Now when

 Matthew 2:1-2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him

“At Christmas, all roads lead home.”—Marjorie Holmes

Love Grows at Christmastime from the movie "Christmas Jars" | by One Voice Children's Choir

 Jeannine Lasky, Masafumi Fukud

…

Hearts heal at Christmastime

When the seeds of forgiveness are planted within our hearts

Soft words, spoken freely

Fill the air with joyful sounds

Warm smiles shared with gladness

Lift the spirits of those worn down

Dean loves Cinnamon Apples 🙂

Cinnamon Apples

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into eighths

1/4 cup butter, cubed

In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients. Place apples in a greased 5-qt. slow cooker; add sugar mixture and toss to coat. Top with butter. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until apples are tender, stirring halfway through cooking.

Today is a traditional day of love and joy for our family.  Today is my sweetest of heart’s birthday.  Every year, Dec. 5 is a love letter to him.  The entire month is a love letter to Our Savior.  Here are some of my favorite love quotes ~~ Marilee

John 3:16 ¶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart. ~ George Matthew Adams

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Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. ~Ruth Carter Stapleton

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Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love,

a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness,

a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God. ~George McDougall

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“Love is a gift from God, and as we obey His laws and genuinely learn to serve others, we develop God's love in our lives. Love of God is the means of unlocking divine powers which help us to live worthily and to overcome the world.” ~  David B Haight

Why Santa Has A Beard

You've all heard many stories about Santa and his workshop at the North pole. You have also heard stories about his sleigh and reindeer. But this is a story about Santa that very few people know, read closely, I'll tell you why my hu . . . I mean why Santa decided to grow a beard.

As you know, the weather is very, very cold at the North pole. Santa didn’t like the cold, but he needed room for a BIG workshop, and the price was right, so there we made our home. Santa worked hard all year making toys for his Christmas Eve visit. 

During his few leisure moments, he dreamt of going to California (a place he’d flown over while delivering toys) and driving a classic car down Highway 1 to the beach at Malibu (with his radio blaring out “Surfing USA” www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s4slliAtQU ). He dreamt of roasting marshmallows with Mrs. Claus at a bonfire on the beach and of riding the waves at Big Sur, Huntington, La Jolla and wind surfing at Zuma Beach. 

The truth is, that after hundreds of years of making toys, Santa needed relaxation and a chance to get away from the snow and ice. One year, 1984 to be exact, while flying his sleigh over a junkyard in Franklin County, Idaho, he saw the rusted-out body of a 1956 Bel Air Convertible. On his return flight, he stopped at the junkyard, bought the convertible and hauled it home. Mrs. Claus just shook her head. He pounded away on that body for years, filled, sanded, painted and rebuilt everything mechanical. Then he turned it over to the elves to re-upholster. He could hardly wait for it to be done.

Soon Santa’s favorite way to relax after a stressful day in the shop was to take a leisurely ride in his “sports” sleigh (picture a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible on runners). Routinely, Santa put the top up, turned his wonder bar radio to a beach boys station, cranked the heater up full blast, and bundled up in his Chevy sleigh for a ride nearly every day. Once, after a particularly frustrating day, he was in such a hurry that he left the top down and forgot to wrap his heavy wool scarf around his face. When he got back from his ride, Santa had the most beautiful white icicles hanging down the sides of his face and chin, just like a beard. He walked into the shop where Mrs. Claus was making cookies, and the elves were busy working.

When Mrs. Claus looked up and saw Santa, she squealed with delight. "Why, Santa Claus-y Dear, you look absolutely marvelous with your sparkling white beard." When Santa saw how delighted his wife was, he was very flattered and decided right then and there to grow a long, flowing white beard and mustache. And that is exactly what he did.

Of course, by doing this, he made himself so handsome that Mrs. Claus used to make special trips out to the workshop just to give him a big smile and a kiss. This made Santa blush so much that to this day, he is still blushing. That's why his cheeks look so rosy.

Santa's second sleigh looked just like a Can Am 2 up 4-Wheeler. Mrs. Claus loved it because she loved to wrap her arms around Santa and hold him tight!

These days Mrs. Claus takes sleigh rides with Santa on their new sleigh which looks just like a Jagged X RZR. She loves having room to bring their dog, Pickles, with them and loves to hold Santa's hands while they are riding!!