Wishing you...

...God's comfort and joy this Christmas!
This is an e-card I designed for the blog; it's different from the card I mailed out but I did use the same picture.  There are so many sweet, inspiring, creative and talented folks in Bloggerville. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!  Thank you Pixel Fairy Princess for taking these images.

Teach the Children

(I received the story below from my sweet mother.  It's long but I just loved it!!)

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. I just finished the

household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I

heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the

front room and, to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind

the Christmas tree.

He placed a finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my

throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was

gone. Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know. He then

answered me with a simple statement, "Teach the children." I was

puzzled; what did he mean?

He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth

a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood there bewildered,

Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the meaning of Christmas.

The meaning that children nowadays have forgotten!"

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a fir tree and placed it

before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of

the stately fir tree remains green all year around, depicting the

everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point heavenward, making

it a symbol of man's thoughts toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant star. "Teach

the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago.

God promised a savior for the world, and the star was the sign of the

fulfillment of that promise."

He then reached in his bag and pulled out a candle. "Teach the

children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the

world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who

displaced the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a wreath and placed it

on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the

eternal nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous

round of affection."

He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of himself. "Teach the

children that I, Santa Clause symbolize the generosity and good will we

feel during the month of December."

He reached in again and pulled out a holly leaf. "Teach the children

that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the Crown

of Thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the

blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled out a gift from the bag and said, "Teach the children

that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .

Thanks be to God for His wondrous gift. Teach the children that the

Wise Men bowed before the Holy Babe and presented Him with gold,

frankincense and myrrh.

We should always give gifts in the same spirit as the Wise Men."

Santa reached in his bag and pulled out a candy cane and hung it on

the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the

shepherd's crook. The crook on the shepherd's staff helps to bring

back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we

are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an angel. "Teach the children that

it was the Angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's

birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace,

and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, from his bag he pulled out a

bell. "Teach the children that the lost sheep are found by the sound

of the bell, and it should bring man back to the fold. The bell

symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me

and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Teach the

children the true meaning of Christmas, and to not put me in the

center, for I am but a humble servant of the One That Is, and I bow

down and worship Him, our Lord, our God."