MOUNTAIN MANNA

WHO STARTED CHRISTMAS?

This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd. She pushed her way into the elevator and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the elevator everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don’t forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

The “W” in Christmas [Author unknown]

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations – extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending..

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old.

For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s Winter Pageant.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production, unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his Teacher, she assured me there’d be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation.

All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class,accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas,” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son’s class rose to sing, “Christmas Love,” I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row – center stage – held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing “C is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter C. Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message,

“Christmas Love.”

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down – totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W”.

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W”.

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos,there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

“C H R I S T W A S L O V E”

And, I believe, He still is. Amazed in His presence …. Humbled by His love.

Again, Merry Christmas Everyone! 

THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time)
for five years but hadn’t been blessed with a baby.

I decided to do some serious praying and promised God
that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother,
love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide.

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son.

The next year God blessed us with another son.

The following year, He blessed us with yet another son.

The year after that we were blessed with a daughter.

My husband thought we’d been blessed right into poverty.
We now had four children, and the oldest was only
four years old.

I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it
As a minister once told me, “If you pray for rain,
make sure you carry an umbrella.”

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children
each day as they lay in their cribs..

I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me
with four children and I didn’t want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day the children smashed
two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching
for baby chicks.

I tried to be understanding… when they started a hotel for
homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs.

When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and
rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog,
I tried to see the humor rather than the mess..

In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers,
never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more
than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn’t keep my promise to be a perfect mother -
I didn’t even come close… I did keep my promise
to raise them in the Word of God.

I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told
my daughter we were going to church to worship God,
and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to
“wash up” Jesus, too.

Something was lost in the translation when I explained that
God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was
generous of God to give us his “last wife.”

My proudest moment came during the children’s Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine.

My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, “We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.” But he was nervous and said, “The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes.”

My four-year-old “Mary” said, “That’s not ‘wrinkled clothes,’ silly.
That’s dirty, rotten clothes.” A wrestling match broke out
between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel,
who bent her halo and lost her left wing.

I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying,
“Mama-mama.” Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived.

My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, “We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur.”

The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant
got a standing ovation.

“I’ve never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,”
laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes

“For the rest of my life, I’ll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur.”

“My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest
blessing,” I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

–copied–

http://wheresthelinetoseejesus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93&Itemid=160

Is it appropriate to say Happy Black Friday? Or, does that somehow violate the so-called “separation of church and state?” (Heaven help us if it offends Muslims or atheists!)  Frankly it has never seemed to be a very inspiring name for a day that is the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season. I am offended—but who care’s any longer about what offends Christians?

More specifically Black Friday marks the commercial kick-off to the holidays. It’s when people storm the country’s biggest retailers looking for bargains, often lining up at three in the morning waiting for the doors to open then rampaging through the aisles like a herd of panicked cattle. I believe there have been years when shoppers have actually been trampled to death. Or close to it, I think. I know that the word black was originally a reference to the stores’ bottom lines; for a lot of retailers this was the make or break day in terms of whether they would have a profitable selling season. And there is nothing wrong with that, especially in this economy. And, who does not like a bargain?

However, perhaps the Black in Black Friday reminds us of the darkness of the lost human heart and life that rejects The Life but risks life and limb for a discount, that seeks treasures on Earth and rejects treasure in Heaven, that revels in discount electronics and rejects the Son of God and that fails to comprehend the Light (John 1:4-11) but will contemplate darkness in Hell for all eternity. Black Friday indeed!

Jesus is the reason for the season! II Corintians 9:15 , “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. “ MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Drudge:
“VIDEO: Crazed shoppers stampede at TARGET…

Mall food court placed on lockdown after fight, reports of gunshots…

Shopper arrested after cutting in line, raging…

Police called after ‘thousands’ rush TOYS R US…

Woman busted after gun threat at toy store…”