By Robert C. Shannon I hear voices every Christmas—two voices. I hear the voice of an angel singing, and I hear the voice of a woman crying. The first was as real as your voice or mine. The second is a figure of speech, a metaphor. The first speaks of great joy. The second […]
By Linda Gilden Christmas is a time for making memories—memories that will last a lifetime. But Christmas memories don’t have to require elaborate preparations. Anyone can create memories that will deepen family relationships, keep the real focus of Christmas, and not cost so much money you spend a lifetime paying for them. The hectic […]
By Alan W. Dowd My most memorable and Christ-exalting Christmas came at a most-unexpected time. Our family had a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party that Christmas, complete with a birthday cake. After he helped blow out the candles, my nephew Mike asked, “Where is Jesus?” It was an honest, matter-of-fact question. Yet he asked it […]
By Amy Storms Literature was my favorite subject in school. Reading hardly felt like homework. I loved reading novels and discussing the literary concepts behind the stories. Most often, though, my teacher pointed out insights that had never crossed my mind. “Notice the symbolism here?” she’d ask. I hadn’t. “This foreshadowing is quite obvious,” […]
By T.R. Robertson In 2007 I travelled to Mexico on a mission trip with a group of college students. Our task that week was to complete several construction tasks for a small church in a rural village. I discovered that week just how soft I had allowed myself to become in the years since […]
