Welcome to our "Tips About
Christmas"
website. With all the hustle and bustle that comes with the
Christmas holiday, we sometimes forget what this special
season is really all about. We've compiled a bunch of
tips,
poems, stories, and articles that we would like to share with you,
that helps remind us of the true meaning of Christmas as we
see it.
While we have no problems with the old traditions of
Santa Claus and such, we feel that it's always good to have
reminders that refocus our thoughts and attention on what should be the
most important reason that we
celebrate Christmas.
We hope you like what we've done and
will enjoy sharing some of these things with others. We have
gathered these poems and articles for purposes of sharing
and were not written by us but by others. We have tried our
best to give credit to the authors wherever possible. We
hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
The sleigh was all packed,
The reindeer were fed, But Santa still knelt
By the side of the bed.
"Dear Father," he prayed, "Be with me tonight, There's much work to do, And my schedule is tight."
"I must jump in my sleigh
And streak through the sky, Knowing full well
That a reindeer can't fly."
"I will visit each
household, Before the first light, I'll cover the world,
And all in one night."
"With sleigh bells
a-ringing, I'll land on each roof, Amid the soft clatter
Of each little hoof."
"To get in the house
Is the difficult part, So I'll slide down the
chimney Of each child's heart."
"My sack will hold toys
To grant all their wishes, The supply will be endless,
Like the loaves and the
fishes."
"I will fill all the
stockings And not leave a track, I'll eat every cookie
That is left for my snack."
"I can do all these things
Lord, Only through You, I just need your blessing, Then it's easy to do."
"All this is to honor
The birth of the One, That was sent to redeem us
... Your most Holy Son."
"So to all of my friends,
Least Your glory I rob, Please Lord, remind them
Who gave me this job."
SANTA AND SARAH
Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother
came to see Santa At the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin . The child climbed up on his lap, Holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa,
smiling.
"Your friend? Your sister?'' "Yes, Santa, he replied. "My sister
Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and Saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me To see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, Asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.
When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help The child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but Halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the Old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's
Elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young
visitors. "The girl in the photograph... My granddaughter well, you see .... She has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the Holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes.
"Is there any way, Santa . Any possible way that you could come
See Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see
Santa."
Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave Information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see What he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that
afternoon.
He knew what he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he Thought with a sinking heart, "This is the least I can do."
When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that Evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to
Get to Children's Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother Earlier that day. "C'mon.....I'll take you there." Rick said softly. Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would
Wait out in the hall.
Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and Saw little Sarah on the bed.
The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
Gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead.
And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in A chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were
Talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of
The family, and their love and concern for Sarah.
Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered The room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!" "Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV
Tubes intact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at Him with wonder and excitement.
Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches From the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked
At her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had
To force himself to choke back tears.
Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the Gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room.
As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the Bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand
gratefully, Whispering "Thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining
eyes.
Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all The toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very
good Girl that year.
As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to
pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded
in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding
hands.
Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels. "Oh, yes, Santa... I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you." he said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this
disease.
He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing,
softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night.... all is calm, all is bright..."
"The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.
When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. "Now, Sarah," he said
authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I
want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to
see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!"
He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room.
Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed.
Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do.." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several
weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap.
"Hi, Santa! Remember me?!" "Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being
a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the
"only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He
scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a
year before.
He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the
sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.
That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus.
He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was
healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father. Tis a very, Merry Christmas!"
New Christmas Poem
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, 'SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. 'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,! AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.
This poem was written by a Marine.
The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.. ...
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as
many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some
credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's
try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make
people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who
sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to
plant this small seed.
Twas the Night before Christmas Poem
Twas the night before Christmas, when
all through the house Not a creature
was stirring, not even a mouse. The
stockings were hung by the chimney with
care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon
would be there.
