with his Christmas gifts; now there would be no danger of that.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">On Christmas Eve they always had a meeting at the palace, and sang carols until the time for going to the forest. When the clock struck ten every one said, "I wish you a Merry Christmas!" to the person nearest him, and then they separated to go their ways to the forest. On this particular night it seemed to the king that the music was not quite so merry as usual, and that when the children spoke to one another their eyes did not shine as gladly as he had noticed them in other years; but there could be no good reason for this, since every one was expecting a better time than usual. So he thought no more of it.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">There was only one person at the palace that night who was not pleased with the new proclamation about the Christmas gifts. This was a little boy named Inge, who lived not far from the palace with his sister. Now his sister was a cripple, and had to sit all day looking out of the window from her chair; and Inge took care of her, and tried to make her life happy from morning till night. He had always gone to the forest on Christmas Eve and returned with his arms and pockets loaded with pretty things for his sister, which would keep her amused all the coming year. And although she was not able to go after presents for her brother, he did not mind that at all, especially as he had other friends who never forgot to divide their good things with him.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But now, said Inge to himself, what would his sister do? For the king had ordered that no one should gather any presents except for himself, or any more than he could carry away at once. All of Inge's friends were busy planning what they would pick for themselves, but the poor crippled child could not go a step toward the forest. After thinking about it a long time, Inge decided that it would not be wrong if, instead of taking gifts for himself, he took them altogether for his sister. This he would be very glad to do; for what did a boy who could run about and play in the snow care for presents, compared with a little girl who could only sit still and watch others having a good time? Inge did not ask the advice of any one, for he was a little afraid others would tell him he must not do it; but he silently made up his mind not to obey the proclamation.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">And now the chimes had struck ten, and the children were making their way toward the forest, in starlight that was so bright that it almost showed their shadows on the sparkling snow. As soon as they came to the edge of the forest, they separated, each one going by himself in the old way, though now there was really no reason why they should have secrets from one another.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Ten minutes later, if you had been in the forest, you might have seen the children standing in dismay with tears on their faces, and exclaiming that there had never been such a Christmas Eve before. For as they looked eagerly about them to the low-bending branches of the evergreen trees, they saw nothing hanging from them that could not be seen every day in the year. High and low they searched, wandering farther into the forest than ever before, lest Grandfather Christmas might have chosen a new place this year for hanging his presents; but still no presents appeared. The king called his counselors about him, and asked them if they knew whether anything of this kind had happened before, but they could tell him nothing. So no one could guess whether Grandfather Christmas had forgotten them, or whether some dreadful accident had kept him away.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">As the children were trooping out of the forest, after hours of weary searching, some of them came upon little Inge, who carried over his shoulder a bag that seemed to be full to overflowing. When he saw them looking at him, he cried:</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Are they not beautiful things? I think Grandfather Christmas was never so good to us before."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Why, what do you mean?" cried the children. "There are no presents in the forest."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"No presents!" said Inge. "I have my bag full of them." But he did not offer to show them, because he did not want the children to see that they were all for his little sister instead of for himself.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Then the children begged him to tell them in what part of the forest he had found his presents, and he turned back and pointed them to the place where he had been. "I left many more behind than I brought away," he said. "There they are! I can see some of the things shining on the trees even from here."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But when the children followed his footprints in the snow to the place where he had been, they still saw nothing on the trees, and thought that Inge must be walking in his sleep, and dreaming that he had found presents. Perhaps he had filled his bag with the cones from the evergreen trees.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">On Christmas Day there was sadness all through The Great Walled Country. But those who came to the house of Inge and his sister saw plenty of books and dolls and beautiful toys piled up about the little cripple's chair; and when they asked where these things came from, they were told, "Why, from the Christmas-tree forest." And they shook their heads, not knowing what it could mean.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The king held a council in the palace, and appointed a committee of his most faithful courtiers to visit Grandfather Christmas, and see if they could find what was the matter. In a day or two more the committee set out on their journey. They had very hard work to climb the great wall of ice that lay between their country and the place where Grandfather Christmas lived, but at last they reached the top. And when they came to the other side of the wall, they were looking down into the top of his chimney. It was not hard to go down this chimney into the house, and when they reached the bottom of it they found themselves in the very room where Grandfather Christmas lay sound asleep.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">It was hard enough to waken him, for he always slept one hundred days after his Christmas work was over, and it was only by turning the hands of the clock around two hundred times that the committee could do anything. When the clock had struck twelve times two hundred hours, Grandfather Christmas thought it was time for his nap to be over, and he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Oh, sir!" cried the prince who was in charge of the committee, "we have come from the king of The Great Walled Country, who has sent us to ask why you forgot us this Christmas, and left no presents in the forest."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"No presents!" said Grandfather Christmas. "I never forget anything. The presents were there. You did not see them, that's all."