Every December, billions of dollars change hands as people buy gifts for friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. In the United States alone, Christmas spending now exceeds $1 trillion annually, with Christmas gift-giving in gift cards, decorations, gadgets, clothing, and luxury items accounting for a significant portion of that figure. Some argue the tradition of gift-giving …
Along the Western Front in Belgium, it was a dark and bitterly cold night — Christmas Eve, 1914. Soldiers had already seen far too much blood. They were deeply traumatized, aching for their families. The distance between what they believed the war would be and what it had become felt like a gaping chasm. Then, …
Colorful lights, an eclectic mix of bought and handmade ornaments, stockings hung on the wall, and a Veggie Tales Christmas CD on repeat all month long. These are some of the sights and sounds from the Christmas’s of my childhood. The focus of the season was always directly on Jesus and the story of his …
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. -Luke 2:7 ESV Have you ever experienced a stressful situation while traveling? Last month I was driving to my parent’s house with my children in the car when …
Which part of Christmas brings your heart the most joy? Maybe it’s sitting by a warm fireplace with hot cocoa and a good book. Perhaps you love to pick out a tree and decorate it with your family. Maybe it’s picking out gifts for your loved ones, listening to beautiful Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, …