"LET’S KEEP CHRISTMAS"

A blessing in disguise — that's what it was. Frustration I felt as I tried to focus my thoughts to begin this newsletter became reflection and dedication as I read through the Christmas materials I have collected through the years. Each book, poem, card, etc. has a special meaning for me, and I decided to pass on to you some of my treasures and some of my thoughts about them.

The title above, "Let’s Keep Christmas," I borrowed from a sermon by Peter Marshall which was in The Best of Peter Marshall, a book given to me by a dear friend years ago. The sermons were compiled and edited by Catherine Marshall after the death of her husband. Preceding the sermon, Catherine Marshall quotes a prayer which contains the theme of the sermon: "O God, why can’t more people, all of us, open our hearts to the wonderful spirit abroad in the world tonight — not just on Christmas, but every day? What a happy place this old earth would be if —O God, if only we would keep Christmas the whole year through!"

I found this theme again as I looked at Christmas cards I ordered from Mrs. Ruby Fuller. The message is: "Let us keep Christmas, its meaning never end . . .the time of year to wish happiness and good will to friends and loved ones, near and far. . . the time to share the joys of the past and the hopes of the future, and to remember all we have to be thankful for. If we can do this for a day, why not forever? Let us keep the true spirit of Christmas. Today, tomorrow and always.

Unfortunately somewhere along the way during the celebration of this holy day we are caught up too often in things which distract us from the true meaning of the season.

The description of the night our Saviour was born from A Layman Looks at the Son of God, which was used by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Faith, reminds me of both the human and the divine in the birth of Christ. The description brings a vivid picture to mind of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth and brings wonder that this humble beginning provided such a significant change for mankind. The passage reminds me of how wonderful are the births of all little babies. And Christmas babies seem so very special. Our family celebrates four birthdays during the month of December. The birth of each of these little ones seemed to bring an added significance to that Christmas. This year we have another new baby in our family — my sister Ava’s first grandchild, Cody Hill, who was born on his grandfather Eddie’s birthday. Instead of thinking "This is my first great nephew," I found myself thinking"This is my first great grandchild!" — for indeed with the loss of our mother when Ava was young, I feel like both mother and sister to her. Although Christmas Day will not be any different from any other day to Little Cody this year, he has made our Christmas special, and we have enjoyed trying to find appropriate gifts for his first Christmas. Ava found a copy of the classic Egimier’s Bible Storybook, which is a beautifully worded and illustrated book.

Another book among my Christmas materials, Eugenia Price’s Share My Pleasant Stones, reminds me of the significance of the words of our Christmas carols. Ms. Price says:

"Christmas carols still mean little more than peaceful feelings and a vague general form of good will to most people in this same world which God loved enough to die for. To many they are colorful, sacred folk songs sung in celebration of an ancient legend about a baby and its mother and some wise men who saw a star and brought gifts in pretty oriental brass urns." Because of the familiarity of the words in the carols, we often fail to really think about the messages.

I think too as I look through the Christmas cards I have saved through the years that we often fail to give real thought to the messages of Christmas cards. The original art work and messages of cards we have received from Del and Russell Aven are very meaningful, and I treasure these cards.

I challenge you, as lam challenging myself, to change the aspects of our Christmas observance which take away from the real significance of the commemoration of the birth of our Savior. Each of us will have the Christmas we let it be. It can be either a tune for worship, praise, and thanksgiving, love, warmth, and family pleasure or a time of giving in to the commercialization of Christmas. We can attune our minds to the significance of this day by reading Dr. Luke’s account of the first Christmas and other inspiring Christmas messages, reading the words of the lovely carols, listening to beautiful Christmas music tapes, and attending church presentations.

Always at Christmas my heart reaches out to those who will go through this season without a loved one with whom they have shared past Christmases. To these we offer our understanding and our sympathy in the hurt they feel. Though time helps to heal, we will forever miss those special people who have departed, and we remember how they added to our joy during the holiday season.

In closing I am including a poem by an unknown author which I feel might help us to ponder and to keep the true spirit of Christmas throughout the year and always.

Long years ago on a deep winter night
High in the heavens a star shone
bright,
While in a manger a wee Baby lay,
Sweetly asleep on a bed of hay.

Jesus, the Lord, was that Baby so small
Laid down to sleep in a humble stall;
Then came the star and it stood overhead,
Shedding its light ‘round His little bed.

Dear Baby Jesus, How tiny Thou art,
I’ll make a place for Thee in my heart,
And when the stars in the heavens I see,
Even and ALWAYS I think of Thee.

May you and all those you love and hold dear be blest by this joyous time of celebration with the real spirit of Christmas.