</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">But the children told him that they had searched long and carefully, and in the whole forest there had not been found a thing that could be called a Christmas gift.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Indeed!" said Grandfather Christmas. "And did little Inge, the boy with the crippled sister, find none?"</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Then the committee was silent, for they had heard of the gifts at Inge's house, and did not know what to say about them.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">"You had better go home," said Grandfather Christmas, who now began to realize that he had been awakened too soon, "and let me finish my nap. The presents were there, but they were never intended for children who were looking only for themselves. I am not surprised that you could not see them. Remember that not everything that wise travelers tell you is wise." And he turned over and went to sleep again.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">The committee returned silently to The Great Walled Country, and told the king what they had heard. The king did not tell all the children of the land what Grandfather Christmas had said, but, when the next December came, he made another proclamation, bidding every one to seek gifts for others, in the old way, in the Christmas-tree forest. So that is what they have been doing ever since; and in order that they may not forget what happened, in case any one should ever ask for another change, they have read to them every year from their Big Book the story of the time when they had no Christmas gifts.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Scripture: </i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;"><i>Isaiah 11:1-4 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">Carol: "It Came upon a Midnight Clear"</span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, swiss;">
<br /></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-63580567242075064632015-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:06:55.049-08:00December 6<h2>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><em>Christmas Day in the Morning</em></span></h2>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>By </em></span><em><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pearl S. Buck</span></span></em></span></div>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table border="0" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 84%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="100%"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img align="left" alt="Christmas card" border="0" height="270" src="http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Christmas%20images/christmas%20cards/D406.jpg" style="border: 3px double rgb(153, 0, 0);" width="350" />He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! Fifty years ago, and his father had been dead for thirty years, and yet he waked at four o'clock in the morning. He had trained himself to turn over and go to sleep, but this morning it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep.<br /><br />Why did he feel so awake tonight? He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. He was fifteen years old and still on his father's farm. He loved his father. He had not known it until one day a few days before Christmas, when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.<br /><br />"Mary, I hate to call Rob in the mornings. He's growing so fast and he needs his sleep. If you could see how he sleeps when I go in to wake him up! I wish I could manage alone."</span></b><b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Well, you can't, Adam." His mother's voice was brisk. "Besides, he isn't a child anymore. It's time he took his turn."<br /><br />"Yes," his father said slowly. "But I sure do hate to wake him."<br /><br />When he heard these words, something in him spoke: his father loved him! He had never thought of that before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. Neither his father nor his mother talked about loving their children--they had no time for such things. There was always so much to do on the farm.<br /><br />Now that he knew his father loved him, there would be no loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. He got up after that, stumbling blindly in his sleep, and pulled on his clothes, his eyes shut, but he got up.<br /><br />And then on the night before Christmas, that year when he was fifteen, he lay for a few minutes thinking about the next day. They were poor, and most of the excitement was in the turkey they had raised themselves and mince pies his mother made. His sisters sewed presents and his mother and father always bought him something he needed, not only a warm jacket, maybe, but something more, such as a book. And he saved and bought them each something, too.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He wished, that Christmas when he was fifteen, he had a better present for his father. As usual he had gone to the ten-cent store and bought a tie. It had seemed nice enough until he lay thinking the night before Christmas. He looked out of his attic window, the stars were bright.<br /><br />"Dad," he had once asked when he was a little boy, "What is a stable?"<br /><br />"It's just a barn," his father had replied, "like ours."<br /><br />Then Jesus had been born in a barn, and to a barn the shepherds had come...<br /><br /><img align="right" alt="Christmas card" border="0" height="370" src="http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Christmas%20images/christmas%20cards/GlasnapKathy-NorthernCardinal-1995-sj.jpg" style="border: 3px double rgb(153, 0, 0);" width="267" />The thought struck him like a silver dagger. Why should he not give his father a special gift too, out there in the barn? He could get up early, earlier than four o'clock, and he could creep into the barn and get all the milking done. He'd do it alone, milk and clean up, and then when his father went in to start the milking he'd see it all done. And he would know who had done it. He laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars. It was what he would do, and he mustn't sleep too sound.<br /><br />He must have waked twenty times, scratching a match to look each time to look at his old watch -- midnight, and half past one, and then two o'clock.<br /><br />At a quarter to three he got up and put on his clothes. He crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, and let himself out. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them, too.<br /><br />He had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy. He kept thinking about his father's surprise. His father would come in and get him, saying that he would get things started while Rob was getting dressed. He'd go to the barn, open the door, and then he'd go get the two big empty milk cans. But they wouldn't be waiting or empty, they'd be standing in the milk-house, filled.<br /><br />"What the--," he could hear his father exclaiming.<br /><br />He smiled and milked steadily, two strong streams rushing into the pail, frothing and fragrant.<br /><br />The task went more easily than he had ever known it to go before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was something else, a gift to his father who loved him. He finished, the two milk cans were full, and he covered them and closed the milk-house door carefully, making sure of the latch.