RULES FOR DAILY LIFE

Begin the day with God

Kneel down to Him in prayer;

Lift up thy heart to His abode.

And seek His love to share.

Open the book of God

And read a portion there;

That it may hallow all thy thoughts,

And sweeten all thy care.

Go through the day with God

Whate’er thy work may be;

Where’er thou art—at home, abroad,

He still is near to thee.

Converse in mind with God

Thy spirit heavenward raise:

Acknowledge every good bestowed,

And offer grateful praise.

Conclude the day with God

Thy sins to Him confess;

Trust in the Lord’s atoning blood,

And plead His righteousness.

Lie down at night with God

Who gives His servants sleep;

And when thou tread’st the vale of death,

He will thee guard and keep.

I SAID A PRAYER FOR YOU

I said a prayer for you today

and know God must have heard.

I felt the answer in my heart

although He spoke no word.

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame

(I knew you wouldn’t mind)

I asked Him to send treasures

of a far more lasting kind!

I asked that He’d be near you

at the start of each new day

To grant you health and blessings

and friends to share your way!

I asked for happiness for you

in all things great and small,

But it was for His loving care

I prayed the most of all!

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

I cannot tell why there should come to me

A thought of someone miles and miles away!

In swift insistence on the memory,

Unless a need there be that I should pray.

Too hurried oft are we to spare the thought,

For days together, of some friends away;

Perhaps God does it for us, and we ought

To read His signal as a call to pray.

Perhaps, just then, my friend has fiercer fight,

And more appalling weakness and decay

Of courage, darkness, some lost sense of right;

And so, in case he needs my prayer, I pray.

Friend, do the same for me. If I intrude

Unasked upon you, on some crowded day,

Give me a moment’s prayer as interlude;

Be very sure I need it, therefore, pray.

And when you pray, dear friend, I ask of thee,

That thou will seek of God not mine own way;

Not what I want, but His blest thought for me,

Do thou through Jesus Christ implore, I pray.

Marianne Farningham

(the last verse added by James M. Gray)

ONE DAY AT A TIME

One day at a time,

with its failures and fears,

With its hurts and mistakes,

with its weakness and tears,

With its portion of pain

and its burden of care,

One day at a time we must

meet and must bear.

One day at a time to be

patient and strong;

To be calm under trial and

sweet under wrong;

Then its toiling shall pass

and its sorrow shall cease,

It shall darken and die,

and the night shall

bring peace.

One day at a time —

but the day is so long,

And the heart is not brave,

and the soul is not strong,

O Thou pitiful Christ,

be Thou near all the way,

Give courage and patience

and strength for the day.

Swift cometh His answer,

so clear and so sweet;

“Yea, I will be with thee;

thy troubles to meet;

I will not forget thee,

nor fail thee, nor grieve;

I will not forsake thee;

I never will leave.”

Not yesterday’s load we

are called on to bear,

Nor the morrow’s uncertain

and shadowy care;

Why should we look forward

or back with dismay?

Our needs, as our mercies,

are but for the day.

One day at a time,

and the day is His day;

He hath numbered its hours,

though they haste or delay.

His grace is sufficient,

we walk not alone,

As the day, so the strength

that He giveth His own.

ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT

NEVER ALONE

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee- Hebrews 13:5

I’m never alone in the morning

As I rise at the break of day,

For Jesus who watched through the darkness

Says, “Lo, I am with you alway.”

I’m never alone at my table

Though loved ones no longer I see;

For dearer than all who have vanished

Is Jesus who breaks bread with me.

I’m never alone through the daylight,

Though nothing but trials I see;

Though the furnace be seven times heated

The ‘form of the fourth’ walks with me.

I’m never alone at the twilight

When darkness around me doth creep

And specters press hard round my pillow.

He watches and cares while I sleep.

I’m walking and talking with Jesus

Each day as I travel along.

I’m never alone. Hallelujah!

The joy of the Lord is my song.

