“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) I heard a radio program this week arguing that Santa Claus had taken the Christ right out of Christmas. I’m not going there with this column because I don’t believe it. The truth is the real story of Santa Claus has gotten lost in the commercialization of Christmas, a testament of sorts to the genius of American retailers who wanted to be sure that moms and dads didn’t forget them at Christmas either. The irony behind all […]

“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12) I recently heard a different account of the Christmas Story, told through the eyes of a six year-old little Russian boy named Misha. He took a few liberties with the truth, but boy did it ever change the way he looked at the world around him. Misha had never heard the story about the birth of Jesus until a missionary visited the orphanage where he […]

“The goodness of God endureth continually.” (Psalms 52:1) Behavioral scientists tell us that grandparents are the best teachers of the “family values” that serve us so well through adulthood. I can certainly attest to that fact when I look at the special relationship that my own wife had with her maternal grandmother. Robbie’s Thanksgiving weekend was filled with joy and gratefulness, not so much over the traditional things on which we often reflect during this special time of the year, but instead by the testimony of a woman […]

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17) It’s hard to believe that Christmas is upon us, but anyone who went shopping yesterday can tell you it’s in full bloom. Christmas is a season when we often have trouble distinguishing our wants from our needs, but that shouldn’t come as any surprise. How many times did we hear our parents say, “What do […]