Why Santa Has A Beard

Audience Participation

SANTA-Hold hands on stomach while saying “Ho-ho-ho” NORTH POLE- Fold arms, hugging self tightly while saying “Brrrr-r-r” SLEIGH- Wave right arm from right to left across front of body, while saying “Swoosh-h-h” WORKSHOP- Hold hands over ears while saying “Bang, bang, clatter”

You’ve all heard many stories about SANTA and his WORKSHOP at the NORTH POLE. You have also heard stories about his SLEIGH and reindeer. But this is a story about SANTA that very few people know, so if you listen closely, I’ll tell you how SANTA decided to grow a beard.

As you know, the weather is very, very cold at the NORTH POLE where SANTA has his WORKSHOP. He works very hard throughout the year with his little elves, making toys for his Christmas Eve visit. Like everybody else, SANTA needs relaxation and a chance to get away from it all. His way to relax was to take a leisurely ride in his SLEIGH. With such cold weather, SANTA always had to bundle up tightly before taking a SLEIGH ride. Once, he forgot to bundle up tightly as usual and he failed to wrap his heavy wool scarf around his face, leaving only his eyes exposed as he went SLEIGH riding. When SANTA got back from his ride and walked into the WORKSHOP where Mrs. Claus and the elves were happily working, he had the most beautiful white icicles, covered with sparkling white snowflakes, hanging down the sides of his face and chin, just like a beard.

When Mrs. Claus looked up and saw SANTA, she squealed with delight. “Why, SANTA, you look absolutely marvelous with your sparkling white icicle beard.” Well, when SANTA saw how delighted his wife was, he was very flattered and decided right then and there to grow a long, flowing white beard and mustache. And that is what SANTA did!

Of course, by doing this, SANTA killed two birds with one stone. He made himself so handsome to Mrs. Claus that whenever she passes him by his NORTH POLE WORKSHOP, she gave him a big smile. This made SANTA blush so much that to this day, he is still blushing. That’s why his cheeks look so rosy. And now that he doesn’t have to wrap a wool scarf around his face when he goes SLEIGH riding at the NORTH POLE, Mrs. Claus has even started taking SLEIGH rides with SANTA because she is so happy that he grew a beard!

Why a Christmas Tree Is Better Than a Woman

Source: “Don and Mike Show,” on WAVA FM 105.1.

10. A Christmas tree doesn’t care how many other Christmas trees you have had in the past.

9. Christmas trees don’t get mad if you use exotic electrical devices.

8. A Christmas tree doesn’t care if you have an artificial one in the closet.

7. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you break one of its balls.

6. You can feel a Christmas tree before you take it home.

5. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you look up underneath it.

4. When you are done with a Christmas tree you can throw it on the curb and have it hauled away.

3. A Christmas tree doesn’t get jealous around other Christmas trees.

2. A Christmas tree doesn’t care if you watch football all day.

1. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you tie it up and throw it in the back of your pickup truck.

Why I Know There Is A Santa Claus

by Robert Fitzgerald

About 20 years ago, I was chosen to be one of Santa’s helpers in a small and rural southern town. I was only about 23 at the time and quite slim. But, with the help of some padding I filled out the costume worn by the big man quite nicely. The day of the Christmas parade arrived and I took up my perch atop the fire truck, with a basket of candy to throw to all Santa’s children lining the street. The parade circled the town and arrived back at the court house where his elves escorted him into his little hut where the towns children could come and pass on their lists of Christmas wishes and I in turn would pass them on to Santa himself in time for his Christmas Eve delivery.

On about the 3rd or 4th day before Christmas, two young ladies came in to the hut with a young man no more than 4 years old. I invited the gentleman to sit with me and proceeded to ask him what he would like to have that year. “Nothing” came his reply and it really set me back! Everybody wanted something. For two weeks I had everyone in town from 2 years old to 22 providing me with lists so long that the total logistics of UPS, the post office and The National Guard would be hard pressed to fill them, let alone one friendly old man pulled in a sleigh by a handful of reindeer!

“Are you sure”, I asked. “There must be something I could get for a fine gentleman like yourself, I pressed.

“No. I just wanted to come and thank you for my new mommy.”

I was stunned! I said you’re welcome, gave him an extra bag of candy and a coloring book and he climbed down from my lap.