Elizabeth Osborn

BABOUSCKA

Long, long ago, a great many yesterdays ago, the Babouscka, who was even then an old woman, was busy sweeping her little hut. She lived in the coldest corner of cold Russia, and she lived alone in a lonely place where four wide roads met. These roads were at this time white with snow, for it was winter time. In the summer, when the fields were full of flowers and the air full of sunshine and singing birds, Babouscka's home did not seem so very quiet; but in the winter, with only the snowflakes and the shy snow-birds and the loud wind for company, the little old woman felt very cheerless. But she was a busy old woman, and as it was already twilight, and her home but half swept, she felt in a great hurry to finish her work before bedtime. You must know the Babouscka was poor and could not afford to do her work by candle-light.

Presently, down the widest and the lonesomest of the white roads, there appeared a long train of people coming. They were walking slowly, and seemed to be asking each other questions as to which way they should take. As the procession came nearer, and finally stopped outside the little hut, Babouscka was frightened at the splendor. There were Three Kings, with crowns on their heads, and the jewels on the Kings' breastplates sparkled like sunlight. Their heavy fur cloaks were white with the falling snow-flakes, and the queer humpy camels on which they rode looked white as milk in the snow-storm. The harness on the camels was decorated with gold, and plates of silver adorned the saddles. The saddle-cloths were of the richest Eastern stuffs, and all the servants had the dark eyes and hair of an Eastern people.

The slaves carried heavy loads on their backs, and each of the Three Kings carried a present. One carried a beautiful transparent jar, and in the fading light Babouscka could see in it a golden liquid which she knew from its color must be myrrh. Another had in his hand a richly woven bag, and it seemed to be heavy, as indeed it was, for it was full of gold. The third had a stone vase in his hand, and from the rich perfume which filled the snowy air, one could guess the vase to have been filled with incense.

Babouscka was terribly frightened, so she hid herself in her hut, and let the servants knock a long time at her door before she dared open it and answer their questions as to the road they should take to a far-away town. You know she had never studied a geography lesson in her life, was old and stupid and scared. She knew the way across the fields to the nearest village, but she knew nothing else of all the wide world full of cities. The servants scolded, but the Three Kings spoke kindly to her, and asked her to accompany them on their journey that she might show them the way as far as she knew it. They told her, in words so simple that she could not fail to understand, that they had seen a Star in the sky and were following it to a little town where a young Child lay. The snow was in the sky now, and the Star was lost out of sight.

"Who is the Child?" asked the old woman.

"He is a King, and we go to worship him," they answered. "These presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh are for Him. When we find Him we will take the crowns off our heads and lay them at His feet. Come with us, Babouscka!"

What do you suppose? Shouldn't you have thought the poor little woman would have been glad to leave her desolate home on the plains to accompany these Kings on their journey?

But the foolish woman shook her head. No, the night was dark and cheerless, and her little home was warm and cozy. She looked up into the sky, and the Star was nowhere to be seen. Besides, she wanted to put her hut in order--perhaps she would be ready to go to-morrow. But the Three Kings could not wait; so when to-morrow's sun rose they were far ahead on their journey. It seemed like a dream to poor Babouscka, for even the tracks of the camels' feet were covered by the deep white snow. Everything was the same as usual; and to make sure that the night's visitors had not been a fancy, she found her old broom hanging on a peg behind the door, where she had put it when the servants knocked.

Now that the sun was shining, and she remembered the glitter of the gold and the smell of the sweet gums and myrrh, she wished she had gone with the travelers.

And she thought a great deal about the dear Baby the Three Kings had gone to worship. She had no children of her own - nobody loved her - ah, if she had only gone! The more she brooded on the thought, the more miserable she grew, till the very sight of her home became hateful to her.

It is a dreadful feeling to realize that one has lost a chance of happiness. There is a feeling called remorse that can gnaw like a sharp little tooth. Babouscka felt this little tooth cut into her heart every time she remembered the visit of the Three Kings.

After a while the thought of the Little Child became her first thought at waking and her last at night. One day she shut the door of her house forever, and set out on a long journey. She had no hope of overtaking the Three Kings, but she longed to find the Child, that she too might love and worship Him. She asked every one she met, and some people thought her crazy, but others gave her kind answers. Have you perhaps guessed that the young Child whom the Three Kings sought was our Lord himself?

People told Babouscka how He was born in a manger, and many other things which you children have learned long ago. These answers puzzled the old dame mightily. She had but one idea in her ignorant head. The Three Kings had gone to seek a Baby. She would, if not too late, seek Him too.

