Dear Friends, My parents never made much of Santa Claus, but Christmas was usually a warm season of carols and cookies, lights and family. Then came my eighth Christmas and the warm goodwill faded fast with a quick trip to Southern California where my oldest brother had walked out on his family leaving two little
Dear Friends, Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years” (Luke 1:18). Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”The Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon
Dear Friends, “Don’t use ‘The Little Drummer Boy!’ I hate that song,” snarled a legal colleague one day as she overheard me planning the music for a Christmas program. I was surprised at her vehemence. “It makes no sense to me. Who is this kid playing the drum and what does this have to do
Dear Friends, “O come, o come, Emmanuel” “Come, Thou long-expected Jesus” “The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angel’s sing.” “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.” Waiting, as you can read and sing, is a frequent theme of Christmas carols. Waiting is an attitude of the season. We wait to
Dear Friends, At 7:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, I head out for a 10:00 appointment in Los Angeles sixty-four miles away. Yes indeed, that is two and one-half hours to travel what should take about an hour most places. Welcome to Southern California. My friend, Garrett, our Public Affairs Officer, picks me up at