A Gift From The Heart

This is a story about a child that saw the importance of giving and never thought about giving up. Some may think a child isn't old enough to carry enough wisdom to teach us all a lesson in living. But I've learned a heart grows from life's many challenges and sometimes a child's challenges can be far greater than some adults.

We met a little girl seven years ago, during one of my daughter's occasional hospital stays. Her name was Beth and she was my daughter's room mate for a week. Beth was a very happy girl despite her medical problems she was facing. Her long blonde curls always seemed to bounce with her smile. The girls got to know each other well and had become good friends.

On the pediatric floor of the hospital, we saw many seriously ill children. It was so sad, even though my daughter had an uncurable kidney disease and not a very good chance of living to see old age herself. We always saw many children with all kinds of cancer, and sadly enough Beth was one of those children. She was doing two weeks of chemo and radiation. I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up despite how very sick her treatments made her. She was always concerned about my daughter and the other children with cancer she grew to know over her many hospital stays.

My daughter's IV treatments were done after a week and I was happy to finally bring her home. We were awaiting the final discharge orders when Beth appeared from the other side of the curtain that separated their beds. She said, "I want you to have this. I know you need a new kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better. She will watch over you so you smile all over. My friend, John gave this to me to watch over me, but it's time for this angel to watch over you. When you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone that needs her too. I'm done reading my book so here's my bookmark that has a poem on it called, Don't Quit!, I know it by heart anyhow."

My daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles. I knew, we may never see Beth again, but we never forgot the gift she gave from her heart that day. During that year, we found out Beth has passed away. It was so sad to know such a beautiful little girl was no longer bouncing smiles to everyone she would meet. Her sincere kindness will stay with us forever.

We kept that angel for six more years. My daughter had gone beyond what medical journals had studied and expected from her disease. Was it the angel watching over her or pure luck? My daughter ended up on kidney dialysis for over a year, and one month after almost loosing her, a kidney became available and she received a transplant. My heart tells me, an angel upstairs was watching with a loving smile.

My daughter had kept that angel pin and now she felt it was time to give it to someone who needed watched over till they could smile again. She gave it to an elderly man trying to overcome the damage from heart problems and undergoing extensive therapy. His family has informed us, that when he returns home he wants to give the angel to someone he knows suffering from a brain tumor.

How many families and hearts this angel has touched no one knows for sure. But all it took was one single gift of kindness, that has and will touch an endless amount of hearts forever.

So this Christmas season, look around and see that gift that can't be bought. Create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you love. Make someone's day and do the unexpected, let a friend know you care, or greet a stranger with a warm smile. Give the gift that keeps on giving. It's open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, it's a gift from your heart. After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about?

[Author: Bonnie]

Christmas is a necessity. 
There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for
something else besides ourselves.   

Christmas Q&A

December is here, and in a great many heads, this month brings thoughts of giving gifts. Yet, there are many people today who have serious concerns regarding the manner in which we celebrate Christ's birth. Christmas is a celebration of which many Christians are usually divided over. Let's take a few moments to consider some of the more commonly asked questions about Christmas. We have to avoid the attitude that says "Don't bother me with the facts, I have made up my mind already."

Do we have Scriptural warrant to observe Christmas?? There were feasts that Jesus observed that were never commanded by God to be observed by the people of Israel. The feasts divinely commanded by God are outlined in Leviticus 23 and they are known as the "feasts of the LORD."

However, there are two other feasts that the Jews observed that were not commanded by God, namely Hanukkah and Purim. The first feast is found nowhere in the Old Testament because it was instituted long after the Old Testament canon had been completed. The feast of Hanukkah finds it origins in the Apocrypha, a collection of non-canonical books that were never accepted as part of the Old Testament. However, the Orthodox and traditional churches do accept these books but consider as "deutero-canonical", ie. their canonicity has a secondary status.

The Hanukkah story comes from the first and second books of the Maccabees. However, this feast is mentioned in the New Testament in John 10:22 and there it is called the "feast of dedication", another name for Hanukkah. As a Jew, Jesus would most likely have observed this feast, and it would be pointless for John to mention this feast if it had no relevance to Jesus or His ministry.

