Christmas

Christmas Sermon

Backstory

Over 600 stories have now been broadcast on the Consider This radio show. As I’m putting words of a story to paper, I always enjoy when the narrative is true. That’s the case here. Cheryl is a real little girl and I know her parents really well.

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Christmas Sermon – #121

The young pastor was pacing. He was totally perplexed. Here it was Christmas Eve and he had no sermon for the midnight service. People would come to the church full of Christmas cheer. They would expect to be inspired and he lacked inspiration. He was so tired of the commercial aspects of Christmas that he feared the real meaning of the season was being lost forever.

He wandered by the life-size nativity scene outside the church and noticed a brightly wrapped gift package by the manger. Curious, he reached out and opened it. Inside he found a pair of tiny baby booties and a card. It read, “This is a birthday present to keep your baby feet warm. Happy Birthday, Jesus.” It was signed, Cheryl, age 4.

The pastor smiled. He could envision young parents teaching their child the true meaning of Christmas in a way that she could understand.

That night, he read the card and based his sermon on it. The card became the core of his sermon every Christmas Eve.

Fifty years later, two elderly parishioners smiled at each other as they listened to the story yet again. Cheryl’s parents had heard it every year. They both agreed that to have inspired this Christmas message over all of these years was the best Christmas gift they ever had.

P.S.

As America moves toward a secular culture, let’s hope that the Christmas message remains. We all benefit from this season of peace and good will. Let’s remember whose birth used to be celebrated on December 25.

[Show #121]

When Christmas Is Sad

Backstory

On my sad Christmases, I would write. The keys on my computer would fly. It might be spilling all my sorrow, putting my anger into words, shouting out the injustice of my circumstance. Others shed tears to cope. Some go away, avoiding the setting of their last happy holiday. Others return to that special place. Some folks are lost, seeking a means to calm the hurt.

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Christmas Sad – #123

There are times when Christmas is sad. You may be missing a loved one, or you may be far away from home, on your own, or you may be the one left behind with your loved one serving of a battlefield halfway across the world. Sometimes it helps to remember not only this sad Christmas, but all of them, stacked up in a row from childhood until now.

Considering all of the holidays in our lifetime, some are bound to be better than others. But, ah, the good ones were really fine. Think about them and you’ll simply HAVE to smile as you remember words and actions, laughter and love.

Take out photos and relive those times, so warm and loving. No one can take those precious memories away. They may be the greatest gift we were given. Once a good thing happens, it can always be conjured up again in your mind. It can always make you smile as you remember, relive and enjoy it all over again.

So this Christmas, whether it’s one of your best or not, may you have the comfort of memories of Christmases past and may you smile and enjoy them all over again.

Wishing you a Christmas with a peaceful heart.

P.S.

It’s so easy to become sour when holiday plans go awry or you are sad. You want to blame someone or take it out on somebody. Instead, do something for someone else – or a lot of elses.

Take over someone’s job so they can be home with family on Christmas.
Serve at a soup kitchen – dressed up nicely for the holiday.
Sit with someone who is ill, so the caregiver can be with family.

As the holidays rush upon us, don’t become the Grinch who stole Christmas. Help bring peace on earth to your little corner of the world, no matter what.

[Show #123]

Regifting

Backstory

At one of our girls’ lunches, someone sheepishly admitted to regifting. That opened an avalanche of confessions from those who did indeed pass along to others something that had been gifted to them. Some justified their transgressions. A few told stories of getting caught in the act.

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Regifting – #122

Have you ever dabbled in regifting? You know – passing along a gift that someone has given to you. Oh, admit it. You receive a gift that’s just not something you would use or enjoy. Or that color just does not do you justice. But you know, for sure, that someone else would just love it. So you pass it along.

Now the trick is to regift with panache. There are some rules to follow, if you want to be a real success at regifting. These were passed along to me by some of the world’s greatest regifters. So here are the key tips to Christmas regifting:

Make sure the gift card TO YOU has been removed before you wrap the regift. It’s not a good idea to leave that in there.
Make sure the gift has not rusted while it sat there in the garage, particularly if it has been there for five years or more. That’s definitely not cool.
Make sure you are not passing the gift along to the person who gave it to you in the first place. Keep a list.
Okay, so regifting can be tricky. But when you’re planning to give fruitcake, know that the recipient will always think it us a regift.

So take heed and be sure to have fun this Christmas. We sure are.

P.S.

Is regifting tacky? Etiquette experts suggest that it is acceptable, as long as the item is nice, is in new, unused condition and is something you would have bought for the person if you were paying for it.

Our family plays a game on Christmas for which every prize is a flagrantly admitted white elephant or regift. It’s brought lots of laughter to our holiday and some pretty neat stuff.

[Show #122]

Christmas Past Revisited

Updated December 22, 2019.

Backstory

We are story tellers. When our family gets together, there always has to be time for folks to tell their stories. Christmas tales are particularly popular. So many warm and happy events – and those that evoke laughter all around.

Thinking how much we enjoy them, I thought I’d tell you about them.

