Christmas Stories

 One of our long-standing family Christmas traditions is a nightly Christmas devotional. Daddy reads a scripture, we sing a Christmas hymn together, and then Daddy reads us a story. It's a wonderful time to be reminded of what Christmas is all about.

The stories are not very long, and they've become quite familiar over the years, but we all look forward to that time spent together as a family each night.

One reason Christmas stories mean a lot to me, is that they remind me of my late Aunt Linda. Every year for her Christmas card, she would send a small collection of Christmas themed stories. She loved sharing and reading them each year.

Some of the stories we read are stories told by my Church leaders or from church publications. Our collection also includes:

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
"The Cobbler and His Guest" by Anne Boyles
"Christmas in the Morning" by Pearl S. Buck
"The Other Wise Man" by Henry Van Dyke

We also like to read small books together, such as Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson. Both of them are short enough to read in one long sitting. (Of course, the little ones often fall asleep or have to be chased back into the room from the chaos they're creating elsewhere!)

The best story of all is, of course, the Nativity from Luke 2 read and acted out on Christmas Eve. We have a part for everyone, and the kids love putting the little play together for their parents.

May the pure love of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, infuse all that you do doing this glorious time of year!

Hugs,