The Prince of Peace
Sometimes it feels like the world is getting darker and colder all the time. When the sun sets, we look for some ray of hope. That hope is here. Two thousand years ago, o... »
Volume 18.12 | December 2017
The light of Christmas
I was gathered with friends in a living room full of Christmas decorations. There were refreshments on the coffee table, and we were singing Christmas carols together. Wh... »
Christmas rush or Christmas reason?
A few Christmases ago, as I was standing in the doorway of a department store, enjoying a lovely Nativity scene in a store window, a mother and her little girl came hurry... »
The everlasting light
The Christmas when I was six years old, I learned a poem titled “Where Jesus Was Born.” The poem tells the story of three boys who went to see Jesus. One was blind, anoth... »
Christmas prequel
The Gospel of John doesn’t tell the story of Jesus’ birth, but it tells us the prequel—the story that precedes what we are told in the birth narratives. This Gospel takes... »
A real tree
We children had always wanted a real Christmas tree—a tall, lavishly decorated one, like other families had. It would have “singing” lights, silver tinsel, and glass orna... »
Christmas is for kids
At the heart of Christmas is the Child of Bethlehem, who was born into this often cold, hostile world to warm us with His heavenly Father’s love. It was a child who began... »
Christmas candy
Christmas is approaching, and I’ve been thinking about colorful lights, Christmas trees, presents, Christmas carols, church bells, and most importantly, the birth of our... »
The star singers
When my children were young, we read about an old tradition that existed in various parts of Europe since the Middle Ages. Groups of children and young people would go ho... »
Silent nights
Weary. That used to be my word for December. Yes, I know it doesn't convey the true wonder of the season. But the days are hard and long, and by this time of year, I have... »
The ultimate proof
How quickly Christmas has come again! The days, weeks, and months fly by, and I end up being both surprised and resigned to reaching another Christmas season. Not that I... »
Why I came to earth
When I came down on Christmas Day, it wasn’t to attend a party or pick up gifts from friends. It wasn’t part of a school field trip, or to get a good deal at a stable. Wh... »