When searching the net for holiday themed ideas, or stories, make sure to check out Charlene's page - located on that site are also Easter ideas!  

This was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather, and we had promised him before he passed away that we would make this her best Christmas ever. 
When my mom, dad, three sisters and I arrived at her little house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, we found she had waited up all night for us to arrive from Texas. After we exchanged hugs, Donna, Karen, Kristi and I ran into the house. It did seem a little empty without Grandfather, and we knew it was up to us to make this Christmas special for her.
Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So we immediately set to work assembling the beautiful artificial tree that was stored in Grandfather's closet.  Although artificial, it was the most genuine-looking Douglas fir I had ever seen. Tucked away in the closet with the tree was a spectacular array of ornaments, many of which had been my father's when he was a little boy. As we unwrapped each one, Grandmother had a story to go along with it.
My mother strung the tree with bright white lights and a red button garland; my sisters and I carefully placed the ornaments on the tree; and finally, Father was given the honor of lighting the tree.
We stepped back to admire our handiwork. To us, it looked magnificent, as beautiful as the tree in Rockefeller Center. But something was missing.
"Where's your star?" I asked.
The star was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree.
"Why, it must be here somewhere," she said, starting to sort through the boxes again.
"Your grandfather always packed everything so carefully when he took the tree down."
As we emptied box after box and found no star, my grandmother's eyes filled with tears. This was no ordinary ornament, but an elaborate golden star covered with colored jewels and blue lights that blinked on and off.
Moreover, Grandfather had given it to Grandmother some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. Now, on her first Christmas without him, the star was gone, too.
"Don't worry, Grandmother," I reassured her. "We'll find it for you."
My sisters and I formed a search party.
"Let's start in the closet where the ornaments were," Donna said.
"Maybe the box just fell down."
That sounded logical, so we climbed on a chair and began to search that tall closet of Grandfather's. We found Father's old yearbooks and photographs of relatives, Christmas cards from years gone by, and party dresses and jewelry boxes, but no star.
We searched under beds and over shelves, inside and outside, until we had exhausted every possibility. We could see Grandmother was disappointed, although she tried not to show it.
"We could buy a new star," Kristi offered.
"I'll make you one from construction paper," Karen chimed in.
"No," Grandmother said. "This year, we won't have a star."
By now, it was dark outside, and time for bed, as Santa would soon be here. We lay in bed, snowflakes falling quietly outside.
The next morning, my sisters and I woke up early, as was our habit on Christmas Day--first, to see what Santa had left under the tree, and second, to look for the Christmas star in the sky. After a traditional breakfast of apple pancakes, the family sat down together to open presents.
Santa had brought me the Easy-Bake Oven I wanted, and Donna a Chatty-Cathy doll. Karen was thrilled to get the doll buggy she had asked for, and Kristi to get the china tea set. Father was in charge of passing out the presents, so that everyone would have something to open at the same time.
"The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," he said, in a puzzled voice. "From who?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice.
"I found that gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down,"
Mother explained. "It was already wrapped so I put it under the tree. I thought it was one of yours."
"Hurry and open it," Karen urged excitedly. My grandmother shakily opened the box. Her face lit up with joy when she unfolded the tissue paper and pulled out a glorious golden star. There was a note attached. Her voice trembled as she read it aloud:
"Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. Thought it was time for a new one. I hope it brings you as much joy as the first one. "
Merry Christmas. Love,  Bryant
So Grandmother's tree had a star after all, a star that expressed my grandparents' everlasting love for one another. It brought my grandfather  home for Christmas in each of our hearts and made it our best Christmas ever.

Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year.
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and enters your heart.
You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of his name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His Arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our address too.
He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS says "Cast your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes a new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions. Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put CHRIST back in Christmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season. Yes, JESUS is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.

Merry CHRISTmas

Twas the night before Christmas
When all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring
And she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping
All snug in their beds,
While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie
flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV
with a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter
Which made her sigh, now what is the matter?

With toilet bowl brush
Still clutched in her hand
She descended the stairs and saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug.
"Oh great" muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

'Ho-ho-ho" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."
"You're gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."
"A clone?' she asked, "What good is that?"
Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."

The mothers twin,
Same hair, same eyes,
Same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess"
You'll relax, take it easy,
Watch the Young and the Restless"

"Fantastic!" the mom cheered.
"My dream come true!"
"I'll shop. I'll read.
I'll sleep a whole night through!"

From the room above the youngest began to fret.
"Mommy?!! I scared...and I wet"
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey, " the mom smiled, "She knows her part"

The clone changed the small one and hummed a tune
As she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon.
"You the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too."

The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal."
That's my child's love she's trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,
Only one loving mother is needed here."

The mom kissed her child and tucked her into bed.
"Thank-you," Santa, "for clearing my head"
"I sometimes forget it won't be very long when they'll be too old for my cradle-song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone,
"It works every time."
With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight.

