"Christmas day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp"
Joined: Dec 2004 Gender: Female Posts: 1,312 Location: Ontario, Canada
Special Holiday Stories for Member Reviews « Thread Started on Aug 7, 2005, 6:24pm »
Christmas is a time for stories. All kids, young and old, love Christmas stories. Have the whole family gather around the fire and read your favourite Christmas books, stories or poems together.
I will posting special stories and book reviews in the holiday literature section. I welcome your comments/reviews of suggested stories and favourite books as they appear.
Here is the first special story I want to share with you.
A Touching Christmas Story I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, "Are you sure I don't have enough money" She replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for it. The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it." I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said "No, Santa can't go where my sister is...I have to give the doll to my Momma to take to her". I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said "She has gone to be with Jesus". My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her. My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store". Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he'd had taken at the front of the store. He said "I want my Momma to take this with her so she don't ever forget me." "I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me". "But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister." I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handfull of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?" He grew excited and said "Yes, I just know it has to be enough". So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, "Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money." Then the boy said "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister." "And he heard my prayer". "I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Momma a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma." "She loves white roses so very very much". In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on rather to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story. Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces. "We make a living by what we get; We make a life by what we give." Author Unknown
"Christmas day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp"
Joined: Dec 2004 Gender: Female Posts: 1,312 Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Special Holiday Stories for Member Reviews « Reply #1 on Aug 20, 2005, 4:34am »
Here's another nice Christmas Story
A Visit from the Christ Child by Père Robért for Maria, Ida, Isabel, Maxine, Crozet & Audrey
T’was the morning of Christmas, when all through the house All the family was frantic, including my spouse; For each one of them had one thing only in mind, To examine the presents St. Nick left behind. The boxes and wrapping and ribbons and toys Were strewn on the floor, and the volume of noise Increased as our children began a big fight Over who got the video games, who got the bike. I looked at my watch and I said, slightly nervous, "Let's get ready for church, so we won't miss the service." The children protested, "We don't want to pray: We've just got our presents, and we want to play!" It dawned on me then that we had gone astray, In confusing the purpose of this special day; Our presents were many and very high-priced But something was missing -- that something was Christ! I said, "Put the gifts down and let's gather together, And I'll tell you a tale of the greatest gift ever. "A savior was promised when Adam first sinned, And the hopes of the world upon Jesus were pinned. Abraham begat Isaac, who Jacob begat, And through David the line went to Joseph, whereat This carpenter married a maiden with child, Who yet was a virgin, in no way defiled. "Saying 'Hail, full of Grace,' an archangel appeared To Mary the Blessed, among women revered: The Lord willed she would bear -- through the Spirit -- a son. Said Mary to Gabriel, 'God's will be done.' "Now Caesar commanded a tax would be paid, And all would go home while the census was made; Thus Joseph and Mary did leave Galilee For the city of David to pay this new fee. "Mary's time had arrived, but the inn had no room, So she laid in a manger the fruit of her womb; And both Joseph and Mary admired as He napped The Light of the World in his swaddling clothes wrapped. "Three wise men from the East had come looking for news Of the birth of the Savior, the King of the Jews; They carried great gifts as they followed a star -- Gold, frankincense, myrrh, which they'd brought from afar. "As the shepherds watched over their flocks on that night, The glory of God shone upon them quite bright, And an angel explained the intent of the birth, Saying, 'Glory to God and His peace to the earth.' "For this was the Messiah whom prophets foretold, A good shepherd to bring his sheep back to the fold; He was God become man, He would die on the cross, He would rise from the dead to restore Adam's loss. "Santa Claus, Christmas presents, a brightly lit pine, Candy canes and spiked eggnog are all very fine; Let's have fun celebrating, but leave not a doubt That Christ is what Christmas is really about!" The children right then put an end to the noise, They dressed quickly for church, put away all their toys; For they knew Jesus loved them and said they were glad That He'd died for their sins, and to save their dear Dad.
"Christmas day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp"
Joined: Dec 2004 Gender: Female Posts: 1,312 Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Special Holiday Stories for Member Reviews « Reply #2 on Apr 22, 2006, 8:21am »
THE LITTLE CROOKED CHRISTMAS TREE by Michael Cutting and Ron Broda
“Brown's Christmas Tree Farm is full of spruce trees. They all look the same, but one tree is different than the rest. He knows he is a tree but isn't sure what kind of tree he is. He has heard talk of Christmas and Christmas trees but doesn't understand what these things are. All he knows is that he is supposed to grow up straight and healthy."
Over the years, the little Christmas tree asks a goose and a squirrel if they know what the meaning of Christmas or a Christmas tree is. They don't. But one day a dove lands in the little tree's branches. She knows exactly what Christmas is but she is in trouble and needs a friend to help her.
Through his special friendship with the dove, the wonderful little tree learns the meaning of love, sacrifice and the true meaning of Christmas.
This is an enjoyable book to share with young children, I have no doubt that the young at heart would also enjoy this book.
Does anyone remembering reading this book before? I think it was adapted into a Christmas special for TV some years ago. I'll look into it and report back with my findings.
"Christmas day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp"
Joined: Dec 2004 Gender: Female Posts: 1,312 Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Special Holiday Stories for Member Reviews « Reply #3 on Apr 22, 2006, 8:37am »
Well, that didn't take long at all.
The Little Crooked Christmas Tree was made into a Christmas animated feature in 1993, narrated by Christopher Plummer; it originally aired on the Disney Channel. I think I saw in the mid to late 90's with my little cousins.
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