Scholars have noted for the longest time that the Gospel of John revolves the ministry of Jesus around the Jewish feasts, and that Jesus is the fulfillment of those feasts. Hence, Jesus had no objection to the observance of a feast that had no basis in the Old Testament. Why? As long as God was glorified and acknowledged the people of God were free to do so.

Another example of this is seen in the feast of Purim. This feast is mentioned in the Old Testament, in the book of Esther, but like Hanukkah, Purim was never commanded by God. Rather, the Jewish community in Persia instituted this feast to celebrate their deliverance from annihilation (Esther 9:18-32).

Once again, in this case, this feast glorified God for His providential protection. As stated above, Jesus as a Jew would also have celebrated this feast. Some scholars believe that the "feast of the Jews" mentioned in John 5:1 was the feast of Purim. The intent again was to glorify God.

Christmas is never commanded nor prohibited in the New Testament. It is thus a grey area and Christians should be free to exercise their conscience as to whether they wish to observe this feast or not. One must not however, pass judgment on other believers who wish to observe Christmas. Likewise we must do the same for those who do not observe it.

Paul points out that the observance of days should never be a divisive issue with Christians. As long as the day is regarded to the Lord, it is acceptable to Him (Romans 14:4-6). Christians who celebrate Christmas do so to glorify God for His unspeakable gift, His Son.

When was Jesus born?? It is clear that the New Testament writers who wrote on the Nativity narratives, namely Matthew and Luke, were not concerned about specifying the date of Christ's birth. All we know about that time is that Luke tells us the Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census (Luke 2:1-2). Scholars can tell us about the year that event took place, but not about the month and day, which is what we are interested in.

We do know the time of Christ's death and resurrection because it was during the Passover, and it is clear that the New Testament writers put much more emphasis and importance on this event, rather than on the birth of Christ. Indeed, it is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that constitute the core and foundation of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It is belief in Jesus as Lord and His resurrection that brings salvation (Romans 10:9-13).

Some scholars speculate probably a September/October as a likely date for Jesus' birth because Luke mentions sheep in the fields (Luke 2:8), and November was the latest month in which sheep could be left out in the fields and December would be bitterly cold for pasture and for people to migrate for a census.

The Jewish feast of Tabernacles is celebrated in September or sometimes October. This feast represented God's presence dwelling with His people. In John 1:14 it states that the Word "tabernacled" or "pitched His tent" among us. Some scholars see an allusion here to the feast of Tabernacles. It is possible that Jesus could have been born during this feast.

Notwithstanding these points however, the well known Jewish Christian scholar, Dr. Alfred Edersheim proposed December 25 as Christ's birthday and argued that it had a connection with the Jewish feast of Hanukkah which falls on the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev. The Jewish feast of Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of Kislev, just as Christmas always falls on the 25th day of December.

Due to the differences between the Christian calendar (better known as the 'Gregorian calendar') and the Hebrew calendar, Hanukkah and Christmas sometimes are celebrated together or at times Hanukkah begins before Christmas. Both of these festivals emphasize the importance of light, the menorah with Judaism and Christmas lights with Christianity. The idea of the "Festival of Lights" points to Jesus as the "light of the world" (John 8:12).

What better time for the Messiah to be born? Dr. Edersheim's arguments are compelling, but he stands in the minority on the subject. Most scholars if not all reject December 25 as the actual date of Jesus' birth. The date of Jesus' birth is therefore unknown to us, we simply do not really know.

Likewise, New Year's Day is held by the Western world as January 1, however in the Bible the beginning of the year actually begins in April, and the Hebrew secular year begins in September (Rosh Hashanah).

Christmas Q&A

December is here, and in a great many heads, this month brings thoughts of giving gifts. Yet, there are many people today who have serious concerns regarding the manner in which we celebrate Christ's birth. Christmas is a celebration of which many Christians are usually divided over. Let's take a few moments to consider some of the more commonly asked questions about Christmas. We have to avoid the attitude that says "Don't bother me with the facts, I have made up my mind already."