Merry Christmas Mom. You'll be alright!"

December 1
Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray paint gold, turn  upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas Cards.
December 2
Have Mormon Tabernacle Choir record outgoing Christmas message for answering machine.
December 3
Using candlewick and hand gilded miniature pinecones, fashion cat-o'-nine-tails. Flog Gardener.
December 4
Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling in ecru, with mocha trim.
December 5
Get new eyeglasses. Grind lenses myself.
December 6
Fax family Christmas newsletter to Pulitzer committee for consideration.
December 7
Debug Windows '95
December 10
Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth.
December 11
Lay Faberge egg.
December 12
Take Dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble.
December 13
Collect Dentures. They make excellent pastry cutters, particularly for decorative pie crusts.
December 14
Install plumbing in gingerbread house.
December 15
Replace air in mini-van tires with Glade "holiday scents" in case tires are shot out at mall.
December 17
Child proof the Christmas tree with garland of razor wire.
December 19
Adjust legs of chairs so each Christmas dinner guest will be same height when sitting at his or her assigned seat.
December 20
Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in confectioner's sugar to add a festive sparkle to the pasture.
December 21
Drain city reservoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks.
December 22
Float votive candles in toilet tank.
December 23
Seed clouds for white Christmas.
December 24
Do my annual good deed. Go to several stores. Be seen engaged in last minute Christmas shopping, thus making many people feel less inadequate than they really are.
December 25
Bear son. Swaddle. Lay in color coordinated manger scented with homemade potpourri.
December 26
Organize spice racks by genus and phylum. December 27
Build snowman in exact likeness of God.
December 31
New Year's Eve! Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country.

Afrikander - Een Plesierige Kerfees
Arabic - I'D MIILAD SAID OUA SANA SAIDA
Argentine - Felices Pasquas Y felices ano Nuevo
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri - Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Basque - Zorionstsu Eguberri. Zoriontsu Urte Berri On
Bohemian - Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian - Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton - Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian - Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Chinese - (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan (Catonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Cornish - Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Cree - Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian - Sretan Bozic
Czech - Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish - Gladelig Jul
Dutch - Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
English - Merry Christmas
Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian - Roomsaid Joulu Puhi
Farsi - Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad Finnish - Hyvaa joulua
French - Joyeux Noel
Frisian - Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
German - Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek - Kala Christouyenna!
Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew - Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi - Shub Naya Baras
Hungarian - Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket Icelandic - Gledileg Jol
Indonesian - Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish - Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Italian - Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese - Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Korean - Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latvian - Priecigus Ziemas Svetkus un Laimigu Jauno Gadu
Lettish - Priecigus Ziemassvetkus 
Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu
Manx - Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori - Meri Kirihimete
Marathi - Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo - Merry Keshmish
Norwegian - God Jul Og Godt Nytt Aar
Pennsylvania German - En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Polish - Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia Portuguese - Boas Festas 
Rapa-Nui - Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rumanian - Sarbatori vesele
Russian - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Serbian - Hristos se rodi
Slovakian - Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce Samoan - La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scottish - Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur
Serb-Croatian - Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Singhalese - Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak - Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene - Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto Spanish - Feliz Navidad
Swedish - God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt Ar Tagalog - Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tamil - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal 
Thai - Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish - Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun Ukrainian - Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu - Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese - Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh - Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian - Cestitamo Bozic

GUESS THE CHRISTMAS SONG:

1. Bleached Yule
2. Castaneous-colored Seed Vesicated in a Conflagration
3. Singular Yearning for the Twin Anterior Incisors
4. Righteous Darkness
5. Arrival Time: 2400 hrs - Weather: Cloudless
6. Loyal Followers Advance
7. Far Off in a Feeder
8. Array the Corridor
9. Bantam Male Percussionist
10. Monarchial Triad
11. Nocturnal Noiselessness
12. Jehovah Deactivate Blithe Chevaliers
13. Red Man En Route to Borough
14. Frozen Precipitation Commence
15. Proceed and Enlighten on the Pinnacle 16. The Quadruped with the Vermillion Probiscis
17. Query Regarding Identity of Descendant 18. Delight for this Planet
19. Give Attention to the Melodious Celestial Beings
20. The Dozen Festive 24 Hour Intervals

 * * * * *

ANSWERS:

1. White Christmas
2. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
3. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth
4. O Holy Night
5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
6. O Come, All Ye Faithful
7. Away in a Manger
8. Deck the Hall
9. Little Drummer Boy
10. We Three Kings
11. Silent Night
12. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
13. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
14. Let it Snow
15. Go, Tell It on the Mountain
16. Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer
17. What Child is This?
18. Joy to the World
19. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
20. The Twelve Days of Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,
Not a peripheral was stirring, not even a mouse;
The modem was hung by the keyboard with care
In hopes that a download soon would be there.