<br /><br />Back in his room he had only a minute to pull off his clothes in the darkness and jump into bed, for he heard his father up. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. The door opened.<br /><br />"Rob!" His father called. "We have to get up, son, even if it is Christmas."<br /><br />"Aw-right," he said sleepily.<br /><br />The door closed and he lay still, laughing to himself. In just a few minutes his father would know. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body.<br /><br />The minutes were endless -- ten, fifteen, he did not know how many -- and he heard his father's footsteps again. The door opened and he lay still.<br /><br />"Rob!"<br /><br />"Yes, Dad--"<br /><br />His father was laughing, a queer sobbing sort of laugh.<br /><br />"Thought you'd fool me, did you?" His father was standing by his bed, feeling for him, pulling away the cover.<br /><br />"It's for Christmas, Dad!"<br /><br />He found his father and clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father's arms go around him. It was dark and they could not see each other's faces.<br /><br />"Son, I thank you. Nobody ever did a nicer thing--"<br /><br />"Oh, Dad, I want you to know -- I do want to be g<span lang="en-us">ood</span>!" The words broke from him of their own will. He did not know what to say. His heart was bursting with love.<br /><br />He got up and pulled on his clothes again and they went down to the Christmas tree. Oh what a Christmas, and how his heart had nearly burst again with shyness and pride as his father told his mother and made the younger children listen about how he, Rob, had got up all by himself.<br /><br />"The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I'll remember it, son every year on Christmas morning, so long as I live."<br /><br />They had both remembered it, and now that his father was dead, he remembered it alone: that blessed Christmas dawn when, alone with the cows in the barn, he had made his first gift of true love.<br /><br /><img align="left" alt="Christmas card" border="0" height="282" src="http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Christmas%20images/christmas%20cards/mrandmrsbaxter.jpg" style="border: 3px double rgb(153, 0, 0);" width="322" />This Christmas he wanted to write a card to his wife and tell her how much he loved her, it had been a long time since he had really told her, although he loved her in a very special way, much more than he ever had when they were young. He had been fortunate that she had loved him. Ah, that was the true joy of life, the ability to love. Love was still alive in him, it still was.<br /><br />It occurred to him suddenly that it was alive because long ago it had been born in him when he knew his father loved him. That was it: Love alone could awaken love. And he could give the gift again and again. This morning, this blessed Christmas morning, he would give it to his beloved wife. He could write it down in a letter for her to read and keep forever. He went to his desk and began his love letter to his wife: My dearest love...<br /><br />Such a happy, happy Christmas!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Scripture: </i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Isaiah 9:6-7 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Carol: "Joy to the World"</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
</div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-55758708958930366572015-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:002015-12-18T07:57:15.646-08:00December 5<h2 style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It Takes a Child</span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Except for the Christmas story told in the New Testament, the narrative that follows is the most powerful Christmas story I have ever read. Although the magazine that originally printed the story is no longer in business, the publisher has graciously given permission to reprint the following shortened version. This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home. Nancy, the mother, relates:</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor -- gently, so gently, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest -- unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking -- "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" -- when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I sure can't add anything of significance to Nancy's story, except to wish you all Happy Holidays.''</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Scripture:</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Matthew 1:23 "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carol: The First Noel</span></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-16721958472950298042015-12-04T23:27:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:12:16.339-08:00December 4<h1 class="entry-title" style="clear: both; color: #04648d; font-family: BevanRegular, Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 5px;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">
The Cobbler and His Guest</span></h1>
<div class="entry-content" style="color: #333333;">
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A Yuletide Legend, by Anne MuCollum Boyles</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There once lived in the city of Marseilles an old shoemaker, loved and honored by his neighbors, who affectionately called him Father Martin. One Christmas Eve as he sat alone in his little shop reading of the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus, and of the gifts they brought, he said to himself, “If tomorrow were the first Christmas, and if this Jesus were to be born in Marseilles this night, I know what I would give him!” He rose from his stool and took from a shelf overhead two tiny shoes of softest snow white leather with bright silver buckles. “I would give him these, my finest work.” Then he paused and reflected. “But I am a foolish old man,” he continued…”The Master has no need of my poor gifts.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Replacing the shoes, he blew out the candle and retired to rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes it seemed, when he heard a voice call his name…”Martin! Martin!” Intuitively he felt a presence, then the voice spoke again…”Martin, you have wished to see me. Tomorrow I shall pass by your window. If you see me, and bid me enter, I shall be your guest at your table.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Father Martin did not sleep that night for joy and before it was yet dawn he rose and swept and tidied up his little shop. He spread fresh sand upon the floor, and wreathed green boughs of fir along the rafters. On the spotless linen-covered table he placed a loaf of white bread, a jar of honey, and a pitcher of milk.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When all was in readiness, he took up his patient vigil at the window.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Presently he saw an old street-sweeper pass by, blowing upon his thin, gnarled hands to warm them. “Poor fellow, he must be half frozen.” thought Martin. Opening the door he called out to him, “Come in, my friend and warm yourself, and drink something hot.” and the man gratefully accepted the invitation.