Stop Blowing Your Top

By Pam Kumpe
    
Do you keep your house spotless? Do you spend hours getting ready for family gatherings? Are you worn out by the time your guests arrive?

If you are troubled by a messy house, then this story is for you. If you want to spend more time with family — again this story is for you.

I will never forget the night the trees all blew their tops. It was a night of icy roads and downed power lines. Within hours the electricity went off, and Christmas Eve became a night of listening to booming sounds, a dark cold night.
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The Little Drummer Boy a.k.a. the Carol of the Drum

By Freddie W. Parks Jr.

Isn’t it wonderful how inspiration comes to life?  The Lord has such wonderfully creative ways of placing the spark of wisdom into our minds.  For some, it is a mundane ride through rush hour traffic that prompts revelation.  Still other times, it’s during fervent prayer.   And in the case of Katherine K. Davis, it came toher while she was trying to take a nap.

Katherine K. Davis was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on June 25th, 1892.  From a young age, she showed much musical talent and interest.  When she was only 15 years old, she composed her first piece of music called “Shadow March”.  But, the world would best remember Katherine Davis for the contribution of a much loved Christmas carol; The Little Drummer Boy (originally named The Carol of the Drum).
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O Christmas Tree

By Raquel Soto
    
While I was writing this article, it was amazing to see how early people were starting to shop for Christmas presents. My husband even asked me what I wanted for Christmas months in advance! I’m still working on my list.

I was thinking about Christmas in October of all things. I was on a business trip in London and they have a fabulous store called Harrods. By the time I got there in mid-October, they had their Christmas floor flowing in a beautiful array of colors. Ornaments from small to large, from pretty to down right corny could be found. It was quite lovely. I couldn’t resist buying a few ornaments that just yelled out: I’m from Britain! I even bought one for myself made of magnificent crushed, red velvet in the shape of a teapot.
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Christmas Traditions

By Jennifer Kearson

It all started about fifteen years ago, when I was with my parents eating our annual Thanksgiving feast. Feeling like stuffed turkeys and bored from watching losing football games, we decided it was time to bring out the Christmas decorations. We figured, why not? After all, glistening trees had already started popping up in stores and radio stations were beginning to be flooded with Christmas music.

After digging like chipmunks through the boxes in the attic, we quickly began to prepare our hearts for Christ while decorating the tree. Each ornament gave hints to its age or significance through its shape and color. Some represented my childhood artwork while others represented Santa and his reindeer. Most importantly, the angels, crosses and spiritual verses on the ornaments ushered in a feeling of great joy. Every year we find ourselves gasping at our finished pieces and the lights on the tree that remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. For every time we turn on the lights, we are reminded of the Light of our world, Jesus Christ.
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The Gift of Grace

By Lisa Buffaloe

I was a teenager in my first car when I wondered how fast I could go in my little Toyota Corolla. A two-lane farm road afforded me the opportunity to find out. On a perfect day for driving, I decided to put the pedal to the metal. Yep, I stuck my foot on the gas and let it fly. That little engine whined and screamed.

Freedom! I probably got up to 75 mph (pretty good for such a small car). I was flying.

And that’s when I saw him, the patrol car sitting on the side of the road. I was caught. It had to be obvious.  How many little Toyotas whiz by at break-neck speed? The first opportunity to stop was a gravel road leading to a farmhouse. I pulled over and waited.
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