He walked outside with one of the ladies and the other stayed behind to explain.

“We are just baby-sitting today. His mother was killed in a car wreck about a year and a half ago. Last Christmas he came here and asked Santa for a new mommy a few months ago his father remarried. As we drove by he saw your little house here by the road and started crying and screaming until we came back, just so he could thank you. Good-bye, Santa.”

I talked to 3 or 4 more children, then closed and locked the door from the inside and fell to my knees, thanking both God and the true Spirit of Santa for giving me this opportunity to see love in a childs eyes. I have never forgotten this experience and tell the story nearly every year. I am now 46 years old and I believe in Santa more now than ever, thanks to that boy. Son, I hope that wherever you are, you have never given up your belief in Santa. I haven’t.

25 Ways We’re Different This Christmas

25 Ways We're Different This Christmas

Winter Wonderland

Dick Smith and Felix Bernard

Sleigh bells ring
are you listening
in the lane
snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
we’re happy tonight
walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song
as we go along
walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He’ll say: Are you married?
we’ll say: No man
But you can do the job
when you’re in town Later on
we’ll conspire
as we dream by the fire
To face unafraid
the plans that we’ve made
walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
and pretend that he’s a circus clown
We’ll have lots of fun with mister snowman
until the alligators knock him down
When it snows ain’t it thrilling
Though your nose gets a chilling
We’ll frolic and play
the Eskimo way
walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
walking in a winter wonderland

Winter

Alfred Bryan and Albert Gumble

Winter, winter,
When the snow is softly falling,
That’s the time to squeeze, when it starts to freeze.
In October and November and December, just remember

Winter, winter
When your sweetheart comes a-calling,
By the fireside so bright, you’ll sit and tease her;
That’s the time to squeeze her, when it’s winter.

June 17, 2008 (from the CTM)

Happy Fathers Day!

Sorry its late. Its really weird not being around. I hope you had a good day. And happy birthday next week! The day before I leave. I leave on the 24th pretty early in the morning. And thats my p day so I don’t know if you will hear from me next week. Brayden never e-mailed me this week. Is he ok? Thanks for the package. Hopefully it gets here. It will be nice to have a real camera. If you can get like a card reader or something that would be sweet. Like a USB one.

We went proselyting again this week. Were getting much better so we passed everything out within like 25 minutes. It was sweet. I can teach the four lessons in Portuguese now so that’s way nice. I can’t believe I leave in a week. I’m so excited though. I’m not sure where I’ll be serving first. I’ll have everything next week though. So I’ll let you know. Just so you know, I pray for you every night about that test. Love you!

Elder Hill

June 16, 2008 (to Mom from the CTM)

Hi Mom,

I go out in one week from today. Its soo weird. I’m definitely ready for it though. I can teach all four lessons in Portuguese fairly well so that’s good. I’m a little shakey on the commandments one but that’s just because we barely wrote it. Everything is great though. I’m really excited.

With the package I think if you just put that there are books in it then it won’t get stolen. That’s what one of the Elders did and he got it fine. And put a lot of stickers on it. It should be fine. Send the face wash in a different package though because I think if you say there’s face wash they HAVE to inspect it since its a liquid to make sure its not a bomb. I think its some new law since 911. Could you send some pens? Haha sounds weird but pens are pretty expensive here. Like $2 for even just a sort of good pen. That’s 2 American dollars. Its weird. Maybe some spray n wash too. Haha they don’t have stuff like that here. But anything is fine.

Thanks for looking up my line of authority. There’s a place for it in my journal so I want to write it in there. I’m almost finished in that journal already. Lots of writing. Did you ever write down the stuff when I was set apart? That would be cool to have.

I sleep pretty good actually. Nothing really to stress about so its nice. I haven’t heard anything from Christopher….did he mail something or email?

Could you print some pictures off and actually mail them to me? I don’t have any way to print them and I cant even open them on this computer. Its all in Portuguese and it brings up a really weird window.

Favorite scripture? Um……I don’t know. Haha there are too many. Ill look and get back to you next week.

Yeah I got the mission ties. Amanda emailed me. Nice to hear from her. You can cancel mission ties now cause I leave soon. I only wanted mission ties so I could hear form you sooner but emailing will be faster in the field. So yeah, just email me from now on. And I don’t think they send care packages into the field so I would buy one unless you know for sure. This is the last p day here I have so I wouldn’t be able to get it.

