Merry Christmas

^{Luke 2:1-20}

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while (or before) Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

 ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Thousand Christmas Gifts

Tony & Shelly NarainGifts for God’s Children

Tony & Shelly Narain are getting lots of questions from their kids: Mary, Betty, Kate, and Amy, this time of year about “God’s children.” Who are they? They are the children at the 5-6 churches they visit and take gifts to every Christmas. This Christmas is special because it’s all on Sunday. 

A family tradition
Shelly says that she grew up the daughter of a pastor who always wanted to make sure the children in the church got gifts on Christmas Day. He didn’t want anyone to be left out and I guess it didn’t matter that pastors don’t have big incomes, he still wanted to give. Once you start family traditions you never know how they’ll blossom and grow and it certainly has in this case.

Special Motivation from giving to others
This tradition energizes the Narain’s, their family, and friend. They are dressing up like Santa Claus and have lots of other surprises to make this an extra special event for the children. I guess it’s no accident that their business is also booming and you’ve got to wonder if some of that is related to the extra special energy and excitement they’ve got about doing something huge and special for others.

We can only thank God for the Narains and their example in inspiring us with a spectacular example of what the true spirit of Christmas is—sacrificial giving for others!

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Let me know if you have any similar stories that you know of, so I can pass them on.

I'm Getting' Nuttin' for Christmas

As Tony drove Marty and I home from my 64^th birthday dinner at Palm Beach Grill, we listened to the Sugarland Christmas CD, “Gold and Green.” One of my favorite tracks is “I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ for Christmas,” a remake of the original version sung by Billy Pressman. Very funny song. [listen below]

In case you don’t know it, here’s the chorus: “I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas - Mommy and Daddy are mad - I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas – ’Cause I ain’t been nuttin’ but bad.” (This note will make a lot more sense if you buy the CD.) Anyway, the song is about being a precocious child, pulling one prank after another, and ending up no presents for Christmas.

I will now share a rare moment of personal introspection. As a kid, I was “bad” or precocious or whatever you want to call it. I’ll prove it. I attended T.J. Guise Elementary. The school’s principal just happened to be Ms. Guise, spinster daughter of the school’s namesake. I went through a lot with Ms. Guise. She had paddled me and suspended me several times for what I thought were “little pranks.” I remember her telling me once how she would not let me bring shame to her father's memory. Must admit – it didn’t mean a whole lot to me.

One Thursday in the cafeteria I asked for seconds and was told no. It was a poor school. We were all on the Federal lunch program, which cost each of us one shiny nickel per day. But I was a fat kid and I wanted seconds and it really ticked me off to not get them. So I organized a rebellion. I got every kid in the school to bring their lunch from home the following Monday. One hundred and twenty five kids brought their lunch - first though seventh grade - which meant that the 125 meals the school ordered on the Federal meal program went unpaid for. Again, on Tuesday I convinced the entire group to brown bag it again for a second day.

Principal Guise went crazy. She decided to single out a “special” gal in my class for interrogation, pointedly asking her why she’d brought her lunch. The little girl said plain out, “Because Larry asked me to.”

Angrily, Ms. Guise hauled me off to “the closet” and laid some serious paddle on my fat ass. Then she suspended me for a week – a school record at the time. I well remember my Dad punishing me at home, furiously asking me if I knew how much I had shamed the family.

Somehow I didn't take it too seriously and after my fanny healed I moved on with my life. In time I turned that precocious personality into being a modestly successful “bond salesman.”

Here’s hoping you “get something for Christmas.”

Uncle Larry

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Uncle Larry is not to be confused with Larry Weidel... He's a different person altogether. Check out his blog.