GoMC has contacts!

No, GoMC doesn't have contacts in the sense that GoMC has people. Well, she does...But just in the terms of-Oh, never mind.

GoMC has the contacts that someone puts in their eyes!

And oh how long she has waited for them!!!

On Wednesday, my dad and I went to the optometrist. He was just having a checkup and I was having an appointment for contacts. I was all nervous and excited.

Anyway, the doctor measured how bad my eyes had gone (They went down 2 steps). It's wasn't necessarily a good or bad thing in general, but it was pretty good considering last time I went for my yearly checkup I went down 6 huge steps. It was pretty scary. They were even considering the possibility that I had glaucoma, a really bad eye disease that nothing can be done about it and it can eventually lead to blindness.

Fortunately, after a stressful and frightening trip to an eye doctor in India, we found out that I had nothing to fear in the sense of glaucoma.
The eye doctor trip in India was truly traumatic at the time. I got so scared when they put these drops in my eyes. It dilated my pupils so the bright lights really hurt. Next they took me to a room to the glaucoma doctor. He put more drops in my eyes that numbed them. Then he took a blue light and stuck them on my eyeball. That was it.
I broke down and cried like a baby. A big, pathetic baby.
After all of that they told me I didn't have glaucoma.
Oh, and after that? I was taken to a dark room where they had a machine that puffed a quick gust of air onto my eyes.
Sounds fun, huh?
Oh, and did I mention that the dilating drops were still working? It was in the middle of the day when we finally went outside. Closing my eyes, I had to cling onto my dad's arm while he lead me around. The sun hurt so much!
Oops. Getting off topic.
Okay, so we still don't quite know what happened that one time. Six steps down is a big deal. My eyes are even worse than my dad's!

Fast forward to January 28th. It's about 3:30 PM. The doctor got the contacts after measuring my eyes, and told me how to put the in, how to clean them, and how to store them. I was so excited about being able to run around without having to worry about my glasses bouncing around on my face, getting smudged, or falling off!!!

And then the time came. They were going in!

But my brain had other ideas.

My eye muscles struggled against it. Eventually, I learned to relax. But alas! Though one contact was in, the other was still to come.
My willpower struggled, but it eventually got in too.

And boy, did I love it when my contacts were on! It almost felt as if nothing was there. I mean, I knew it was in there and even now as I wear them, I know they're in there. But they didn't hurt at all!

So my dad had his checkup and I explored my new eyes. Completely free of glasses! YESSS! I looked around pressed my nose where the glasses used to have been for good vision. I rolled my eyes around, closed them, and crossed my eyes all while mentally sticking my tongue out at my glasses.
In short, I was like a kid in a candy store.

So after my dad's checkup was over, the doctor took me to another room with contacts boxes lining the walls, several chairs, posters about eyes and contacts, and a mirror. He said that I would be "practicing" with my contacts. He plunked the mirror in front of me and told me how to take the contacts off. I tried and tried, but my fear of touching my eyes got in the way. I struggled to take the contact out of my right eye, but it just resulted in a very tired and bloodshot eye.
I didn't get to take it off by the end of the appointment.

But the optometrist said that it was cool; the government had approved for the contacts to be worn for a month straight without taking them out. Of course, that wasn't recommended; there was always the risk of infection with contacts.

I felt really tired when we got home. My dad told me to take a nap, so I just flung myself onto my bed, turned on my music player, and closed my eyes.

It sort of helped.

Fifteen minutes later, I washed my hands (always important before doing anything with contacts or eyes) and was in front of the mirror trying to take the things off. Of course, everyone wanted to watch me take them off, but I felt very strange. Like a microbe under a microscope.
So they, really, she *cough* little sister *cough* left after a very imperative command.
And I did it!

Of course my poor eyes were VERY exhausted, so put them in their case.
But clumsy and un-smart me did a very stupid thing. A very stupid thing that the optometrist had warned about many, many times during my appointment.

I left both of the cases open. Why is that such a bad thing?

You see both of my eyes are different. They don't require the same power. So that means the two contacts are different. And I accidentally dropped my left contact in with my right one.

Big Uh-oh.

I hollered for everyone to stay away and not move the case while I rushed to my bedroom to retrieve my glasses.

My dad said, "*GoMC*! Weren't you paying any attention when he was talking?"

Of course I had...But if you know me, I can really goof things up sometimes.

This time was no exception.

I came back knowing that my left contact would be on top of the right. As quickly as I could, I snatched it outta there. But I'm not exactly sure. Is it the right one?