The pirates were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of unprotects danced in their heads.
And Kathleen in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap

When up on the hard drive there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter!

Away to the monitor I flew like a flash
Sat down at the keyboard, gave the spacebar a mash.
The sight on the screen, a'flicker with snow,
Gave the luster of power surge to the menu below.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but an autoexec.bat that seemed rather queer.
With a little print driver so lively and quick
I knew in a moment I had seen a new trick!

More rapid than eagles my cursor it came;
my voice box whistled, and shouted, and called me by name.
"Now format, now rename, now copy, and enter!
On num lock, on caps lock, on scroll lock and printer!
To the top of the page, to the top of the doc,
now tab it and hold it and merge it and block."

As utilities that build up the CPU speed
Clash with just the programs I need
So up to the screen top the cursor it flew
With a RAM full of memory and an extension board too.

And then, in a twinkling I heard on the speaker,
The grinding of the hard drive growing much weaker.
As I tried to reboot and turn it around
The attributes changed from blue into brown.

I hit the control, the alt, the delete.
The message it gave me, I cannot repeat.
It asked me to ignore, retry or abort.
It told me the parallel had become the comm port.

Its lights how they twinkled; its pixels how merry.
Its prompts were all scrambled, like a bowl full of cherries.
It sounded just like it wanted to blow;

the screen was suddenly white like the snow.

It scrolled the directory before my very eyes
With programs I did not even recognize.
It wouldn't see D, It wouldn't see E.
I couldn't get out of B into C.

Norton's tried to read it;
It finally found the FAT;
But alas, the disk was faulty,
and could not reformat.

Away flew the DBase;
Away flew the DOSes;
Away flew the Wordstar;
Right out with the Windows.

The spreadsheets were spreading;
The footers were heading;
What once had been memory
Was close to forgetting.

When the grinding was over
And the smoke had all cleared,
I looked at the unit
And it was just as I'd feared.

The 40 Meg wonder had crashed in the night.
I'll never be able to block out that sight!
So tell everyone to avoid my plight....
Back up! Back up! Merry Christmas, and good night!

Songs into recognizable English.

* Small municipality in Judea, southeast of Jerusalem. (Answer: Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem)
* Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal to their belief.
* Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds!
* Nocturnal time-span of unbroken quietness.
* An emotion excited by the acquisition of, or expectation of good, given to the terrestrial sphere.
* Embellish the interior passageways.
*Twelve o'clock on a clement night witnessed its arrival.
* The Christmas preceding all the others.
* Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussive instrument.
* Omnipotent Supreme Being who elicits respite to ecstatic, distinguished persons of the male gender.
* Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.
* Expectation of arrival to populated area by mythical, masculine, perennial gift-giver.
* Natal celebration devoid of color.
* In awe of the nocturnal time-span, characterized by religiousity.
* Geographic state of fantasy during the season of Mother Nature's dormancy.
* The first person nominative plural of a triumvirate of Far Eastern Heads of State.
* Tintinnabulation of facillating pendulums in inverted, metallic, resonant cups.
* In a distant location, the existence of an improvised unit of newborn children's slumber furniture.
* Proceed forth declaring, up on a specific geological alpine formation.
* Jovial yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us.

TWO BABES IN A MANGER

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about  Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.

Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a  worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger.

Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.

For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately-until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the  manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay.

I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did.

But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.

So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me."

"So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always." As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Christmas Message Has Special Meaning

One English Christmas carol well-known worldwide today is, however, more than a repetitious tune with pretty phrases and strange gifts. "The Twelve Days of Christmas," is a song with different levels of meaning.

From 1558 to 1829, the Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. During this period, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," was written in England as a catechism song for young Catholics. The hidden meanings of the song's gifts were intended to help the children remember lessons of their faith. Instead of referring to an earthly suitor, the "true love" mentioned in the song refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents is symbolic of every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings. The meaning of the other symbols are:

Two turtle doves -- the Old and New Testaments;
Three French hens -- Faith, Hope, and Charity;
Four calling birds -- the four Gospels;
Five golden rings -- the first five books of the Old Testament, which give the history of man's fall from grace;
Six geese a-laying -- the six days of creation;
Seven swans a-swimming -- seven gifts of the Holy Spirit;
Eight maids a-milking -- the eight Beatitudes;
Nine ladies dancing -- nine fruits of the Holy Spirit;
Ten lords a-leaping -- the Ten Commandments;
Eleven pipers piping -- the eleven faithful disciples;
Twelve drummers drumming -- the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

(The above was excerpted from A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals, written by Ann Ball and published by Our Sunday Visitor.)

The Christmas Gift

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.  As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.  His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition-one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas.

It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure.

The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more.

Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us. 

May we all remember the Christmas spirit this year and always.