She forgot, I am sure, how many long years had gone by. She looked in vain for the Christ-child in His manger-cradle. She spent all her little savings in toys and candy so as to make friends with little children, that they might not run away when she came hobbling into their nurseries.

Now you know for whom she is sadly seeking when she pushes back the bed-curtains and bends down over each baby's pillow. Sometimes, when the old grandmother sits nodding by the fire, and the bigger children sleep in their beds, old Babouscka comes hobbling into the room, and whispers softly, "Is the young Child here?"

Ah, no; she has come too late, too late. But the little children know her and love her. Two thousand years ago she lost the chance of finding Him. Crooked, wrinkled, old, sick and sorry, she yet lives on, looking into each baby's face--always disappointed, always seeking. Will she find Him at last?

THE GOLDEN COBWEBS

I am going to tell you a story about something wonderful that happened to a Christmas tree like this, ever and ever so long ago, when it was once upon a time.

It was before Christmas, and the tree was all trimmed with pop-corn and silver nuts and pretty glass balls and little wooden toys, and stood safely out of sight in a room where the doors were locked, so that the children should not see it before it was time. But ever so many other little house-people had seen it. The big black pussy saw it with her great green eyes; the little gray kitty saw it with her little blue eyes; the kind house-dog saw it with his steady brown eyes; the yellow canary saw it with his wise, bright eyes. Even the wee, wee mice that were so afraid of the cat had peeped one peek when no one was by.

But there was some one who hadn't seen the Christmas tree. It was the little gray spider!

You see, the spiders lived in the corners -- the warm corners of the sunny attic and the dark corners of the nice cellar. And they were expecting to see the Christmas Tree as much as anybody. But just before Christmas a great cleaning-up began in the house. The house-mother came sweeping and dusting and wiping and scrubbing, to make everything grand and clean for the Christ-child's birthday. Her broom went into all the corners, poke, poke, poke -- and of course the spiders had to run! Not one could stay in the house while the Christmas cleanness lasted. So, you see, they couldn't see the Christmas Tree.

Spiders like to know all about everything, and see all there is to see, and they were very sad. So at last they went to the Christ-child and told him all about it.

"All the others see the Christmas Tree, dear Christ-child," they said; "but we, who are so domestic and so fond of beautiful things, we are cleaned up! We cannot see it all."

The Christ-child was very sorry for the little spiders when he heard this, and he said they should see the Christmas Tree.

The day before Christmas when nobody was noticing, he let them all go in, to look as long as ever they liked.

They came creepy, creepy, creepy, down the attic stairs, creepy, creepy, creepy, up the cellar stairs, creepy, creepy, along the halls - and into the beautiful room. The fat mother spiders and the old papa spiders were there, and all the little teenty, tonty, curly spiders, the baby ones. And then they looked! Round and round the Tree they crawled, and looked and looked and looked. Oh, what a good time they had! They thought it was perfectly beautiful. And when they looked at everything they could see from the floor, they started up the Tree to see some more. All over the tree they ran, creepy, crawly, looking at every single thing. Up and down, in and out, over every branch and twig the little spiders ran, and saw every one of the pretty things right up close.

They stayed until they had seen all there was to see, you may be sure, and then they went away at last, quite happy.

Then, in the still, dark night before Christmas Day, the dear Christ-child came, to bless the Tree for the Children. But when he looked at it - what do you suppose? - it was covered with cobwebs! Everywhere the little spiders had been they had left a spider-web; and you know they had been just everywhere. So the Tree was covered from its trunk to its tip with spider-webs, all hanging from the branches and looped around the twigs; it was a strange sight.

What could the Christ-child do? He knew that house-mothers do not like cobwebs; it would never, never do to have a Christmas Tree covered with those. No, indeed!

So the dear Christ-child touched the spiders' webs, and turned them all to gold! Wasn't that a lovely trimming? They shone and shone, all over the beautiful Tree. And that is the way the Christmas Tree came to have golden cobwebs on it.

MORE CHRISTMAS QUOTES

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~ Norman Vincent Peale, American Protestant religious leader, author

There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.

~ Erma Bombeck, American author and humorist

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.