I think it is...Maybe...

Oh, dear.

God Bless,

P.S. Will post soon about "Glasses VS. Contact Lenses"! Feel free to ask questions about them. I had a lot of questions before I got contacts, but didn't have the chance to speak with anyone, so if you have any questions just comment! You can even do it anonymously.

Adoption Status III

Waiting on the edge of our seats...

That's what this past month has really been like. Last week there was a court date in India with us as the case. There, the judge reviewed our case to determine whether or not we'd be good enough to be my little sister's family.

And another court date has been scheduled. It's not a bad thing, though. As I take it, it's a normalcy. There are usually two court dates. So, at the second one in February, the judge will approve of my parents as her "guardians". Weird, huh? She won't be "officially" ours until she has been in America for about 1 or 2 years!

Anyway, after the judge approves we wait for a written order that states that my parents are her official guardians.

And after that?

We have to wait for my state to review and approve everything for the adoption, and after that we wait for her passport.

Oh, and a lot of paperwork for my dear parents. *grins*

It'll be totally nerve-gnawing, but it's totally worth it! I eagerly wait for the time she'll be in our home, and I can't wait for the time I can say, "Welcome home, my sister."

The question still remains, though. How will she react to us? My mind replays the worst case scenarios of her outrightly rejecting us and mourning the loss of everything she has known. Only being a toddler, she won't know that we're taking her to a better place. She won't know that she'll have a forever family to love her.
I suppose I'll have to continue to pray for both her and us. I know that my family would appreciate it if you prayed for us too.

God Bless,

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm by Phillip Keller Review

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, written by Phillip Keller, is a devotional book that thoroughly explains Psalm 23 from an interesting point of view, the shepherd’s view. The author, who was a shepherd himself, paints a picture of words of the love between the sheep and their master. With many stories to explain this psalm, part by part, and with many truths about us, the sheep; and Jesus, the Shepherd, the reader will immensely enjoy and learn many things from reading this book. The author really gets the reader to understand the psalm. One thing a reader might find interesting is that shepherds in David’s, the author of Psalm 23, time put a mixture of oil and spices on a sheep to prevent sickness and discomfort from insects. Thus when the psalm says “Thou annointest my head with oil” it means that God protects us. Shepherds are protectors and providers, loving their sheep unselfishly, a picture of our Savior’s love for us, sheep led so easily astray. I recommend this book because it explains and expands on Psalm 23. The reader will understand Psalm 23 in a different or even better way. The reader will better understand the heart of this Psalm and how much that Jesus cares for them.

God Bless,

Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John Review

Treasures of the Snow is a Christian fiction book by Patricia St. John that is 228 pages long. This book is about a girl named Annette and a boy named Lucien who learn about forgiveness and the peace that knowing the Savior brings.

Annette is given a very special Christmas present on a very tragic day. After walking home from church, she is met by her solemn-looking father. They rush to their house and Annette finds that her mother is gravely ill. Her mother gives Annette the gift and an important responsibility of a little baby brother named Daniel. He grows up to be a cheerful and slightly spoiled boy who is strong and loved by his older sister, father, and grandmother who comes to help take care of Daniel, or Dani.

Lucien is a boy who doesn’t do well and school and mostly keeps to himself. He is very jealous of Annette, who excels in her studies and everything she does. One day, as he is hurrying to school lost in his thoughts he accidentally bumps Annette’s sled. He jumps down to help, but Annette is infuriated. She yells at him and goes to school with tears streaming down her face, determined to make Lucien miserable.

They begin an unsavory game to see how bad they can make the other feel, and it snowballs into a terrible event. Lucien gets to Dani alone and dangles his beloved kitten over a cliff. When he drops it, Dani dives after the kitten, and Lucien fears that he killed the boy. He runs home, miserable and heartbroken. When Annette and his mother finds out of Lucien’s terrible deed, they rush to find the child. Dani ends up being found alive, but seriously wounded in his leg. The doctors declare that he will never walk properly again.

Annette becomes bitter and unforgiving towards Lucien. She resolves in her heart to get her revenge. Little does she know of Lucien’s sorrow and the agony he faces of being shunned by the whole community. He meets an old man secluded from the town, and they become close friends because of their mutual love of carving wood. Lucien tries to make amends with Dani by making him fine wood toys, but Annette always gets in the way. The hatred in her heart builds until she breaks a fine wooden horse that Lucien had made for a fair, but her conscience reprimands her when Dani discovers the wooden animals that Lucien had made and when her entry for the fair wins.