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Christmas Past Revisited – #511

One of my favorite rights of Christmas is when the family gets together and remembers Christmases past. We hear from each person; whether you’ve had 8 Christmases to date or 80. There is a willing audience to hear you tell about it.

Some eyes glaze over; others brim with tears as we remember loved ones with whom we used to share holiday meals and traditions and gifts and love. You can practically feel the spirit of those who used to share our lives and are here no more. How precious to bring them back to life in our memories and have them share a few holiday moments with us.

The younger family members will hear of how things used to be. The older members will probably recall family traditions or foods. We may be able to congratulate those who still carry out the traditions or lament that they exist no more.

In addition to telling our favorite Christmas stories, each person gets to tell what they are thankful for. The expected treasures are mentioned – love of the family, health, making it through another year without a major tragedy. But what is often heartwarming is to hear how grateful people are for something small done for them that really mattered: a suggestion that helped solve a problem; a contact that resulted in beneficial networking, news about people who needed help, so we could provide it.

It’s all part of the family Christmas telling tradition.

P.S.

As our family of locals shrinks and there are less oldsters and more little children, the story telling changes a bit. As we go around the table, we may hear more about a new video game, the latest posts on Instagram or delight over Taylor Swift’s latest lost love. These stories need to be cherished and valued as much as those about walking to and from school two miles, uphill each way. Throw in some microwave recipes and you modernize Christmas story telling.

[Show #511]

No Christmas Tree This Year

Backstory

Christmas has an important role in the process of downsizing. When 17 tubs of holiday decorations come down out of the attic, it might just be time to lighten the holiday load. Years ago, you may have had half a dozen kids and friends helping with the joy of decorating for Christmas. Now, there may be just you, or just you two. So surely there comes a time when you consider losing the Christmas tree and affiliated decorations. I had that urge, this year. Here’s the story.

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No Christmas Tree This Year – #469

This year is the first time we are going to have no Christmas tree. We planned to leave our home, up north, just before Christmas to spend the winter in Florida. So why bother dragging out all of those ornaments and lights and stuff. It would be so much easier this way.

Of course, I did love looking at the sparkling angel that topped the tree. A gift received long ago from a dear friend who is no longer with us.

After the holiday last year, I packed the Christmas ornaments into boxes, labeled with the names of each of my kids and grandkids. I included in each, a list of who made each ornament, or why it was purchased or who had gifted it – even how it was found at a yard sale or a craft sale. Opening each of those boxes this year would have brought back so many happy, sometimes distant memories.

Well, I can just remember it all this year without all the fuss. No tree. No trouble. Make sense. Who needs it.

I thought of the lights flickering different colors on the tree branches and the tree skirt made by my sister surrounding its base, barely visible with all the gaily wrapped gifts that usually cover it.

On the other hand, it IS only once a year. And we WILL be here for most of December. Ah shucks, we can do without a tree NEXT year. For this year, bring it on. Christmas, I am yours!

P.S.

So that urge wound up the same way that many downsizing plans do; postponed! Well gee, just because our central family is smaller now doesn’t mean we need to remove all the gala of Christmas; just the work. I invested in a tall, skinny, pre-lit tree that glistens and sparkles. The full workload consists of plugging it in. That’s now my kind of Christmas decoration. Go for it!

[Show #469]

Christmas Stories At the Club

Backstory

Last year, I wrote a book of Christmas stories from Consider This. The book is available this year too, on Amazon. Tiny Little Stories of Christmas Joy, Love and Wonder.

I was gathering up stories for the book when I was asked to present a Christmas program at a Rotary Club meeting. I shared a few of my stories and asked who had their own story to share. We entered a world of reminiscence, emotion and love, as these personal stories were told.

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Christmas Stories At the Club – #660

At the local Rotary Club, members arrange programs for the weekly meetings. This year, I had to arrange the program right before Christmas.

I asked Rotarians to bring and tell their own Christmas stories – stories of a Christmas past. For my story, I read a script from one of my Consider This radio shows. In it, a young pastor was inspired by the way a mom and dad taught their young children the meaning of Christmas. Their story became the essence of his Christmas sermons for the next 50 years.

Another Rotarian recalled the Christmas when his dad was out of work. There was no money for a tree. He scraped together $3, walked three miles to where the trees were being sold, and dragged a scrawny tree – all he could afford – all the way home in the snow. Although he was just 16, he took responsibility for his family’s good Christmas.

There were stories of gratitude for gifts provided by the Club. Tales of elderly who were brought happiness by a Christmas visit. A veteran club member told of spending Christmas on a war-torn island in the Pacific.

Even those who told no story out loud seemed to be filled with private memories that were remembered. It was such a good program – just sharing special moments with people who had become friends through the fellowship of giving, caring and being proud Americans.

P.S.

While you are about your chores and business this holiday season, ask others about their most memorable Christmas – good or bad. Invite them to share a story. You may be amazed at how people will respond. The story telling seems to shake loose old holiday memories. They may be ordinary or off the wall. But it’s usually true. Like the man said, “You can’t make this stuff up.”

[Show #660]