SINCERELY,
Patsy

A Book Suggestion

The Other Wiseman, by Henry van Dyke, Brownlee Publishing Co., 1989.

Reappearing at bookstores this year is this beautiful Christmas story. The story is unsupported by an biblical reference, but it is beautifully written and contains a great lesson of love and sacrifice. The Preface is quoted below.

You know the story of the Three Wisemen of the East and how they traveled from afar to offer their gifts at the manger-cradle in Bethlehem. But have you ever heard the story of the Other Wiseman, who also saw the star and set out to follow it yet did not arrive with his brethren in the presence of the young child Jesus? Of the great desire of this fourth pilgrim, and how it was denied, yet accomplished in the denial; of his many wanderings and the probations of his soul; of the long way of his seeking, and the strange way of his finding, the One.

IN MEMORIAM
We dedicate this issue of SEASONS to those who have died and whose families we have served from August 21, 1989, to December 11, 1989.

Mrs. Annis Hensley McLarty 8/30/89

Mr. Jimmy D Henderson 8/31/89

Mr. Robert Ward Pulliam 9/1/89

Mrs. Ila Mae Walker 9/3/89

Mrs. Ella Ruth Groner 9/3/89

Mr. E. B. Parker 9/6/89

Mrs. Ola Grammer Ratliff 9/7/89

Mr. Jesse Hinton 9/10/89

Mr. Edward Frederick "Fred" Wallace 9/11/89

Dr. Porter L. Fortune, Jr. 9/14/89

Mr. Glynn G. VanLandingham 9/14/89

Mrs. Marguerite W. Meeks 9/16/89

Mr. Needham Dewey Logan 9/17/89

Mr. Rodney Franklin Bryant 9/17/89

Mr. Otto Irsken Beard 9/18/89

Mr. William Russell Kisner 9/21/89

Mr. Raymond Hampton Varner 9/24/89

Mr. James Emory Markette 9/26/89

Mrs. Mary Alice Tate 10/1/89

Mr. Junior Otho Duncan 10/1/89

Ashley Marie Gillis 10/3/89

Mr. Will Lewis, Sr. 10/6/89

Mr. Alliston Slade 10/7/89

Mrs. Mildred Ray Tarver 10/8/89

Mr. Harvey Lavell Miller 10/8/89

Mr. Lloyd Velton Hensley 10/9/89

Mr. Jimmy Lynn Chinault 10/10/89

Mr. Hubert C. McCullough 10/11/89

Mr. Ellis "Peck" Monroe McCord 10/15/89

Mr. Richard "Ritchey" Lee Brannan 10/16/89

Mrs. Ellen Prior Wagner 10/17/89

Mrs. Mary Frances Alonzo 10/19/89

Mrs. Thelma Waller Roy 10/20/89

Mrs. Flossie Leah Palmertree 10/28/89

Mrs. Lena B. Metts 10/30/89

Mr. Parks Alvin Yeats 11/3/89

Dr. William E. Genetti 11/3/89

Dr. Austin Anderson Dodge 11/4/89

Mr. Philip Terrell Ales 11/6/89

Mrs. Charline Scott Reeves 11/6/89

Mr. Matthew Franklin Parks 11/7/89

Mr. William Oscar Bishop 11/8/89

Mrs. Sharon Warren Roberts 11/9/89

Mr. Albert Richard Russell 11/9/89

Mrs. Lydia Mae Chesteen 11/10/89

Gregory Glen Foster 11/14/89

Mrs. Marion Kazar Short Bruce 11/16/89

Mrs. Barbara Lacy Stewart 11/16/89

Mr. Herbert Lamar Wingo 11/17/89

Mr. Kenneth "Ken" Alan Sparks 11/18/89

Mrs. Dorothy Geochel Lewis 11/18/89

Mrs. Suzanne Wilson Lawrence 11/23/89

Mr. Cletice M. Huckaby 11/26/89

Mrs. Virginia Hamblin Bramlett 11/30/89

Mr. David Lee Milam 12/3/89

Mrs. Frances Harris McLarty 12/4/89

Mrs. Debra Kay McCain Russell 12/7/89

Mr. Murray Jewel Franklin 12/8/89

whom he sought — I will tell the tale as I have heard fragments of it in the
Hall of Dreams, in the palace of the Heart of Man.

COPING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS

We are sending copies of a pamphlet, After the Loss... Coping with the Holidays, and an article relating to the first Christmas since the death of a loved one to members of families we have served since last Christmas. If you know of someone else who you think would benefit from these, please call us. We gladly share these with anyone whom they might help.