Will Annette accept Jesus into her heart and forgive Lucien? Will Dani ever walk properly again? Will Lucien ever be loved?

I highly recommend this book. It has a wonderful message of forgiveness and has characters that are realistic and heartwarming. The book can be a little bit boring at times, but all in all it is a great read.

God Bless,

GoMC cooks!

Yes, for the first time in my entire life I cooked something from scratch without burning the house down. It's a miracle! And what is this dish that I made????

LASAGNA!!!!!!!!!!

YUM!

So I went to a friend's house a while back and she made lasagna. Of course, being the taste oddball of my family who loves everything non-Indian and doesn't exactly like well, the Indian dishes I fell in love with the lasagna. So I asked her for the recipe, bought all of the ingredients, discovered how fattening it is, and then made it!

Seriously. Lasagna has like 2 packets of cream cheese, a whole pound of sour cream, beef, sausage, and cheese galore! It's so bad, but it's so good!!!!!!!!!

Did it work out as planned? Did it turn out a beautiful as my friend's lasagna?

No and nope!

But hey, I had a ton of fun and some parts of not so fun (like getting raw egg on my clean t-shirt. gross!)

Sure the noodles were a little overcooked at the edges on the top layer, the baking pan wasn't deep enough, and the noodles were swimming in the sauce...

But at least it was edible!

A very satisfied girl blogging out.

God Bless,

Snow! And then, not snow....

Well, the strangest thing happened! Yesterday, we got snow! (But that wasn't what was weird)
So there were slight flurries, and I knew that it wouldn't be enough to play in for sure and all.
But it was the first snow of the year! First snow of 2009! Awesomeness, yeah? Anyways, it was snowing and everything, and then the sun comes out! You'd think that the snow would dissipate and all, but it fell down harder! More snow! It looked so magical with the sun out and little crystal sparklies drifting to the ground! It kept going on like that for about an hour.
So why didn't GoMC take a picature?
1. She was lazy and freezing! (Well, that's two reasons, huh?)
2. She didn't know where the camera was!

Oh, well. Too bad!
So yesterday was so COLD, but today is so WARM! It really went from a 32F to a 70F, and I am LOVING it!

Anyways, has anyone gone to Winter Jam? It was one of the highlights for me of 2008, and I'm going to try to go again! So last year I went with a church group with my BFF and her youth group. It was honestly a blast! The music was amazing! I actually got to see PureNRG in person! But I didn't go up and say "hi" because I didn't exactly know who they were and everything. (Now I do!!!)
So the funny thing was that I said, "You know what would be awesome? If Tobymac came!"
And this year? HE IS GONNA BE THERE! *squeals*
Most of ya'll know that my favorite artists of all time are Tobymac, Barlowgirl, and Steven Curtis Chapman.
And I've seen one in concert already! I will be SOOOOO happy if I get to go!
The best thing of all? It's like only 10 dollars!!!

This is what I got in an email.

Coming To A City Near You

1/8/09 Roanoke, VA 1/9/09 Chattanooga, TN 1/10/09 Fayetteville, NC 1/11/09 Charlotte, NC 1/15/09 Augusta, GA 1/16/09 Tallahassee, FL 1/17/09 Tampa, FL 1/18/09 Macon, GA 1/23/09 Peoria, IL* 1/24/09 Des Moines, IA** 1/25/09 St. Charles, MO* 1/29/09 Cincinnati, OH 1/30/09 Cleveland, OH 1/31/09 Columbus, OH*** 2/5/09 Southhaven, MS 2/6/09 Little Rock, AR 2/7/09 Birmingham, AL**** 2/8/09 Duluth, GA

2/13/09 Greensville, SC 2/14/09 Jacksonville, FL**** 2/15/09 Mobile, AL 2/20/09 Columbia, SC 2/21/09 Greensboro, NC**** 2/22/09 Norfolk, VA 2/26/09 Oklahoma City, OK 2/27/09 Tulsa, OK 2/28/09 Wichita, KS*** 3/1/09 Council Bluffs, IA 3/6/09 Knoxville, TN* 3/7/09 Lexington, KY* 3/8/09 Tupelo, MS* 3/12/09 Grand Rapids, MI* 3/13/09 Ft. Wayne, IN* 3/14/09 Ypsilanti, MI* 3/15/09 Nashville, TN*

* No Brandon Heath; Also: The Afters
** No Hawk Nelson, Brandon Heath; Also: The Afters, BarlowGirl
*** No Hawk Nelson; Also: BarlowGirl
**** No Hawk Nelson; Also: Family Force 5

Want to find out more about this amazing concert? Go to the website to find out more!