~ Peg Bracken

The earth has grown old with its burden of care

But at Christmas it always is young,

The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair

And its soul full of music breaks the air,

When the song of angels is sung.

~ Phillips Brooks, American Episcopal bishop, wrote 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given - when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.

~ Joan Winmill Brown, American author and editor

This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.

~ Taylor Caldwell, English novelist

Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree.

~ Charlotte Carpenter

There are no strangers on Christmas Eve.

~ Adele Comandini and Edward Sutherland

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.

~ Calvin Coolidge, American president

Christmas, in its final essence, is for grown people who have forgotten what children know. Christmas is for whoever is old enough to have denied the unquenchable spirit of man.

~ Margaret Cousins, senior editor Doubleday Publishing Company

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'.

~ Bing Crosby, American singer and film actor

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit.

~ Isabel Currier

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.

~ Charles Dickens, English author. From 'A Christmas Carol'

Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget.

~ Hugh Downs, American newscaster

They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart.

~ Mrs. Paul M. Ell

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.

~ W. T. Ellis

Christmas, my child, is love in action.

~ Dale Evans, American film actress, singer and songwriter

Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.

~ Lenore Hershey

My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages. They smell of Christmas still.

~ Charlton Heston, American film actor

At Christmas, all roads lead home.

~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart.

~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?

~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.

~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.

~ Washington Irving, American short-story writer and essayist

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.

~ W. C. Jones

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.

~ Garrison Keillor, American author

Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.

~ Robert Lynd, American sociologist

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart...filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.

~ Bess Streeter Aldrich, American author, 'Song of Years'

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

~ Oren Arnold

I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays--let them overtake me unexpectedly--waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 'Why this is Christmas Day!'"

~ Ray Stannard Baker, American author, journalist

The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!

~ Charles N. Barnard, American author, travel writer

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~ Hamilton Wright Mabie, American author, essayist and critic

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

~ Harlan Miller

Christmas is the keeping-place for memories of our innocence.

~ Joan Mills

Christmas is, of course, the time to be home - in heart as well as body.

~ Garry Moore

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

~ Agnes M. Pahro

I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.

~ Norman Vincent Peale, American Protestant religious leader, author

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.

~ Andy Rooney, American writer, producer, humorist

The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature.

~ Andy Rooney, American writer, producer, humorist

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

~ Augusta E. Rundell

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.

~ Charles Schulz, American cartoonist 'Peanuts'

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.

~ Eric Sevareid, American newscaster

Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more.

~ Dr. Seuss, American author of children's books

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.

~ Eric Sevareid, American newscaster

Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion.

~ Ralph Sockman

He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree.

~ Sunshine Magazine

Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends.

~ Margaret Thatcher

At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year.

~ Thomas Tusser

Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.

~ Lenora Mattingly, American author

Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone.

~ Deborah Whipp

Which Christmas is the most vivid to me? It's always the next Christmas.

~ Joanne Woodward, American film actress

THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE

It was December 25, 1914, only 5 months into World War I. German, British, and French soldiers, already sick and tired of the senseless killing, disobeyed their superiors and fraternized with "the enemy" along two-thirds of the Western Front (a crime punishable by death in times of war). German troops held Christmas trees up out of the trenches with signs, "Merry Christmas."

"You no shoot, we no shoot." Thousands of troops streamed across a no-man's land strewn with rotting corpses. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged photographs of loved ones back home, shared rations, played football, even roasted some pigs. Soldiers embraced men they had been trying to kill a few short hours before. They agreed to warn each other if the top brass forced them to fire their weapons, and to aim high.

A shudder ran through the high command on either side. Here was disaster in the making: soldiers declaring their brotherhood with each other and refusing to fight. Generals on both sides declared this spontaneous peacemaking to be treasonous and subject to court martial. By March 1915 the fraternization movement had been eradicated and the killing machine put back in full operation. By the time of the armistice in 1918, fifteen million would be slaughtered.