I’m glad Fathers Day was good. Stinks that you were sick though. I hope everything is better now. I love you! Next time you hear from me ill be in Porto Alegre!

Elder Hill

Pray Always

Pray Always Lesson Objective: To teach children to pray often and make each prayer different.

Scriptural reference: D&C 68:25-28 “and they shall also teach their children to pray”

Materials : Picture of Daniel from picture packet (I-14), Bible, flannel board characters

Daniel was a young man of Jerusalem who depended on the Lord to guide him. When his country was invaded, he had been among those taken captive by the conquerors. The king of these lands liked Daniel because of his great wisdom. Darius, King of Persia, set 120 princes over all his vast kingdom with 3 presidents at their head, of whom Daniel came first.
The Persian princes resented having Daniel, a Hebrew captive, rule over them; so they spied on him to report to King Darius any wrong he did. But they could not find anything wrong with Daniel. They did notice tho, that 3 times every day he went to his room, kneeled and prayed to his God in whom they did not believe.

Finally they worked out a plan. They wrote a rule that any person making a petition or request to anyone but the King should be cast into a den of lions. They took it to the king Darius who was pleased and signed the decree, and it became law.

Daniel knew what had happened, but he trusted the Lord and continued to pray as before. The princes watched, and then ran to the King saying, “Daniel regardeth not thee, O King……he maketh his petition (to his God) three times a day.”

When Darius saw that he had been tricked, he worked until evening to save Daniel. But the law was unchangeable; so Daniel was thrown into the den of lions. The king was so upset that he neither ate nor slept that night. Early the next morning, he went in haste to the den of lions and called out, ” O Daniel….is thy God, who thou servest continually able to deliver thee from lions:” Daniel replied “My God hath sent his angel, and he hath shut the lion’s mouth that they have not hurt me.”

Daniel was released immediately. Then King Darius made a law that all the people should respect the God of Daniel for he said, “…….he is the living God….(who) worketh wonders in heaven and in earth.” (Daniel 1:1-6, 5:31, 6:1-28)

Activity: (NEEDED phones from steps of prayer FHE packet, and prayer tests)

Discuss with your kids that each prayer should be different. Saying the same prayer over and over is not truly praying. Demonstrate using the phone, how awful it would be to have the same things said over and over no matter what the conversation. Use the following “Prayer test” to help them change their prayer habits.

1. Do I feel near or close to Heavenly Father while I pray?
2. Do I use common phrases that mean little to me?
3. Do I feel a need to talk to my Heavenly Father several times a day?
4. Do I feel that my Heavenly Father is listening?
5. Do I take my specific needs, problems, desires to the Lord?
6. Do I feel I receive the help I need?

Encourage a discussion of ideas to improve these areas.

Make prayer rocks, prayer charts or some other reminder system (we have a poster on each door of our house that says “Ere I left this room, did I think to Pray?”) to remind us to pray. Hold Family prayers morn and eve, personal, prayers on food, etc. Make sure each child gets a chance (even if they are little and you have to “pretend” they are saying the prayer…..e.g. Mother or Father says Repeat after me, Dear Heavenly Father, etc.) It doesn’t take long for them to love doing this! All of our kids have started at 18 months or so, mumbling along…….(and yes we have funny memories of words like Jeesa Triste. or blessing the food at EVERY PRAYER! Our 3 year old still does!

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut butter cookies

1 can of frosting (chocolate 1 cup peanut butter
1 egg 1 1/2 cups flour
Sugar

Heat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Reserve 1/3 cup frosting. Combine frosting, peanut butter and egg. Stir in flour by hand. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Flatten to 2 inch diameter with glass dipped in sugar. Bake at °375 for 4 to 7 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool and frost lightly with remaining frosting. Makes 4 dozen

Country Night

In our home, we have “German Night” with Pork Snitzels, Apple Studel for dessert and our lesson can have a theme. Sometimes, we wear jumpers/white lace blouses for the women and the men wear suspenders with green or black pants and a red/white checkered shirt. The lesson can be fun and we usually try to have music and a video that we can watch that is about Germany or Austria.

We have also had “Italian”, “Mexican” and “Biblical” nights. Going to the library to find videos and books to do the research is part of the fun in preparing for these special evenings.

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