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An hour passed, and Martin saw a young, miserably clothed woman, carrying a baby. She paused wearily to rest in the shelter of his doorway. The heart of the old cobbler was touched. Quickly he flung open the door. “Come in and warm while you rest,” he said to her. “You do not look well, he remarked.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I am going to the hospital. I hope they will take me in, and my baby boy,” she explained. “My husband is at sea, and I am ill, without a soul.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Poor child,” cried Father Martin. “You must eat something while you are getting warm. No? Then let me give a cup of milk to the little one. Ah! What a bright, pretty little fellow he is! Why, you have put no shoes on him!”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I have no shoes for him,” sighed the mother.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Then he shall have this lovely pair I finished yesterday.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And Father Martin took down from the shelf the soft little snow-white shoes he had admired the evening before. He slipped them on the child’s feet…they fit perfectly. And shortly the poor young mother went on her way, two shoes in her hand and tearful with gratitude.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And Father Martin resumed his post at the window. Hour after hour went by, and although many people passed his window, and although many people shared the hospitality of the old cobbler, the expected guest did not appear.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“It was only a dream,” he sighed, with a heavy heart. “I did hope and believe, but He has not come.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Suddenly, so it seemed to his weary eyes, the room was flooded with a strange light and to the cobbler’s astonished vision, there appeared before him, one by one, the poor street sweeper, the sick mother and her child, and all the people whom he had aided during the day. Each smiled at him and said: “Have you not seen me? Did I not sit at your table?” Then they vanished from his view.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At last, out of the silence, Father Martin heard again the gentle voice repeating the old familiar words: “Whosoever shall receive one such in my name, receiveth me…for I was hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in…Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me.”</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Scripture:</span></i></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Psalm 24: 9-10 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah."</span></i></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carol: "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks"</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While shepherds watched their flocks by night,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />All seated on the ground,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The angel of the Lord came down,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And glory shone around<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And glory shone around.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />"Fear not," said he, for mighty dread<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Had seized their troubled minds;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />"Glad tidings of great joy I bring<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />To you and all mankind<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />To you and all mankind.</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"To you, in David's town, this day,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Is born of David's line<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />A Savior, who is Christ the Lord;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And this shall be the sign<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And this shall be the sign.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The heavenly Babe you there shall find<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />To human view displayed,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />All meanly wrapped in swaddling-clothes<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And in a manger laid<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And in a manger laid."</span></div>
<div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; line-height: 16px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thus spake the seraph and forthwith<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Appeared a shining throng<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Of angels, praising God, and thus<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Addressed their joyful song:<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />"All glory be to God on high,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And to the earth be peace;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Good will henceforth from Heaven to men<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Begin and never cease</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">begin and never cease."</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></div>
</div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-76698143755635286372015-12-03T22:55:00.000-08:002015-12-18T07:52:21.734-08:00December 3<h1>
<span style="color: #095e10;">A Different Kind of Christmas</span></h1>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">by Lael J. Littke</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha had tried to ignore the approach of Christmas. It was fairly easy, what with all the work to do around the cabin—the meals to prepare, the rugs to braid to cover the earthen floors, the lye soap to make, the snow to keep cleared away from the door, and the myriad of other things necessary to sustain life in the bleak valley. She would have kept it almost entirely out of her thoughts if Jed had not come eagerly into the cabin one day, stomping the snow from his cold feet as he said in an excited voice, "Martha, we're going to have a Christmas tree this year anyway. I spotted a cedar on that rise out south of the wheat field, over near the Norton's place. It's a scrubby thing, but it will do, since we can't get a pine. Maybe Christmas will be a little different here, but it will still be the kind of Christmas we used to have."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was a two-day journey from their home on the floor of the wide valley to the mountains where there were pine trees, and none of the settlers felt they could spare the time that busy first year to go after trees. Besides, the snow was too high to do any unnecessary travel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As she shook her head, Martha noticed that Daniel glanced quickly up from the corner where he was playing, patiently tying together some sticks with bits of string left over from the quilt she had tied a few days earlier. She drew Jed as far away from the boy as possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I don't want a tree," she said. "We won't be celebrating Christmas. Even a tree couldn't make it the kind of Christmas we used to have."