Not many people have heard the story of the Christmas Truce. On Christmas Day, 1988, a story in the Boston Globe mentioned that a local FM radio host played "Christmas in the Trenches," a ballad about the Christmas Truce, several times and was startled by the effect. The song became the most requested recording during the holidays in Boston on several FM stations. "Even more startling than the number of requests I get is the reaction to the ballad afterward by callers who hadn't heard it before," said the radio host. "They telephone me deeply moved, sometimes in tears, asking, 'What the hell did I just hear?' "

I think I know why the callers were in tears. The Christmas Truce story goes against most of what we have been taught about people. It gives us a glimpse of the world as we wish it could be and says, "This really happened once." It reminds us of those thoughts we keep hidden away, out of range of the TV and newspaper stories that tell us how trivial and mean human life is. It is like hearing that our deepest wishes really are true: the world really could be different.

by David G. Stratman

From his book We Can Change the World

THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER

Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten the money to buy what was in the shoebox.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"

As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her.

But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady," he said harshly, "when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!"

The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full."

The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

SOME GREAT CHRISTMAS QUOTES

The merry family gatherings-

The old, the very young;

The strangely lovely way they

Harmonize in carols sung.

For Christmas is tradition time-

Traditions that recall

The precious memories down the years,

The sameness of them all.

|| Helen Lowrie Marshall

There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions || Bill McKibben

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month || Harlan Miller

Christmas is the keeping - place for memories of our innocence || Joan Mills

Christmas is, of course, the time to be home - in heart as well as body || Garry Moore

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace || Agnes M. Pharo

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly || Andy Rooney

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart || George Matthew Adams

The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting || Louisa May Alcott

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever || Bess Streeter Aldrich

The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect! || Charles N. Barnard

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas || Peg Bracken

The earth has grown old with its burden of care But at Christmas it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair And its soul full of music breaks the air, When the song of angels is sung || Phillips Brooks

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never aone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the word seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses || Taylor Caldwell

Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree || Charlotte Carpenter

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas || Calvin Coolidge

Christmas, in its final essence, is for grown people who have forgotten what children know. Christmas is for whoever is old enough to have denied the unquenchable spirit of man || Margaret Cousins

Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white' || Bing Crosby

Whatever else be lost among the years, Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing: Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, Let us hold close one day, remembering Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men. Let us get back our childlike faith again || Grace Noll Crowell

It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one's fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit || Isabel Currier

Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget || Hugh Downs

They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart || Paul M. Ell

If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away || Unknown

Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display - so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree not the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again || Unknown

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world - stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas || Henry Van Dyke

Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts || Lenora Mattingly Weber

Christmas, my child, is love in action || Dale Evans

Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal || Lenore Hershey

My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages. They smell of Christmas still || Charlton Heston

At Christmas, all roads lead home || Marjorie Holmes

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? || Bob Hope

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas || W. C. Jones

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away; While quite unselfish, it grows small || Eva K. Logue

Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive || Robert Lynd

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love || Hamilton Wright Mabi

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved || Augusta E. Rundel

Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone || Charles Schulz

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is || Eric Sevareid

Christmas is the day that holds time together || Alexander Smith

Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has been called our most pregnant human faculty, for in it are born our art, our science, our religion || Ralph Sockman

Christmas - is not an eternal event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart || Freya Stark

Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends || Margaret Thatcher

At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year || Thomas Tusser

Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles || Unknown

Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone || Deborah Whipp

Somehow, not only for Christmas,

But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others,

Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing,

The poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart's possessing,

Returns to you glad.

|| John Greenleaf Whittier

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall || Larry Wilde

JOEL

The kids on the bus asked, "You coming to the basketball game tonight?"

"I can't. My grandmother's coming to visit tonight." Joel was patient in his repeated denials.

There was no visit from grandmother, of course, just another of Joel's well devised covers for the truth. Joel never went anywhere but straight to the house.

Blake House had been Joel's and his mother's home for the first four months of the school year. The place wasn't bad. There simply wasn't any privacy. Sharing a room with his mother was easier since she started going to night school. Many nights by the time she returned, Joel was already in pajamas and ready for sleep.

For Joel's mom, the Blake House, in spite of the difficulties, was nothing short of a miracle. She knew it was hard on a boy of Joel's age but it was a comfort to know that he realized it was necessary for them. One more day with her husband may have been the end of her or her son, and Joel knew it too. In a way, it was his growing intervention in the assaults that convinced her they had to leave.