The children were nestled all snug
in their beds, While visions of
sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my
cap, Had just settled our brains for
a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose
such a clatter, I sprang from the bed
to see what was the matter. Away to
the window I flew like a flash, Tore
open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the
new-fallen snow Gave the luster of
mid-day to objects below. When, what
to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny
reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively
and quick, I knew in a moment it must
be St Nick. More rapid than eagles
his coursers they came, And he
whistled, and shouted, and called them
by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now,
Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On,
Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen! To
the top of the porch! to the top of the
wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash
away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild
hurricane fly, When they meet with an
obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to
the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St
Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on
the roof The prancing and pawing of
each little hoof. As I drew in my
head, and was turning around, Down
the chimney St Nicholas came with a
bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his
head to his foot, And his clothes
were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of Toys he had flung on his
back, And he looked like a peddler,
just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his
dimples how merry! His cheeks were
like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like
a bow, And the beard of his chin was
as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in
his teeth, And the smoke it encircled
his head like a wreath. He had a
broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a
bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right
jolly old elf, And I laughed when I
saw him, in spite of myself! A wink
of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to
dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight
to his work, And filled all the
stockings, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he
rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team
gave a whistle, And away they all
flew like the down of a thistle. But
I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out
of sight, "Happy Christmas to all,
and to all a good-night!"
Twas the night before Christmas Poem
also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas"
Clement
Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the
poem Twas the night before Christmas
also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas"
in 1822. It is now the tradition in many
American families to read the poem every
Christmas Eve. The poem Twas the night
before Christmas has redefined our image
of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to
the creation of the story of Twas the
night before Christmas St. Nicholas, the
patron saint of children, had never been
associated with a sleigh or reindeers!
The author of the poem Twas the night
before Christmas was a reticent man and
it is believed that a family friend,
Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem
to the New York Sentinel who published
the poem. The condition of publication
was that the author of Twas the night
before Christmas was to remain
anonymous. The first publication date
was 23rd December 1823 and it was an
immediate success. It was not until 1844
that Clement Clarke Moore claimed
ownership when the work was included in
a book of his poetry. Clement Clarke
Moore came from a prominent family and
his father Benjamin Moore was the Bishop
of New York who was famous for
officiating at the inauguration of
George Washington. The tradition of
reading Twas the night before Christmas
poem on Christmas Eve is now a Worldwide
institution.
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE GOD BLESS AMERICA
Other Variations
of.....Twas
The Night Before Christmas.
M e r r y
C h r i s t m a s
Two weeks
before Christmas, and all through the house, everyone
was stirring, even the mouse.
Calendars were hung with the utmost
of care,
schedules were packed with gala
affairs.
The children were adding their
wants to their lists, making quite certain their desires
weren't missed. And Mama and her VISA and I with my cash
had just planned our spending for
this Christmas bash.
Then out from the ads there
arose a clear calling, I read through the papers to see
prices were falling. Away to the Mall I flew like a
flash,
tore open my wallet and doled out
the cash.
The glitter of tinsel in window
displays
told us all to buy NOW, and dare not
delay.
When what with my gaping eyes should
I see
but a sale -- VCR's and color TV's.
With the power of plastic,
so easy and quick, I knew in a moment this season was
licked.
For who would deny that as soon as
I'd pay,
I could promise my kin a bright
holiday.
Now tinsel, now holly, now
ribbons and wrappings! Buy garlands, buy eggnog,
buy all of the trappings. To Hallmark and Sears,
to the rest of the mall,
now charge away, charge away, charge
away all!
While I finished buying the
gifts for the clan,
the family continued their holiday
plans.
Now off to their parties and
programs they flew.
With Christmas approaching, there's
so much to do!
And then in a twinkling, I had a
quick thought,
while standing and gazing at each
gift I'd bought; the sweaters, the CD's, the football
and phone,
Nintendo and Walkman, the clock for
our home.
There's got to be more to this
season called joy... Ah, yes, I remember -- the birth of
a boy.
How soon we forget the real
celebration;
God giving the gifts of love and
salvation.
And so with the season comes
possible danger,
of forgetting the wonder -- the Babe
in the manger. So let me proclaim, as we start to
prepare,
Jesus Is Born, Spread His Love
Everywhere!
Author
Unknown
Another
Night Before Christmas.......
Twas the night
before Christmas And I was uptight. There WAS
something missing. Felt something's not right.
The holiday fluff was hung up with
care. Retailers were glad. For sales goals were there. I with my bottle. Wife under stress. Guests were
obnoxious. A fine Christmas mess.
With Christmas depression, I happen
to spy. A dusty old Bible. Without knowing why. Picked
up the old book and turned to the story. Back to the
time, of Christmas glory.
The shepherds were watching their
sheep in the night. And LO! Up above a WONDERFUL sight. The Angels were singing in GLORIOUS praise. A babe in a
manger, Who'll from sin mankind raise.