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jed's face set in lines that were becoming familiar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Martha, we've got to do something. For the boy, at least. Children set such a store by Christmas."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Don't you think I know? All those years of fixing things for Maybelle and Stellie. I know all about kids and Christmas." She stopped and drew a deep breath, glancing over to see that Daniel was occupied and not listening. "But I can't do those things for him. It would be like a knife in my heart, fixing a tree and baking cookies and making things for—for another woman's child when my own girls are back there on that prairie."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Martha, Martha," Jed said softly. "It's been almost a year and a half. That's all over, and Danny needs you. He needs a Christmas like he remembers."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She turned her back to his pleading face. "I can't," she said. "Besides, what could he remember? He was only a little more than five when his own mother died, and I don't think his pa did much last Christmas."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jed touched her shoulder gently. "I know how hard it is for you, Martha. But think of the boy." He turned and went back out into the snowy weather.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Think of the boy. Why should she think of him when her own children, her two blue-eyed, golden-curled daughters, had been left beside the trail back there on that endless, empty prairie? The boy came to her not because she wanted him but because she couldn't say no to the bishop back in Salt Lake City last April before they came to settle in this valley. Bishop Clay had brought Daniel to her and Jed one day and said, "I want you to care for this lad. His mother died on the trek last summer and his pa passed away last week. He needs a good home."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jed had gripped the bishop's hand and with tears in his eyes thanked him, but Martha had turned away from the sight of the thin, ragged, six-year-old boy who stood before them, not fast enough, however, to miss the sudden brief smile he flashed at her, a smile that should have caught her heart and opened it wide. Her heart was closed, though, locked tightly around the memory of her two gentle little girls. She didn't want a noisy, rowdy boy banging around, disturbing those memories, filling the cabin with a boy's loud games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet she had taken him, because she felt she had no choice. Faced with the bishop's request—more of an order, really—and Jed's obvious joy, she couldn't refuse.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He came with them out to this new valley west of the Salt lake settlement and had proved himself a great help to Jed, despite his young age. Sometimes Martha felt pity for him, but she didn't love him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With Jed it was different. He had accepted Daniel immediately as his own son and enjoyed having the boy with him. They had a special relationship, a secret sharing that sometimes shut Martha out and made her wonder once, when she could bear to think of it, how Jed had felt about somehow seeming to be just outside the charmed circle she and her daughters had formed. Not that she really resented Jed and Daniel's relationship—she was glad Jed gave the boy some attention since she so often ignored him—but sometimes she felt that Jed had grown to love the boy more than he did her. She told him as much one evening after the man and boy had come laughing together into the cabin only to sober up when they saw her, but not before one of those quick smiles from Daniel, the smile she was never sure had actually been there, it was gone so fast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When Daniel went back outside for a bucket of water, Martha spoke to Jed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Seems as if you enjoy the boy's company more than you do mine these days."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jed didn't look her quite squarely in the eye. "That's not so, Martha."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"The two of you laughing together all the time. You never laugh with me anymore."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">His voice was quiet. "You don't seem to find much to laugh about lately, Martha."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was true, of course. When the girls were with them they had been a happy family, laughing at humor and hardship alike. It just seemed as if all her laughter had also been buried on that grim morning back on the desolate prairie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I'm sorry, Jed," Martha said. "I just can't seem to forget my girls. I can't feel that close to that boy. He's always so serious around me. Almost like he's afraid. Calls me ‘Aunt Martha.' I notice he calls you ‘Pa.' Did you tell him to call you that?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"No. He just started doing it. He's just a little fellow, Martha, but he knows how people feel about him. He needs more than just a full stomach and a place to sleep."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I know," she said. "I know." She was ashamed that she could deny love to a child. Any child. She tried harder after that, but she found she was always comparing him with her daughters. They had been soft and yielding, a pleasure to hold close. Daniel was bony and wiry, and his small body was hard-muscled from the work he did with Jed. The girls had been golden-curled and had taken pride in keeping their little pinafores neat and clean. Daniel was always grimy; he seemed to attract dirt, and his shirt always hung out from his overalls. The girls had liked to play quietly in the house with their rag dolls. Daniel preferred the outdoors, where he had full-scale, one-man battles, playing the parts of both settlers and Indians and making enough noise for any real fight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It seemed as if he was always doing something to plague her. Not intentionally, to be sure. At least Jed said not. Just the high spirits and imagination of a boy, Jed said. There was the time he took her best tied quilt outside to build a tepee by the creek bank. By the time she found it, it was muddy and bedraggled and had to be laboriously washed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another day he got into the trunk she had brought across the plains and was playing with the carved wooden animals Grandpa Elliot had made for Maybelle and Stellie. She couldn't bear to see them in his hands and had scolded him soundly for opening the trunk. Another day he pulled up most of the flowers she had grown from the precious seeds brought from Nauvoo. He said he wanted to surprise her by pulling the weeds, but he couldn't tell which were weeds and which were flowers. He broke precious dishes and tore clothes that could not easily be replaced. And so Martha told Jed that she wanted him to take Daniel back to Salt Lake on his next trip for supplies and to give him back to Bishop Clay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jed looked at her for a long time before he answered, "Yes, maybe that would be best. For the boy's sake. I'll take him when I go in January."