For Joel, things had a calm predictability and the days went by quickly. His mom, though, was tormented by uncertainty. With the help of the Blake House staff she had found a part-time job and a grant for vocational training. In spite of their support, it was hard to imagine a time when she might stand on her own. She married young and never learned a way to support herself; this was a tough way to learn.

As Christmas approached, she started preparing Joel for the reality of the upcoming holiday. She'd say they would have a nice dinner with the staff and the other families at Blake House and then they would walk a few blocks north to take in the view downtown from the overpass. She would explain that, with luck, they could be in their own home by March and they would have a private Christmas and presents.

"I don't need Christmas and I don't need presents," Joel grumbled each time. "Scrooge!" she quipped back.

She was proud of his effort to deal with his envy of other children's holiday excitement at school. He was so serious, though. She wished there was something she could do to give him a lighter heart and a happier Christmas.

On the Saturday before Christmas the families and staff were enjoying their holiday supper when Joan, the House counselor, called Joel's mom into her office.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Joan asked.

"Joel and I are going to walk downtown to the overpass to look at the lights and decorations a little later."

Joan pointed out the front window of her office, "Maybe you'd prefer to ride instead of walk." Curbside sat a polished, black Lincoln Town Car with the front window rolled down. The driver saluted a friendly acknowledgement.

"I don't understand," was all Joel's mom could get out before Joan continued.

"An anonymous friend of Blake House has made arrangements for you and Joel to have use of this car for the next five hours … which will come in very handy since the performance is across town. If you leave now, you'll have time to get in some shopping before the show. What d'ya say? I thought so!" Joan smiled and led her out of the office to get Joel.

"Ma'am," said the driver opening the door as the two approached the car.

"What's up with this, mom?" blurted Joel as the second door shut.

"We're going to the show," she said bewildered, holding up her hands.

As the driver settled back into the Lincoln, he turned and smiled, saying, "I'll be taking you to the mall before the show. And I was asked to give this to you first." The driver produced an envelope and gave it to the lady before he turned to set off.

"Please forgive this intrusion into your privacy," the note began. "I hope you accept this invitation to a Christmas celebration. Enclosed you will find two tickets to tonight's performance of 'A Christmas Carol' and a small token of appreciation for your loving care of Joel."

The tickets and a $100 gift certificate slipped into her hand.

The note continued, "Christmas is a time of hope and of gratitude. In hopes of a prosperous New Year for you, and in gratitude to loving mothers like you, I wish you a Merry Christmas. Remember, you are never alone in this world because where love lives, friends always follow, seen or unseen. Sincerely, The Spirit of St. Nicholas. P.S. You do not need to tip the driver."

"What's wrong, mom?"

"Nothing, honey," she whispered through tears, hugging her son. "We're gonna go Christmas shopping, my little Scrooge!"

The mother and son felt special that magical night and for many days and nights that followed. The excitement of the performance and the touching story of the play stayed with Joel and his mother for a long time.

It took a little longer than planned for them to get their own home, but by the following summer they began what was to be many years of stable and prosperous living. For that time and forevermore, Christmas became their favorite time of year.

THE GOLDEN SLIPPERS

It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season hadn't yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking lot of our local discount store. Inside the store, it was worse. Shopping carts and last minute shoppers jammed the aisles.

Why did I come today? I wondered. My feet ached almost as much as my head. My list contained names of several people who claimed they wanted nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt if I didn't buy them anything.

Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost of items, I considered gift-buying anything but fun.

Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last minute items and proceeded to the long checkout lines. I picked the shortest but it looked as if it would mean at least a 20 minute wait.

In front of me were two small children - a boy of about 5 and a younger girl. The boy wore a ragged coat. Enormously large, tattered tennis shoes jutted far out in front of his much too short jeans. He clutched several crumpled dollar bills in his grimy hands.

The girl's clothing resembled her brother's. Her head was a matted mass of curly hair. Reminders of an evening meal showed on her small face. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house slippers. As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo system, the girl hummed along, off-key but happily.

When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a treasure.

The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said.

The boy laid his crumpled dollars atop the stand while he searched his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12. "I Guess we will have to put them back," he bravely said. "We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow."

With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. "But Jesus would have loved these shoes," she cried.