Are Christmas trees a form of idolatry?? Interestingly, this question arises out of a pronouncement made by the prophet Jeremiah: "This is what the LORD says...the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not totter" (Jeremiah 10:3-4).

While at first blush this may seem to be referring to our custom of decorating Christmas trees, a closer examination of Jeremiah 10 reveals that God is in reality condemning the creation of permanent wooden idols carved from the trees of the forest. In the very next verse (vs. 5) God ridicules these idols because they cannot walk or talk.

Historically the practice of decorating Christmas trees originated in Germany some two thousand years after Jeremiah made his pronouncement. It was the result of combining two distinctly different Christian symbols.

The first was a "Paradise tree." It was decorated with apples to symbolize the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The second was a triangular shelf that contained Christmas figurines and was adorned by the star representing the one followed by the Magi. By the 16th century, these two Christian symbols had been merged into the modern-day Christmas tree.

Certainly, it is preposterous to claim that because one has a Christmas tree in the home he or she is worshipping a tree any more than having a cross in a church building means Christians worship the cross! All the days and months of the year belong to God first and foremost since He created them.

The light which God created was corrupted by pagans because they made it an end in and of itself, yet Jesus refers to Himself as the "Light of the world" (John 8:12). Fire which was used and corrupted by paganism is also used of God (Hebrews 12:29). What I mean to say is that when we take what God has made and use it to glorify Him, we are doing nothing wrong, unlike paganism which moves away from the Creator.

Not only are Christmas trees spiritually symbolic, but they represent a wonderful witnessing opportunity as well. In fact, the next time a nonbelieving neighbor brings home a Christmas tree, you might want to ask him or her if they know where the practice of decorating Christmas trees originated. Who knows! The Holy Spirit may well allow you to enjoy one of the greatest Christmas gifts of all -- the gift of seeing someone you care about receive everlasting life.

Many times we are guilty of denouncing things as "pagan" without careful consideration. The days of the week are all of pagan derivation. Monday (Moon day), Thursday (Thor's day), Saturday (Saturn's day) and Sunday (day of the sun) are still terms that we still use today but it does not follow that we worship these pagan deities.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year -
and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority.   

Miracle in the Toyshop

I locked our general store and dragged ourselves home. It was 11:00 p.m., Christmas Eve of 1949. We were dog tired. We had sold almost all of our toys; and all of the layaways, except one package, that had been not picked up.

Usually we kept the store open until everything had been claimed. We wouldn't have been happy on Christmas knowing that some child's gift was still on the layaway shelf. But the person who had put a dollar down on the package never returned.

Early Christmas morning we and our twelve-year-old son, Tom, opened gifts. But I'll tell you, there was something humdrum about this Christmas. Tom was growing up; I missed his childish exuberance of past years. As soon as breakfast was over Tom left to visit his friend next door. Herman mumbled, "I'm going back to sleep. There's nothing left to stay up for." So there I was alone, feeling let down.

And then it began. A strange, persistent urge. It seemed to be telling me to go to the store. I looked at the sleet and icy sidewalk outside. That's crazy, I said to myself. I tried dismissing the urge, but it wouldn't leave me alone. In fact, it was getting stronger.

Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer, and I got dressed. Outside, the wind cut right through me and the sleet stung my cheeks. I groped my way to the store, slipping and sliding.

In front stood two boys, one about nine, and the other six. What in the world? "See, I told you she would come!" the older boy said jubilantly. The younger one's face was wet with tears, but when he saw me, his sobbing stopped.

"What are you two doing out here?" I scolded, hurrying them into the store. "You should be at home on a day like this!" They were poorly dressed. They had no hats or gloves, and their shoes barely held together. I rubbed their icy hands, and got them up close to the heater.

"We've been waiting for you," replied the older boy. "My little brother Jimmy didn't get any Christmas." He touched Jimmy's shoulder. "We want to buy some skates. That's what he wants. We have these three dollars," he said, pulling the bills from his pocket.

I looked at the money. I looked at their expectant faces. And then I looked around the store. "I'm sorry," I said, "but we have no --" Then my eye caught sight of the lay-away shelf with its lone package.

