You Better Watch Out

By Kristine Byron

The holidays were fast approaching. Many of the homes
in our neighborhood were decorated with lights, snowmen and
reindeer. It was a real treat to drive around with my two-
year-old daughter and hear the oohs and ahhs as she took it
all in. Read more

Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect

Long, long ago, in a land far away, lived a perfect little tree names Small Pine. Small pine hoped to maintain its perfect form and be selected by the Queen as her Christmas tree. But as the warmhearted little tree gave shelter to birds, rabbits, and deer n the forest, its branches became damaged. Fortunately, the Queen had a different idea of perfection.

The Queen, Queen’s family and al the villagers said that Small Pine was the finest Christmas tree yet. For in looking at its drooping, nibbled branches, they saw the protecting arm of their father or the comforting lap of a mother. And some, like the wise Queen saw the love of Christ expressed on earth.

So if you walk among evergreens today, you will find, along with rabbits, birds and other happy living things, many trees like Small Pine. You will see a drooping limb which gives cover, a gap offering a warm resting place, or branches ragged from feeding hungry animals.

For, as have many of us, the trees have learned that living for the sake of others makes us most beautiful in the eyes of God.

Why Rudolph’s Nose is Red

The Great North Wind is usually quite peaceful. He’ll go his way and let you go yours. But very once in a while he gets totally fed up with the human race. He gets tired of sharing the air with airplanes and balloons and rockets and kites. “I’m going to get rid of them,” he roars. “And I’m going to get rid of all the people who make them, too!”

When the Great North Wind gets like that, watch out! He’ll blow and blow until he blows your brains out, if he can!

One year Santa and the elves were working hurriedly, trying to get ready for Christmas. It seemed that everything was going wrong-and Christmas Eve was getting closer and closer.

Then the bad got worse for them. One by one, they all got the flu–Santa, then the elves, then the reindeer. For a while Mrs. Santa treated them with her powerful home remedies. But the remedies weren’t strong enough. And then she got the flu, too!

It was a sorry state of affairs. Here everything was behind schedule, and no one had the strength to work.

Then the worse got even more worse! Because about that time the Great North Wind decided to throw a tantrum. “I’m sick of it!” he bellowed. (The Great North Wind finds it impossible to talk nicely, even when he’s in a good mood.) “I’m going to get them all!” he shouted. And he began to get ready to attack all of the men and women and children on earth.

The reindeer were in their stables when the Great North Wind roared out his threat, and they shivered with the power of it. “We must warn Santa,” they whispered. “He must know about this!!”

So they went in to see Santa, and told him in sign language what they’d heard. “This is serious,” Santa said, sitting feebly in his bed, “very serious indeed!” He stroked his beard, his hand pale. “We must warn the people of the world. Who can we send? I’m too sick. All the elves are sick. Are any of the reindeer will enough to fly?”

“Only one,” was the answer. “Young Rudolph.”

“Then we must send him,” Santa said. “I’ll write a message and he can deliver it to the people of the world.”

That night Rudolph took off on his solitary flight. He had barely begun when the Grat North Wind saw him flying through the air. “Arrgh,” the Great North Wind growled. “An enemy! I’ll destroy him!” And he sent a bolt of lightning down onto Rudolph.

It was too much for the tiny deer to withstand. The electricity of the lightning passed through his body, causing his heart to stop. His body shuddered, then died, and he fell, down, down toward the earth.

“Arrgh!” the Great North Wind shouted. “I got him!” And he sent another lightning bolt after Rudolph’s limp form.

Again the electrical current passed through his body-and it started his heart again! Rudolph came back to life, and quickly resumed his flight.

But a strange thing happened. The electrical charge remained in him, and his nose began to glow, brighter and brighter, until even the Great North Wind couldn’t bear to look at its brilliance. With his nose shining the way before him, Rudolph safely made his way through the Great North Wind’s terrible storm and warned the people of the world to stay indoors until the wind was gone.

When Rudolph returned the North Pole, some of the younger reindeer mocked him. “Hah,hah!” they said. “Red nose, red nose!” But Santa proclaimed Rudolph a hero, and let him retire from sleigh duty for life- except when the Great North Wind arises!

Why the Aspen Tree Quivers

An Old Legend

LONG, long ago, so the legend says, when Joseph and Mary and the Holy Babe fled out of Bethlehem into Egypt, they passed through the green wildwood. And flowers and trees and plants bent their heads in reverence.

But the proud aspen held its head high and refused even to look at the Holy Babe. In vain the birds sang in the aspen’s branches, entreating it to gaze for one moment at the wonderful One; the proud tree still held its head erect in scorn.

Then outspake Mary, his mother. “O aspen tree,” she said, “why do you not gaze on the Holy Child? Why do you not bow your head? A star arose at his birth, angels sang his first lullaby, kings and shepherds came to the brightness of his rising; why, then, O aspen, do you refuse to honor your Lord and mine?”

But the aspen could not answer. A strange shivering passed through its stem and along its boughs, which set its leaves a-quivering. It trembled before the Holy Babe.

And so from age to age, even unto this day, the proud aspen shakes and shivers.

THE END

The Virgin Mary, Handmaid of the Lord

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

Mary sat on the floor in the sunlight which flooded through the window of her parents’ house. She was thinking, daydreaming. Young teenagers were allowed that luxury. She’d overheard the old biddies at the well chattering about her as she had gone to get water that morning….

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The Cradle, a Christmas Story

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

They left their home, the new cradle still swinging from the rafters. Night after night the aroma of fresh-cut wood had filled the room as Joseph had patiently fashioned the tiny cradle, using the same chisel and saw he usually put down at dusk.
Now Joseph wiped the tears from Mary’s cheeks and shut the door behind them. “It’ll be okay,” he told her, as he cinched up their belongings on the donkey.

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The ‘Little Ole’ Donkey That Had Little To Say

By C. Ralph Bennett

It was the night before Christmas when all the beasts came together from the farthest places of the earth to talk. The first voice to be heard was the deep, rich bass of the lion. “I speak,” he said, “as the king of beasts.” And truly he looked a king with his beautiful thick mane and his tawny rippling muscles. “I won’t repeat my good deeds. I shall not again tonight repeat the shining stories of the days when the Romans loved me. I shall not recall the story of the one man, Daniel, who defied me in my own den — a story humbling to me — which I have often told you to prove I am not proud. I shall say nothing of my stealthy fury that makes the whole continent tremble at the very sound of my name…”

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Robin Redbreast’s Christmas Song

A Scotch Folk Tale Retold

There was once an old gray Cat, who went for a walk one Christmas morning to see what she could see. As she was walking by a small lake, she saw a Robin hopping about on a branch.

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A Working Holiday

The grocery store is common ground for most of us. The difference is the uncommon stories we carry in our hearts as we go about the business of shopping for our daily bread. Read more

An Important Message From Santa Claus

I regret to inform you that, effective
immediately, I will no longer be able to serve the Southern United States on
Christmas Eve.

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