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daniel seemed to sense something, because he tried to please her after that and was careful not to annoy her. When winter came and he had to be indoors much of the time, he tried to play quietly, although occasionally the natural inclinations of a boy took over and he had to be reprimanded. Martha wished that Sister Norton had been able to establish the school for the children of the settlers, but she had been unable to get any slates or copy books and had decided to wait until the next fall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daniel mentioned Christmas only once. One day it was too cold and snowy to play outside, and he had been humming softly to himself as he played in his corner. Suddenly he looked up at Martha and asked, "Can you sing, Aunt Martha?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha paused and straightened up from the table where she was kneading bread. She used to sing for her girls all the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"No, I can't, Daniel," she said. "Not any more."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"My mother used to sing a pretty song at Christmas," he said. "I wish I could remember it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He said nothing more, and she did not question him. She didn't want to stir up any further memories of Christmas, since she didn't intend to observe the day. Perhaps he did recall snatches of past Christmases, but certainly he wouldn't remember enough that it would make any difference to him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha couldn't help thinking of Christmases past as the day approached. Three years ago had been the best one, before the persecution of the Saints in Nauvoo got so bad. Maybelle had been seven then, and Stellie five. She had made rag dolls for them with pretty, flouncy dresses and cunning little bonnets. That was the year Grandpa Elliot had given them the carved animals and had also carved a beautiful little toy horse and carriage for Maybelle, promising Stellie he'd make her one when she was seven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dwelling as she did in her past memories, Martha paid very little attention to Daniel those last few days before Christmas. He went in and out with Jed and she didn't attempt to keep track of him. On the day before Christmas Jed went through the deep snow to do some chores for Brother Norton, who was ill. Daniel was alone outside most of the day, although he made several rather furtive trips in and out of the cabin. On one trip he took the sticks he had been tying together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Toward evening Martha went out to the stable to milk Rosie, since Jed had not yet returned. As she approached, she saw there was a light inside. Opening the door softly, she peered within. Daniel had lit the barn lantern, and within its glow he knelt in the straw by Rosie's stall. In front of him were the sticks he had tied together, which Martha recognized now as a crude cradle. It held Stellie's rag doll, all wrapped up in the white shawl Martha kept in her trunk, the shawl she had used to wrap her babies. Her impulse was to rush in and snatch it, but she stopped, because the scene was strangely beautiful in the soft light from the lantern. Rosie and the two sheep stood close by, watching Daniel. He seemed to be addressing them when he spoke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"The shepherds came following the star," he was saying. "And they found the baby Jesus who had been born in a stable." He paused for a moment, then went on. "And his mother loved him."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha felt suddenly that she couldn't breathe. Another mother, another day, had loved her little boy and had told him the beautiful story of the Christ Child with such love that he hadn't forgotten it, young as he was. And she, Martha, had failed that mother.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the silence she began to sing. "Silent night," she sang. "Holy night."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daniel didn't move until the song was finished. Then he turned with that quick, heart-melting smile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"That's the one," he whispered. "That's the song that my mother used to sing to me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha ran forward and gathered the boy into her arms. He responded immediately, clasping her arms tightly around her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Danny," Martha said, "it's beautiful. Your cradle and little scene here."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You never called me Danny before," he murmured, his head against her neck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I didn't do a lot of things," she said. As she held him close, the bands around her heart seemed to loosen and break.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Danny," she said, sitting on the edge of Rosie's manger, "let's go in and get the cabin ready for Christmas. Maybe it isn't too late for Jed—for Pa to get that tree. It might be a little different kind of Christmas, but it will still be a little like the Christmases we used to know. We'll set up your cradle with the Christ Child in it under the tree, because that's what Christmas is all about."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Do you mind it being different?" Danny asked. "I mean with a boy instead of your girls?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Martha wondered how long it would take her to make up to him for the hurts she had inflicted these many months. "No," she said. "After all, the Baby Jesus was a boy."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"That's right," he said wonderingly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I'll open my trunk," said Martha. "We'll get out those carved animals to put around your manger scene. We'll string some dried berries to put on the tree, and when it's all done the three of us will sing ‘Silent Night' and Pa will tell us the story of the Christ Child."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She thought about the lovely little carved horse and carriage Maybelle had loved so much, and knew it would be the perfect gift to put under the tree for Danny's Christmas morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She set him down on the floor and put her arm around his shoulders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Merry Christmas," she said. "Merry Christmas, Danny."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He looked up at her with a smile that did not fade quickly away this time, a sweet smile full of the love he had been waiting to give her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Merry Christmas," he said, and then added softly, "Mother."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Scriptures</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