And up in the
sky. Beholding afar. O'er mother and babe, a BRIGHT
shining star. Leaving their flocks, to see that night. Our tiny Savior, Who'll set evil to flight.
With tears in my eyes, I remembered
the reason. This tiny child, was the cause for the
season. I called out through the house. And gathered my
clan. And read from the Bible, so they'd understand.
We sang that night. We worshiped the
King. And we felt the JOY, of what Christmas brings. We drew closer together. Filled with His Light. Merry
Christmas to all. To all a Good Night.
Ron Myers ronmyerstx@sprintmail.com
Twas
the Night Before Jesus Came
Author Unknown
'Twas the
night before Jesus came and all through the house Not a
creature was praying, not one in the house. Their Bibles
were lain on the shelf without care In hopes that Jesus
would not come there.
The children were dressing to crawl
into bed, Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And
Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap Was watching the
Late Show while I took a nap.
When out of the East there arose
such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the
matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash Tore
open the shutters and threw up the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes
should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray I
knew in a moment this must be The Day!
The light of His face made me cover
my head It was Jesus! returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth I cried
when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in
His hand Was written the name of every saved man. He
spoke not a word as He searched for my name; When He said
"It's not here" my head hung in shame.
The people
whose names had been written with love He gathered to
take to His Father above. With those who were ready He
rose without a sound While all the rest were left
standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too
late; I had waited too long and this sealed my fate. I
stood and I cried as they rose out of sight; Oh, if only
I had been ready tonight.
In the words of this poem the
meaning is clear; The coming of Jesus is drawing near. There's only one life and when comes the last call We'll
find that the Bible was true after all!
Notes: According to
Doug Anderson (at http://www.magicdoug.com/dougchurches/biblestudies/nightbeforejesus.htm), several different people or groups have claimed to have
written this poem, with a few asserting copyright.
Possible authors include: - Herbert Brokering (1977 book
"Twas the Night Before Jesus" published by Concordia Publishing
House, St. Louis, MO) - Audrey Patricia Woolverton:
http://www.btmi.org/Christmas/twas.html - Stormy Gale:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Fields/8616/christmas/nightbefore.html - Bethany Farms - Dianne Frances Donenfeld
'TWAS
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
'Twas the night
before Christmas and all through the house, Not a
creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
And on goes the story about
Christmas Eve
And the jolly old man in whom we
believe.
Have you even wondered how Santa
came to be
So important to Christmas and to you
and to me?
Well, it all began a long time ago,
The night before Christ to earth was
to go.
All prepared to make Christ's
birth well announced, With angels and music and anthems
pronounced.
But alas, all had forgotten in the
final rush
How to make Christ's birthday
remembered to us.
The kingdom was searched for the
most excellent plan That would help us remember God's
gift to man.
A saintly old fellow, so jolly and
gay
Came up with the best plan that was
offered that day.
He said, "Send a fellow each year
at this time
Who would help people be happy and
comfort their minds; He could help man remember that God
loves us so
By bringing presents to both friend
and foe.
"He would show by example that
true love and joy
Come only when shared with each girl
and each boy." Heaven decided that Santa's plan would be
just right, And Santa was asked to play the part that
very first night.
So from the first Christmas right
down to today,
When one heard the bells jingling
and saw the big sleigh, They knew it was Santa making
his way
To remind the world of the love
Jesus gave.
So, this night before Christmas
when you hear Santa come, Remember he's doing it for the
love of God's Son. Remember that he teaches as did
Christ of old
That to give of one's self is more
precious than gold.
Author Unknown
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
'Twas the first
night of Christmas a long time ago The hillside was
peaceful, the moon was aglow.
The world couldn't know from what
happened before That men would remember this night
evermore.
The sheep on the hillside--their
days journey over Were dreaming sweet dreams of a field
full of clover. The shepherds were watchful while
guarding their flock The earth was their pillow, the
stars were their clock.
Then all of a sudden, they
jumped at the sight
Of the sky all ablaze with a
heavenly light.
They huddled in fear, then they
started to rise
As the lightening-like flash tore
open the skies.
The heavens were split by the
silvery ray.
The dark disappeared and the night
became day.
And lo, at the end of the rainbow of
light
Appeared then an angel to banish
their fright.
The angel brought news of a
birth in a manger
And bade them to hasten to welcome
the stranger.
For Mary had just given birth to a
boy
Whose coming would bring so much
comfort and joy.