What else is going on in my life?

Well, I submitted the application for the school I'm hoping to go to next year. Please pray that I get selected for an interview! I am sort of nervous!

Annnnnd my story! My book is 109,000 words long, and it's starting to build towards the climax, the final conflict. Cool, huh? I have a lot more to write, though, and then I have to edit and try to find a publisher. Daunting, yes, but I hope to take it one baby step at a time!

Blog spotlight for the month!

This will be a new addition to my blog every month! I will be talking about blogs that I have found an liked. This month's spotlight shines on "'Tween You And Me"! It's a blog run by Mrs. Nancy Rue, the author of the Lily series, the Sophie series, and the Lucy novels! She is an amazing writer who really gets down on the level of middle school girls. I remember rushing home from the library every Saturday with an armful of her books! Even now, my sister and I love reading her books! So check it out! *grins*

My plans for the rest of the month include doing two new book reviews, so be on the lookout for new stuff!

God Bless,

Hot Topics: In Not Of

Fact: God wants us to be in the world, and not of the world!

What exactly does that mean? Let's break it down into two parts.

In the world- that means that we are living on this terrestrial ball. We're humans.
But not of the world-this means that we are to be distinct as Christians. We are not to be worldly.

Callie really wanted to reach out to her friends. She grew up in a Christian home, but hadn't accepted him as her Lord and Savior until a year ago. Her friends were into stuff that she didn't really think the Bible approved of, but she had to reach them somehow! She had to help them see the light! So Callie decided to get on their level of things. Little by little she did what they did. Soon, she found herself acting like they did in every single way, and eventually she had forgotten everything but what her friends were doing and how she had to continue doing it. Callie was trapped.

Sad, huh?

People define "of the world" as many things. Some say Hollywood and media. Some say rock music, even if it has Christian. Some say that it's bad friends.
How do you determine whether something or someone is right for you?
Well, the thing is to go to the Bible. Another tip in determining whether something is okay to do is to ask the classic question, "What Would Jesus Do?"
Or ask, "What would He say if he was standing right next to you?"

But, you need to beware of secluding yourself too much. God called us to be the light of the world. We need to shine and show how amazing our God is. The best example is Jesus.

"Jesus Calls Levi

(Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17)

After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's desk. He said to him, “Follow me!” So Levi left everything behind, got up, and followed him.

Then Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus.

A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

But Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do. I have not come to call righteous people, but sinners, to repentance.”"

Luke 5:27-32

So, have compassion for the world. We aren't supposed to be "holier-than-thou" people. We aren't supposed to think we're higher than anyone else because we are Christian. God is the difference. He changed our lives, and we didn't save ourselves. At the same time, we are distinct from every one else. A song by Avalon comes to mind....It's a great song about living in the world, and not of it.

In Not Of
by Avalon

I hide me far away from trouble
The world outside me grows darker by the day
So I promise to stay here close beside Him
Surely God would want His children safe
Then reading, how my eyes were opened
I find that He is leading us out into the world
Into the middle of fallen saints and sinners
Where a little grace is needed most

CHORUS
Come take the Light to darker parts
Share His truth with hardened hearts
We are not like the world but we can love it
Come bring the Hope to hopeless men
Until the lost are found in Him
He came to save the world
So let us be... in it, not of it

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why we run and hide
Entertain a stranger
Maybe entertain an angel
The danger is if our worlds don't collide

CHORUS

We've cursed the darkness far too long
We need to hold the candle high
We have to go and right the wrongs
We need to touch the world with love
With His love

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it
Why are we not in it

CHORUS 2X

Wait a minute
If we say we love them, why are we not in it

How Well Do You Know Poetry?

There are two poems that I have studied in English class, and two poems stumped me. Will you let them stump you? Comment if you know the answer. Those who do not, try not to look at the answers until you think you know what it is. Have fun!

"SONNET 60" William Shakespeare
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked elipses 'gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand. What is Shakespeare talking about in this poem? (Hint: Not Nature!) "Loveliest of Trees" by A. E. Housman (1859-1936) Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, of my threescore years and ten, Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow. How old is the speaker of this poem in "Loveliest of Trees"? (Hint: Read the middle paragraph! It's not as hard as it might seem!) God Bless,

"This Place" by SONSOFDAY music video

I recently heard this song on the Gospel Music Channel, and I liked it a lot. Why? I'm not sure. I like the chorus especially. :D Oh, and as always make sure to pause my music player before listening.

