As a child, I remember the Sears and Roebuck Wish Book. Each Christmas season, I looked at all of the toys carefully. I read different descriptions and then made my Christmas list. One year, I wanted an Easy Bake Oven. Another, I asked for a Barbie Dream House, and another year, I...
This is the irrational season when love blooms bright and wild. Had Mary been filled with reason there’d have been no room for the child. -Madeleine L’Engle Art by Jon Di Venti, “Immanuel”
Picture this: It’s the wee hours of a chill December morning, and you are a child asleep in your safe, warm bed. You have a pile of blankets pulled up to your chin, with your hands and one foot securely tucked beneath (the other foot is peeking out like some kind of plump, pink...
The impending birth of a baby is a time of hope, joy, and excitement. Whether you’re a family member or a friend, it is a time for celebration. Many times there is a party where people are invited to come enjoy time together with the parents and bring gifts to help...
As a child, my parents often told me that most things are better appreciated when we have a period of anticipation before receiving them. I suspected at the time that this may have been a fabrication to protect them in the event they were unable to produce whatever it was that I...
The holidays are happy times, the TV ads do say Promising all the best and brightest things that we will need to play Then trees let go their crimson leaves which flutter to the ground In the yards of hungry families, they never make a sound Small faces...
When Kathy and I found out she was pregnant, we were overjoyed but slightly concerned: We had gotten maternity insurance in November (in those days it was separate coverage), and this was in January. If our baby came early or if there were problems along the way, we wouldn’t be covered...
Snowy skies in the mountainsPainted with grays and bluesI heard an eagle cry in the distance Towering spires into the heavensBeyond our reach or thoughtThis creature commands our glance near God’s lofty realm Aspens reaching starkly toward the sky Lined up...
How weary Mary must have been that night in Bethlehem when the labor pains began. I often think about the support and bravery of Joseph as he stood by his wife; he was likely both anxious and excited of Jesus’ impending birth. I well remember John by my own side during the births of our...
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…” -Luke 2:10 Many years ago, when my children were younger, they had the spirit of giving to others where needed. Our family lived in a large home...