A choir of angels looked down from
the sky
And heavenly voices were heard from
on high:
Peace be on earth and good will to
all men.
The Savior has come on this night,
Amen.
The heavenly angels then faded
from sight.
The sky once again turned from day
to night.
The shepherds all quietly rose from
the ground
And hurried to go where the child
would be found.
As they reached Bethlehem and the
inn was in sight It led like a path to a soft little bed
And shone very tenderly on a child's
head.
The child in the manger was sleeping
so sound
His eyes were still closed, as
the shepherds stood round. Thousands of years would be
warmed by the glow.
Guided by light from a bright
shining star
Came a pilgrimage led of three kings
from afar.
They were dressed in the finest
of satins and lace. Their complexions were that of an
Orient race.
The three wealthy kings were wise
men and proud
But they went to the Christ child
and solemnly bowed.
They came bearing treasures of
incense and gold
To that sweet little child, still
not very old.
The star in the sky twinkled down
from above
The world was awakened to kindness
and love.
The past was forgotten, the
future was bright
And the spirit of Christmas was born
on that night.
Author Unknown
ANIMALS at the
NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST CHRISTMAS NATIVITY STORY
"Twas the night before the first Christmas and all through
the stable, The animals were keeping as warm as
they were able. After saying goodnight with baas, neighs
and moos, They'd just settled down for a long winter's
snooze.
When outside the barn, they heard the latch
squeaking As the door opened wide, groaning and
creaking.
And what did they see by the
starlight's bright glow But a man and a woman, with a
donkey in tow.
The woman lay down on the straw
the man piled,
And the animals saw she was heavy
with child.
So they drew close around to ward
off the chill air And drifted to sleep as they kept
vigil there.
They woke with a start at a cry
that they heard,
And saw a miraculous thing had
occurred:
On the hay lay a Baby, brand new to
the world,
his hair still damp, little fingers
all curled.
He was wrapped up in rags in His
straw manger bed, And a luminous halo encircled his
head.
His smile was so peaceful, His eyes
held them transfixed With feelings of hope, joy and
wonder, all mixed.
And the love
that they felt...if they could share just a part, They
knew it could change the whole world, heart by heart. They heard angels above announcing His birth,
Singing, "Glory to God and peace on
the earth!"
Shepherds left the fields to
come to adore Him,
Offering gifts and bowing before
Him.
And the animals, too, knelt down in
the hay,
Knowing Love was newborn among them
that day.
As you ponder once more the
Nativity story,
may you wonder anew at God's
goodness and glory!
Author Unknown
The Joys
of Christmas
T'was the night
before Christmas And all through our town Not a
television was blarring Not even a sound
The children were snug In their
beds with care Warned by their parents Not to come
down the stairs
In just a few hours My eyes shall
see My most desired gift Neatly wrapped under the tree
Morning came quickly My feet hit
the floor A bicycle and basketball Just outside my
door
Could I be happier Than this
Christmas day I got what I wanted It's the American
way
I'll never forget That rap on the
door The young child's face Happy but poor
My mom soon asked The purpose of
her call A few morsels of bread Were the only thing at
all
I saw the tears As they ran down
her face My Mom's gentle hug And a meal given with
grace
What a lesson I learned That cold
December day The joy of Christmas Came in a very
special way.
Merry Christmas to all And to all
a blessed night...
By Wade Trump
A Politically Correct Christmas Poem
Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck... How to live in a world that's politically correct? His
workers no longer would answer to "Elves", "Vertically
Challenged" they were calling themselves. And labor
conditions at the North Pole, were alleged by the union,
to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished without
much propriety, released to the wilds, by the Humane
Society. And equal employment had made it quite clear, that Santa had better not use just reindeer. So Dancer
and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
were replaced with 4 pigs, and you
know that looked stupid!
The runners had been removed
from his beautiful sleigh, because the ruts were deemed
dangerous by the EPA, And millions of people were calling
the Cops,
when they heard sled noises upon
their roof tops. Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his
workers quite frightened, and his fur trimmed red suit
was called "unenlightened".
To show you the
strangeness of today's ebbs and flows, Rudolf was suing
over unauthorized use of his nose. He went to Geraldo,
in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due
workers compensation.
So...half of the reindeer were
gone, and his wife who suddenly said she'd had enough of
this life, joined a self help group, packed and left in a
whiz, demanding from now on that her title was Ms.