2 Samuel 7:12-14</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be buy son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
Psalm 89: 3-4, 28-29, 36-37</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
3-4 "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
28-29 "My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />
36-37 "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carol: "Once in Royal David's City"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Once in royal David's city,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Stood a lowly cattle shed,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Where a mother laid her baby</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">In a manger for His bed:</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Mary was that mother mild,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Jesus Christ her little child.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">He came down to earth from heaven,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Who is God and Lord of all,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And His shelter was a stable,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And His cradle was a stall;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">With the poor and meek and lowly,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Lived on earth our Savior holy.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And through all</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">His wondrous childhood,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">He would honor and obey,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Love and watch the lowly mother,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">In whose gentle arms He lay.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Christian children all should be,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Mild, obedient, good as He.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">For He is our child-hood's pattern,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Day by day like us He grew,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">He was little, weak, and helpless,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Tears and smiles like us He knew,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And He feeleth for our sadness,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And He shareth in our gladness.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And our eyes at last shall see Him,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Through His own redeeming love;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">For that child so dear and gentle,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Is our Lord in heaven above,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">And He leads His children on,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">To the place where He is gone.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Not in that poor lowly stable,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">With the oxen standing by,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">We shall see Him, but in heaven,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">Set at God's right hand on high;</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">When like stars</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">His children crowned,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;" /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">All in white shall be around.</span></span><br />
<br />mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-83231605249512173312015-12-02T22:18:00.000-08:002015-12-18T07:52:09.178-08:00December 2<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: small;">The Symbols of Christmas</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: xx-small;">by Sherry Dillehay</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just a week before Christmas, I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door of the front room, and to my surprise, Santa Claus himself stepped out from behind the Christmas Tree. He placed his fingers over his mouth so I would not cry out.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“What are you doing…” I started to ask but the words choked in my throat as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone-gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“He then answered me with a simple statement of “teach the children.” I was puzzled. What did it mean? He anticipated my question and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy boy from behind the tree. As I stood there bewildered, Santa said again, “teach the children.” “Teach them the old meaning of Christmas-the meaning long forgotten.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started to say, “How can I…” When Santa reached into the toy bag and pulled out a brilliant shiny star.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children the star was the heavenly sign of promise long ages ago. God promised a savior for the world and the star was a sign of the fulfillment of that promise. The countless shining stars at night-one for each man-now show the burning hope of all mankind.” Santa gently laid the star upon the fireplace mantle and drew forth from the bag a glittering red Christmas tree ornament.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children red is the first color of christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood which was shed by the savior for all people. Christ gave his life and shed his blood that every man might have eternal life. Red is deep, intense, vivid-it is the greatest color of all. It is the symbol of the gift of God.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children,” he said as he dislodged a small Christmas Tree from the depths of the toy bag. He placed it before the mantle and gently hung the red ornament on it. The deep green of the fir tree was a perfect background for the ornament. Here was the second color of Christmas.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“The pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round,” he said. “This depicts the everlasting hope of mankind. Green is the youthful, hopeful, abundant color of nature. All the needles point heavenward-symbols of man’s returning thoughts toward heaven. The great green tree has been man’s friend. It has sheltered him, warmed him and made beauty for him.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Suddenly I heard a soft tinkling sound.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring for man to return to the fold-it means guidance and return, it further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the soft sound of the bell faded into the night, Santa drew forth a candle. He placed it on the mantle and the soft light from its tiny flame cast a glow about the darkened room. Odd shapes and shadows slowly danced and weaved upon the walls.