"Wait a minute," I told the boys. I walked over, picked up the package, unwrapped it and, miracle of miracles, there was a pair of skates! Jimmy reached for them. Lord, let them be his size. And miracle added upon miracle, they were his size.

The older boy presented the dollars to me. "No," I told him, "I want you to have these skates, and I want you to use your money to get some gloves." The boys just blinked at first. Then their eyes became like saucers, and their grins stretched wide when they understood I was giving them the skates.

What I saw in Jimmy's eyes was a blessing. It was pure joy, and it was beautiful. My spirits rose.

We walked out together, and as I locked the door, I turned to the older brother and said, "How did you know I would come?" I wasn't prepared for his reply. His gaze was steady, and he answered me softly. "I asked Jesus to send you."

The tingles in my spine weren't from the cold. God had planned this. As we waved good-bye, I turned home for a brighter Christmas. [Author Unknown]




It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air 

Christmas Q&A

December is here, and in a great many heads, this month brings thoughts of giving gifts. Yet, there are many people today who have serious concerns regarding the manner in which we celebrate Christ's birth. Christmas is a celebration of which many Christians are usually divided over. Let's take a few moments to consider some of the more commonly asked questions about Christmas. We have to avoid the attitude that says "Don't bother me with the facts, I have made up my mind already."

Another common question revolves around Santa Claus and the practice of giving gifts?? What few people seem to be aware of is that Santa is Christian rather than pagan in origin. As a matter of fact, Santa Claus is an Anglicized form of the Dutch name "Sinter Klaas." Sinter Klaas in turn represents a Christian bishop of the fourth century named "Saint Nicholas."

Nicholas was born to a wealthy Christian family in Patara in around 280 AD. The place is near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was so kind and pious that he helped anyone who came his way and soon many legends about his good deeds became popular. Later, he became the Bishop of Myra. He had inherited a large property, which he used from time to time to help the poor and the sick.

According to tradition, Saint Nick was not only kind and generous towards children but he apparently attended the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, where he supported the biblical doctrine of the Trinity.

While it is likely true that Saint Nick gave toys to tots, it's obviously pure mythology that he presently lives at the North Pole in a toy factory, knows if we've been bad or good, and flies around in a sled pulled by reindeer.

In truth, Santa is not essential to Christmas -- but he does represent an excellent opportunity for sharing Christ with your kids. Why not ask them this Christmas if they know who Santa really was. Perhaps not only Santa can be saved but so will one or more of your loved ones.

Regarding the practice of giving gifts, Jehovah's Witnesses in particular are quick to assert that this practice not only leads to commercialism, but can be tied to the pagan practice of astrology as well. As they put it, the word "Magi" in the original Greek refers to "astrologers."

History reveals, however, that the Magi were not singularly stargazers but were schooled in the arts and sciences of their day as well. Thus, the translation "wise men" makes a great deal more sense than the transliteration, "astrologers."

It is also important to note what Scripture clearly says about the Magi. Namely, the "wise men" were led by God. Both the star that led them to Christ (Matt. 2:9) and the dream through which they outwitted Herod (vs. 12) were used by God to guide and direct them.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are quick to point out that the wise men gave gifts to Christ, not to one another. But that misses the point entirely. Obviously our risen, reigning Redeemer doesn't need a thing. However, when we give to one another, Christ considers that as good as giving unto Him (Matt. 25:37-40).

Perhaps your ability to sensitively and effectively dispel the Watchtower's mythology with regard to gift-giving will open a door for you to discuss the deity of Christ with them as well. And perhaps as a result of your discussion, the Jehovah's Witness may receive the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses can be reached, you know, and the Holy Spirit can use you as a part of the process.
Christmas is never commanded nor prohibited in the New Testament. It is thus a grey area and Christians should be free to exercise their conscience as to whether they wish to observe this feast or not. Paul points out that the observance of days should never be a divisive issue with Christians. As long as the day is regarded to the Lord, it is acceptable to Him (Romans 14:4-6). Christians who celebrate Christmas do so to glorify God for His unspeakable gift, His Son. 
Now more than ever it is incumbent for believers to be ready to give answers to questions concerning Christmas. For, indeed, the true meaning of Christmas has become lost in our culture. Multitudes tragically reinterpret the meaning of Christmas as merely "good will toward men."