And as for gifts...why, he'd never
had the notion that making a choice could cause such
commotion. Nothing of leather, nothing of fur... Which
meant nothing for him or nothing for her. Nothing to aim,
Nothing to shoot, Nothing that clamored or made lots of
noise. Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys. Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,
Nothing that's warlike or
non-pacifistic.
No candy or sweets...they were bad
for the tooth. Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the
truth. And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden, were
like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden, for they raised
the hackles of those psychological, who claimed the only
good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no
football...someone might get hurt, besides - playing
sports exposed kids to dirt. Dolls were said to be sexist
and should be passe. and Nintendo would rot your entire
brain away.
So Santa just stood there,
disheveled and perplexed, he just couldn't figure out
what to do next? He tried to be merry he tried to be gay, but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day. His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground, nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might, give
to us all, without angering the left or the right. A gift
that would satisfy - with no indecision, each group of
people in every religion. Every race, every hue, everyone, everywhere...even you! So here is that gift,
it's price beyond worth...
"MAY
YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ENJOY PEACE ON EARTH"
Twas The Night Before Christmas Short Title: Jehovah
Twas the night
before Christmas and all through the land, Satan was
worshipped the way he had planned. The churches had
fallen for one of his lies , The kids looked for Santa
Claus up in the skies. The preacher knew Jesus wasn't
born on this day, and he knew that the pagans worshipped
just the same way. He knew we should worship with truth
and with spirit, but the buyers and sellers just refused
to hear it. So he stood in the pulpit and passed on the
story, and the whole world did likewise and fell short of
God's glory.
But I with my bible and God's Holy
Spirit, wrote this little poem for the honest to hear it. While out in the world there arose such a clatter, the
people asked the government, what was the matter. Nobody
looked to God's word for the answer, and the world just
got sicker-as with deadly cancer. So my prayer to JEHOVAH
as I pray it tonight, is for all to flee darkness and run
to God's light.
Subject: A Christmas Poem (the truth about
christmas) From: marposa@usit.net
Title: Have a Very Chocolaty Christmas
Author: Stephanie
Chocolate is a great gift for the
holiday season. Romantic, delicious, professional, fun... chocolate can make whatever
impression you want it to.
Chocolate is hugely popular as
a romantic gift. High quality chocolates have a delightful scent and taste even better. A beautiful
box of fine chocolate can express your feelings very well and is almost always
appreciated.
Don't limit yourself to chocolate in boxes for romance.
Think about a romantic evening in front of the fire with hot chocolate.
Think about delicious chocolate desserts. Think decadent.
However, chocolate can also make a great
professional gift for clients if you have a business. Most people love it, and in a
business setting there doesn't have to be anything romantic about it.
If you want to have a bit of fun with
chocolate, try it molded into fun shapes. I've seen chocolate credit cards, chocolate moose
(yes, the animal) and many other fun shapes. These shapes are lots of fun to give when you
want to give a less than serious gift.
If you're having company over, chocolates make a great after-dinner
treat. Try small individual squares, chocolate truffles
or other chocolates that make it easy to take one piece at a time.
For a delicious dessert, chocolate ice
cream, chocolate cake or chocolate cheesecake are delightful options.
As for brands, Ghirardelli is a great brand if you want
something from the U.S. Their dark chocolate with raspberry squares and
their mint chocolates are particularly good. Internationally, Godiva is quite well
known. Leonidas also makes exceptional chocolates. They aren't cheap... not by a long shot,
but for special occasions the money is well spent.
Feeling
adventurous in the kitchen? Try baking with chocolate at
home! Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, fudge... loads
of fun for the entire family and such a sweet reward after.
For even simpler fun, get a chocolate
fountain. These can be had fairly affordably, although I recommend making sure you get
one strong enough to use real chocolate in, rather than chocolate sauce, which I saw
in a child's version of a chocolate fountain. The one problem is the amount of chocolate
required, but what a hit at a party. All you need is a good variety of foods for dipping,
such as strawberries or other fruit, pretzels, cookies and so forth.
The holiday season is the time to let go and indulge yourself and
those you love just a little. While you don't want to overdo
it, enjoying chocolate as you celebrate is a great way to add to the fun.
Warning: the video the video below "White Trash
Christmas" though funny is also crude and may be offensive
to some, and is not recommended for children.