"Well, we'll go home and work some more. Don't cry. We'll come back," he said.

Quickly I handed $3.00 to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time. And, after all, it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said, "Thank you lady."

"What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?" I asked.

The boy answered, "Our mommy is sick and going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus."

The girl spoke, "My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won't mommy be beautiful walking on those streets to match these shoes?"

My eyes flooded as I looked into her tear streaked face. "Yes" I answered,"I am sure she will."

Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of the true spirit of giving.

SELECTED CHRISTMAS QUOTES

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful || Norman Vincent Peale

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year || Charles Dickens

Then ye be glad, good people,

This night of all the year,

And light ye up your candles:

His star is shining near.

|| Unknown

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

|| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely,

Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas;

Star and angels gave the sign.

|| Christina Rossetti

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas || Calvin Coolidge

Somehow, not only for Christmas,

But all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others,

Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing,

The poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart's possessing,

Returns to you glad.

|| John Greenleaf Whittier

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home! || Charles Dickens

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love || Hamilton Wright Mabie

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace || Agnes M. Pharo

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas || W.C. Jones

Whatever else be lost among the years,

Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing:

Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,

Let us hold close one day, remembering

Its poignant meaning for the hearts of men.

Let us get back our childlike faith again.

|| Grace Noll Crowell

CHRISTMAS VERSION OF 1 CORINTHIANS 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

10 CHRISTMAS COMMANDMENTS

The following item appeared in a church newsletter and contains some good advice that will help us keep selfishness in check this Christmas:

~You shall not leave ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, making it ‘Xmas.’ To some, ‘X’ is unknown.

~You shall prepare your soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that your soul is forgotten.

~You shall not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality.

~You shall not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.

~You shall give yourself with your gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and the one who receives it shall treasure it forever.

~You shall not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.

~You shall not neglect the needy. Share your blessings with many who will go hungry and cold if you are not generous.

~You shall not neglect your church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season.

~You shall be as a little child. Not until you become in spirit as a little one are you ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

~You shall give your heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of your Christmas list.

Anyone keeping these commandments is sure to have a blessed Christmas.

CHRISTMAS CANDY CANE

A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane—a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear." I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.

CHRISTMAS IS...

Christmas is a gift of love wrapped in human flesh and tied securely with the strong promises of God.

Christmas is angelic music in the form of a carol and oratorio with a celestial descant.

Christmas is "glory to God," "good will to man," and "joy to the world."

Christmas is "peace on earth" for those who accept it and live in unity with God's will.

Christmas is a man on duty tending sheep, or machine, who senses the upward call and stops to worship.

Christmas is a tall green tree which serves as festive altar for any household which discovers the true meaning behind it all.

Christmas is a ringing bell calling a distraught humanity to gladness and hope.

Christmas is a glowing hearth gently placed in the winter of man's loneliness.

Christmas is an altar to which man can bring his heartache for comfort, his lostness for guidance, and his sin for forgiveness.

Christmas is the sparkle of anticipation and the steady light of faith in the eyes of a little child as he hears the old, old story.

Christmas is the shining star of hope in the sky of all mankind.

Christmas is more than words can tell, for it is a matter for the heart to receive, believe and understand.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Are you thinking of giving gifts to someone you care or love? Here are a few suggestions for special gifts:

~a firm handshake to a shaky soul,

~a kind word to a lonely person,

~a warm smile to the disheartened,

~a sincere concern for someone troubled,

~a feeling of compassion for the neglected,

~a comforting thought for the bereaved,

`a respect for the dignity of others,

~a defense of the rights of individuals,

~a word of witness to help a seeking soul,

~a Merry Christmas to all.

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

It’s sharing your gifts, not purchasing gifts;

It’s not wrapping presents, its being present

and wrapping your arms around the ones you love;

It’s not getting Christmas cards out on time,

It’s sending any card, anytime, at the right time;

It’s not having the biggest and best Christmas light display,

It’s displaying the Christ light that comes from your heart;

It’s not Santa coming down the chimney,

It’s Jesus coming down from heaven,

and giving us the gift of eternal life.

WARNING: THE ADVENT VIRUS

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

~A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

~An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

~A loss of interest in judging other people.

~A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

~A loss of interest in conflict.