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children” Whispered Santa, “that the candle shows man’s thanks for the star of long ago. Its small light is the mirror of starlight. At first candles were placed on the green trees-they were like many glowing stars shining against the dark green. The colored lights have now taken over in remembrance.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Santa turned the small Christmas tree lights on and picked up a gift from under the tree. He pointed to the large bow and said, “A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of the brotherhood of man. We should remember that the bow is tied as Christ meant we should be tied, all of us together, with the bonds of good will toward each other. Good will forever is the message of the bow.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Santa slung his bag over his shoulder and began to reach for the candy cane placed high on the tree. He unfastened it and reached out toward me with it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd’s crook. The crook on the staff helps bring back the strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane represents the helping hand we should show at Christmas time. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brothers’ keepers.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Santa looked about the room a feeling of satisfaction shone on his face. He read wonderment in my eyes, and I am sure he sensed admiration for this night.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He reached into his bag and brought forth a large holly wreath. He placed it on the door and said, “Please teach the children the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love; it never ceases, stops or ends. It is one continuous round of affection. The wreath does double duty. It is made of many things and in many colors. It should remind us of all the things of christmas. Please teach the children.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I pondered and wondered and thrilled at all those symbols. To give, to help, to love and to serve. And Santa, he’s the sign of giving, that jolly old elf, and yes, I shall teach the children.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Moses 1:6 And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mind Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there isno God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Scripture:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Moses 1:33 And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carol: "O Come, All Ye Faithful"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a5a5a3; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Come and behold him</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Born the King of Angels:</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come, let us adore Him, (3×)</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Christ the Lord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;" /></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">God of God, light of light,</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Very God, begotten, not created:</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come, let us adore Him, (3×)</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Christ the Lord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;" /></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above!</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Glory to God, glory in the highest:</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come, let us adore Him, (3×)</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Christ the Lord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;" /></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Jesus, to thee be glory given!</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">O come, let us adore Him, (3×)</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Christ the Lord.</span></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6195765372380933896.post-412892840065190252015-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:002015-12-18T08:12:33.631-08:00December 1<h1 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #848482; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 20px 0px 10px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">
The Gift of the Magi</span></h1>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px;">by O. Henry</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Down rippled the brown cascade.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practiced hand.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Give it to me quick," said Della.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation—as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value—the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do—oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty seven cents?"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two—and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Della wriggled off the table and went for him.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again—you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice—what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jim looked about the room curiously.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you—sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year—what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims—just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Scripture:</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Moses 6:51-52,57</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>51: And he called upon our father Adam by his own voice, saying: I am God; I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>52: And he also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>57: Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carol: "Angels We Have Heard on High"</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Angels we have heard on high</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sweetly singing o’er the plains</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the mountains in reply</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Echoing their joyous strains</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shepherds, why this jubilee?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why your joyous strains prolong?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What the gladsome tidings be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which inspire your heavenly song?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Come to Bethlehem and see</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Him Whose birth the angels sing;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Come, adore on bended knee,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Christ the Lord, the newborn King.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See Him in a manger laid</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With us sing our Savior’s birth.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gloria, in excelsis Deo!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<br /></div>
mamapulsihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041936069204092692noreply@blogger.com