December 24, 2012
My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?—Bob Hope
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Peace on earth will come to stay,
When we live Christmas every day.
—Helen Steiner Rice
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Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.—Mary Ellen Chase
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Christ was born in the first century, yet He belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries.—George W. Truett
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I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.—Charles Dickens
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Somehow, not only for Christmas,
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others,
Is the joy that comes back to you.
—John Greenleaf Whittier
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Jesus was God’s gift to the world, not just for Christmas, but for every single day—your whole life through—and even beyond for all eternity, and for every need that you will ever have.—Maria Fontaine
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When Christ entered our world, he didn't come to brighten our Decembers, but to transform our lives.—Rich Miller
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Remember, if Christmas isn’t found in your heart, you won’t find it under a tree.—Charlotte Carpenter
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So remember while December
Brings the only Christmas day,
In the year let there be Christmas
In the things you do and say.
—Anonymous
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Christmas is not just a day, an event to be observed and speedily forgotten. It is a spirit which should permeate every part of our lives.—William Parks
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Christmas is the time for looking ahead courageously through the gates of the swiftly approaching new year ... of resolving that the coming months will reflect a kinder, more forgiving and more selfless person than mirrored in the past.—Ellen V. Morgan
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There's more, much more, to Christmas than candlelight and cheer;
It's the spirit of sweet friendship that brightens all the year.
It's thoughtfulness and kindness, it's hope reborn again
For peace, for understanding, and for goodwill to men!
—Unknown
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Struggling with the letdown after Christmas? Look under the Tree of Life. You'll find an inexhaustible supply of gifts from the Prince of Peace waiting there for you to open the year round.—Katherine Walden
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Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be compassionate and kind, to follow the example that Jesus set for us, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.—Calvin Coolidge, adapted
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Christmas is the day that holds all time together.—Alexander Smith
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Whatever else we may lose over the years, the innocence, the fearlessness, the sense of invincibility, let us hold tight to the joy of Christmas. Whatever doubts assail us, whatever fears accompany the passing years, hold close the unquenchable light, the indomitable truth and unswerving love, that filled the hearts of men from that blessed morn. Let it ever restore in you your childlike faith again.—Grace Noll Crowell; adapted
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When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flock,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoners,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among people,
to make music in the heart…
And to radiate the light of Christ,
every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say.
Then the work of Christmas begins.
—Howard Thurman, adapted
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Where can we find the Holy One?
Where can we see His Only Son?
The Wise Men asked, and we're asking still,
Where can we find this Man of good will?
Is He far away in some distant place,
Ruling unseen from His throne of grace?
Is there nothing on earth that man can see
To give him proof of Eternity?
It's true we have never looked on His face,
But His likeness shines forth from every place,
For the Hand of God is everywhere
Along life's busy thoroughfare...
And His presence can be felt and seen
Right in the midst of our daily routine,
The things we touch and see and feel
Are what make God so very real...
The silent stars in timeless skies,
The wonderment in children's eyes,
The gossamer wings of a hummingbird,
The joy that comes from a kindly word...
The autumn haze, the breath of spring,
The chirping song the crickets sing,
A rosebud in a slender vase,
A smile upon a friendly face...
In everything both great and small
We see the hand of God in all,
And every day, somewhere, someplace,
We see the likeness of His face...
For who can watch a new day's birth
Or touch the warm, life-giving earth,
Or feel the softness of the breeze
Or look at skies through lacy trees
And say they've never seen His face
Or looked upon His throne of grace!
—Helen Steiner Rice
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This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.—Taylor Caldwell
Published on Anchor December 2012. Read by Bryan Clark. Music taken from the Christmas Moments album. Used by permission.
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