Of course, not to appreciate the human longing for love and happiness would be a dreadful mistake. However, Christians should help nonbelievers recognize that the true meaning of Christmas lies elsewhere. When the angels announcing Christ's birth sang of "good will toward men" (Luke 2:14), they were not singing about men showing good will toward men, but God showing good will toward men. He did this through the singular act of sending His Son to us as the Savior of the world.

By becoming a human being, dying on the cross for our sins, and rising from the dead, Jesus Christ overcame sin, death, and the grave. In short, Jesus was born to overcome the very things that would destroy the human spirit of love, life, and liberty. Jesus was born to give us the greatest gift of all -- the gift of salvation.

This year you can be an instrument of God's grace by sharing with people around you the Good News of the greatest gift of all -- a gift that truly keeps on giving.
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.



Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall,
the genial flame of charity in the heart.   

Christmas Q&A

December is here, and in a great many heads, this month brings thoughts of giving gifts. Yet, there are many people today who have serious concerns regarding the manner in which we celebrate Christ's birth. Christmas is a celebration of which many Christians are usually divided over. Let's take a few moments to consider some of the more commonly asked questions about Christmas. We have to avoid the attitude that says "Don't bother me with the facts, I have made up my mind already."

Is the celebration of Christmas rooted in a pagan tradition??  The word Christmas is not a pagan word because it clearly bears the name "Christ" in it. Christmas actually is a compound word which means "Christ-mass". It was the "mass" that celebrated the birth of Christ. Nowhere in the New Testament are we commanded to observe the birth of Christ, however, at the same time, neither are we commanded not to observe it.

Some people have made much of the claim that December 25 was supposedly the date of a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false deity. This, however, does not in and of itself make the celebration of Christmas pagan. The real question that must be addressed is, What was the church's intent in choosing December 25 for the celebration of Christmas in the first place?

The answer may surprise you! The early church chose this date to point to the triumph that Christ's birth represented over the pagan traditions of the Roman empire. In other words, the church was not endorsing a pagan ceremony but establishing a rival celebration. Today the world has all but forgotten the pagan gods of Rome. But at least a billion people on planet Earth celebrate the Christ of Christmas.

Any encyclopedia will show that the week of December 22-31 was celebrated as the "Saturnalia", a Roman pagan festival that worshipped Mithra, the sun god whose birth they also celebrated at the time, particularly December 25. The Saturnalia was a time when it appeared that the forces of darkness and chaos would conquer the forces of light and order.

During this old Roman festival the light of day was at its shortest. This instilled fear to the Romans and pagans alike. It seemed as if the sun god was dying and that his power was waning and it was common to light bonfires to heat as it were the sun's power who was represented by the god Mithra. Over time, pagans observed that the more they practiced the festival of lights and burning bonfires, the days tended to get longer, and as such they continued this tradition.

The early church Fathers debated over the time of Christ's birth around AD 200 and there is some evidence that Christians commemorated the birth of Christ although the dates were different. As of AD 354, December 25 was labeled as the date of Christ's birth. The church had attempted to stomp out the cult of Mithra, the sun of god by declaring that it would instead celebrate the birth of the "sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2), a title understood to be messianic. The move of the church stomped out Mithraism in a matter of time.

Many times we are guilty of denouncing things as "pagan" without careful consideration. The days of the week are all of pagan derivation. Monday (Moon day), Thursday (Thor's day), Saturday (Saturn's day) and Sunday (day of the sun) are still terms that we still use today but it does not follow that we worship these pagan deities.

In taking December 25, the church was in effect stating that this day belongs to God, and that it would dedicate the day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christmas is not a celebration of a birthday, but a celebration of an event, namely the Incarnation, when God became flesh (John 1:1,14).

Baby Erik's Christmas Gift

This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home. Nancy, the mother, relates:

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the highchair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat, dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose, it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a boo."

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik, in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor-gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back.

No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."

I said nothing more than a muttered "thanks." With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgement, a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking . . . "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?", when HE shared His for an eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."