~A loss of the ability to worry (this is a very serious symptom)

~Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

~Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

~Frequent attacks of smiling.

~An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.

~An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

THE MANGER WAS EMPTY

He arrived early on Christmas morning to give the church a thorough inspection, noting with approval that the aisles and seats had been swept and dusted after the midnight Christmas Eve service.  Any lost purses, Bibles, and gloves had been collected and sent to the office where the lost and found box was kept; every forgotten flyer and bulletin insert had been rounded up and discarded.

Outside it was just beginning to grow light.  In the church, where only the pastor moved, candles flickered and threw shifting shadows on the arches and the stone floor.  Occasionally, stray candlelight picked out the rich colors in the stained glass windows.  It was cold and, except for the pastor's slow tread, it was silent.

He paused beside the almost life-sized nativity scene to say a Christmas prayer of thanksgiving to the One whose birth is celebrated.  The figures, each lovingly crafted with wonderful realism, sat on a small stage.  A night sky and the star that led the shepherds and the wise men to the Messiah on the day of His birth could be seen through the open door of the stable.  The shepherds were just entering, eyes wide in obvious awe.  Various kinds of livestock stood in stalls or lay on the edges of the scene.  And in the center was the Holy Family.  Looking at the manger scene, the pastor could almost feel the reverence of that long ago night.

Slowly, a puzzled frown crept across his brow.  Then his choked gasp rustled through the empty church.

The manger was empty!  The small figure representing the infant Savior was gone.

Hurriedly, and with growing agitation, the pastor began to search the church again. Starting by the manger, he peered back through the aisles, nearly crawling on his hands and knees to see all the way under each seat.  But there was nothing.  Next, he called the custodian, thinking he may have seen the figure of the infant Jesus.  Then he called the assistant pastor and all the elders, but no one had any explanation.  In the end, each shaking his head sorrowfully, they accepted the truth they had all been trying to avoid:  The figure could not have been mislaid or lost--it must have been stolen.

With solemnity befitting the occasion, the pastor reported the theft to the congregation that assembled not long after.  His voice trembled as he told them what he had found earlier that morning.  For a person to steal the very symbol of their reason for celebrating, he said, their very reason for hope--well, he just did not understand.  His gaze swept over the faces in the early morning congregation, disappointed to think someone in his own congregation might do such a thing.

"The figure of the Christ Child," he said, "must be returned before this Christmas Day is over.  No one will ask any questions, but it must be brought back immediately."  Then, he slipped from the pulpit and the choir closed the service with a Christmas hymn, "O Come, Let Us Adore Him."

The manger remained empty throughout the day.

Toward the end of the afternoon, discouraged and heavy-hearted, the pastor took a walk through the wintry streets of the neighborhood.  Ahead of him he saw one of the youngest members of his flock, a six-year-old boy named Tommy.  Bundled shabbily against the cold, Tommy trudged up the sidewalk, proudly dragging behind him a toy express wagon.  It was bright and red and obviously Christmas-new.

Knowing what sacrifice and scrimping the purchase of this toy must have meant - Tommy's family could barely make ends meet - the pastor was deeply touched.  The love Tommy's parents had for their little boy gave the pastor's heart a gentle warmth, and he felt his faith in human nature beginning to return.  He sped up so he could wish Tommy a merry Christmas and admire the beautiful new wagon.

But as he drew nearer he saw that the wagon was not empty - there lay the baby Jesus, now wrapped and blanketed but not quite hidden.

The pastor crouched down beside Tommy, one knee feeling the damp snow through his pant leg.  His face was grim and disappointed.  Tommy may be just a little boy, and one must make allowances, of course - but he was still old enough to understand that stealing was very wrong.  The pastor made this crystal clear to Tommy while the little boy stood, his seemingly guiltless clear eyes filling with what the pastor was sure were penitent tears.

"But, Pastor," the small boy quavered when at last the man finished talking, "I didn't steal  Jesus.  It wasn't like that at all."  He paused to swallow hard and wipe a few tears away.  "It's just that I've been asking Him for a red wagon as a Christmas present for a long time--and I promised Him that when I got it I'd take Him out for the first ride."

as retold by Casandra Lindell from Christmas Stories for the Heart