Nicholas of Myra died Dec. 6, 343

Nicholas secretly threw money into a home to keep two girls from being sold to a brothel. Using his inheritance to help the poor, he boldly followed in Christ's footsteps, once even grabbing an executioner's sword to save the life of a political prisoner. His fearless Christian stand caused many to hate him.

On February 23 in the year 303, the Emperor Diocletian began one of the longest, most brutal persecutions of Christians. Bibles were burned, Christians' homes were confiscated and their furniture was thrown in the street. So many Christian men and women were murdered that executioners were exhausted and took turns at their work.

During these years of persecution, Nicholas was imprisoned and branded with hot irons. He was pinched with metal pliers. After his skin healed he would be tortured again for refusing to deny that Jesus is God.

After the persecution ended, a popular preacher taught that Jesus was not God. This preacher wrote a blasphemous song about Jesus that many began singing in the street. This anti-Christian doctrine was dividing the organized church.

At a conference of Christian leaders, many of whom had survived the torture, the evil preacher began singing the evil song. Nicholas walked up to the man and hit him in the mouth! Perhaps he felt as Jesus did in the temple with the moneychangers.

Nicholas was not allowed to preach after that, but spent his last years of life founding orphanages and protecting poor children. Many years after his death, Nicholas was called St. Nicholas. The details of his fearless Christian witness were gradually buried under centuries of storytelling, changing him to "Santa Claus."

Covered by God's love, Nicholas suffered abuse as he chose to follow Christ. His life was a gift to others and to God, as ours should be.

"A Candy maker's Witness"

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 a 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 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 may 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 dominant force in the universe today.

My First Christmas In Heaven

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessing or love he has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AT THE NORTH POLE:

The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and about other restructuring decisions at the North Pole.

Streamlining was necessary due to the North Pole's loss of dominance of the season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels, internet shopping and mail order catalogs have diminished Santa's market share.

We cannot sit idly by and permit further erosion of profits. The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer, who summered at the Harvard Business School, is anticipated. Reduction in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emissions for which the North Pole has received unfavorable press.

I am pleased to inform you that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudolph's nose got that way, not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time when he is known to be under executive stress.

As a furthering restructuring, today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economy measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" Department:

We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. 

If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved. 

Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing"), action is pending. 

Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the most efficient number.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

An Elf Named Freddie

Santa's Secret Wish

On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light in his eyes Looked deep into Santa’s, to Santa’s surprise,
And said as he nestled on Santa’s broad knee,
”I want your secret. Tell it to me.”

DIET FOR STRESS and HOLIDAY OVEREATING

This diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day....and will reduce overeating !!

Breakfast:
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
8 oz. skim milk
Lunch:
4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast
1 cup steamed spinach
1 cup herb tea
1 Oreo cookie
Mid-Afternoon snack:
The rest of Oreos in the package
2 pints Rocky Road ice cream nuts, cherries and whipped cream
1 jar hot fudge sauce
Dinner:
2 loaves garlic bread
4 cans or 1 large pitcher Coke
1 large sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza
3 Snickers bars
Late Evening News:
Entire frozen Sara Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from freezer)

Rules for this Diet
1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled out by the diet soda.
3. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you do not eat more than they do.
4. Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate, brandy, toast and Sara Lee Cheesecake.
5. If you fatten up everyone else around you, then you look thinner.
6. Movie related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.
Examples: Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, Red Hots and Tootsie Rolls.
7. Cookie pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage.
8. Things licked off knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something sweet and gooey.
9. Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories..... .......Examples are: spinach and pistachio ice cream; mushrooms and mashed potatoes; pink grapefruit and ham.
10. Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.
11. Anything consumed while standing has no calories. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.
12. Anything consumed from someone else's plate has no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to his/her plate. (We ALL know how calories like to cling!)

REMEMBER: STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS DESSERTS

.
His eyes how they glazed, his hair was so scary,
His cola was jolt, not flavored with cherry.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a GIF
And the pixels of his beard sure gave me a lift.
The stump of a routine he held tight in his code
And I knew he had made it past the last node.

He spoke not a word but looked right at me
And I saw in a flash his file was .SEA.
He self-decompressed and I watched him unfold,
Into a jolly old elf, a sight to behold.
And the whispering sound of my hard drive's head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

 
He went straight to his work without saying a word
And filled all the folders of this happy nerd.
And 'tis the whole truth, as the story is told,
That giving a nod up the window he scrolled,
He sprang to the serial port as if truly on fire
And away they all flew down the thin copper wire.

But I heard him exclaim as he scrolled out of sight
"Happy Christmas to All, and to all a good night."

'Twas the week before Christmas

But I heard him exclaim
Ere he drove out of sight,
"This choir is the greatest!
They'll sing it just right!"

THE MONTH AFTER CHRISTMAS

'Twas the month after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
All the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

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