This Place
SONSOFDAY

I am reaching out to you now
I hope you see my silent cry
My heart is aching from this pain I
I want to leave this place somehow

But you don’t know how I feel
This job is not so bad you’re here
I can not take this anymore
I must be stronger than before

Take me out of out of this place
I’ve been here too long for too long now
So take me back now to the place where
To the place where to the place where I belong

I am barely breathing right now
Concentrating I can’t think right now
What this world wants from me I
I can’t quite figure out yeah

This time I will be stronger
I have to make it through somehow
The road is getting crazier
I’m hanging on to you right now

I think I’m crazy
We're not the only ones
Who get so dizzy
From what this worlds become

God Bless,

WHAT is with that new poll?

Okay, so many of you may be wondering why I have the poll about if you learn about evolution in school or not. Your initial reaction may have been, "DUDE! What is UP with GoMC?" I hope I didn't startle ya'll!

Have you ever been in a school situation or just chilling with your best friends when evolution comes up? Has that mean old cat ever got your tongue when they start spouting off facts like an encyclopedia of evolution? Do you never know how to reply? Well, that's why I started the poll.

I'd like to make posts that are relevant with us. If it's not, then I won't write it. But the thing is, it may show up in your life somewhere, and it's best not to be caught off guard. I'd like for my "Hot Topic" posts to be like a discussion. Do feel free to comment about doubts you have about what I've written. If you don't agree with them at all, be free to argue your point. I don't want this to be a one-sided thing, ya'll! And if you have been learning about something in school or whatever that I forget to cover, please tell me!

"Hot Topics"? What is that? As I said earlier, I will be adding more stuff to my blog like the story I posted previous to this one. It'll be titled "Fiction Fix". Another one will be "Hot Topics". You know, the stuff we deal with as kids and teenagers living today.

God Bless,

January Fiction Fix!

This is this month's fiction article! :D. The inspiration of this story came from me seeing nativity sets outside of several churches and other various businesses and when I heard a story on the news about a company offering free security systems for churches and businesses that put up nativity sets. That's when I got the idea for a story about a nativity set outside of a church. The rest came pretty quickly.

Babe in the Straw
by GoMC

Shivering slightly, Pastor Steven Newman smiled as he took down the Christmas wreaths from the front doors of the church that he had recently come to shepherd. Many had seen the wreaths that had displayed bright poinsettias and berries, but unlike other wreaths it had the words “All are welcome.”

Indeed, all had been welcome to the little church during the holidays. Rich and poor, old and young, happy and hopeless- he had seen it all. He was really pleased with his little congregation of thirty-seven; they had opened their hearts and homes to all who came through the old wooden doors. Right before they had begun decorating the church with Christmas attire, he had given them a sermon about how there was no room for little baby Jesus, and he spoke about how they needed to accept a stranger, no matter who it was, into their church.*

Tucking both of the wreaths under his arm, he headed inside, whistling. Now, he mused, a new year was beginning, like the dawn of a bright new day.

“Richard, please be sure to be careful with that nativity set!” a worried woman’s voice called.

“Of course, Connie,” A low voice sighed. “I’m the one who put it up in the first place, remember?”

He stepped into the sanctuary and grinned at his wife and his little brother. Richard gave a long suffering sigh, but turned around and gave his older brother a wink, revealing his hidden good mood. Even from their childhood, Connie had been like a big sister to Richard, who was seven years younger than Steven.

There were about ten people around the sanctuary, both laughing and talking with each other or on tall ladders removing huge red bows and disassembling Christmas trees. They were almost done for they had been packing and cleaning since sunup. Almost reverently, Richard took out the porcelain baby in the bed full of straw, slipped it into its bubble wrap protective covering, and placed it into its space in the Styrofoam that had a space cut out for the baby.

Connie smiled and picked up the box it was in. “Another Christmas come and gone…”

“I think this one was the best, right, Daddy?” a little girl’s voice chirped.

Everyone looked down at little four-year-old Ashleigh.

Pastor Newman chuckled and scooped up his daughter. “You’re right, Ash!”

He turned around and looked around at all of the people. Everyone was wrapping up their work, and he knew that they had done a great job.

In a few minutes, everyone was bundled up and was standing in front of the church. Mrs. Dianne Bradford, the oldest member of the church, had a sentimental smile on her face as the walked up to the large outdoor nativity set. Her husband had been the pastor of the church before Steven had come, and he had died after a long and hard battle with cancer. Before he had gone to meet his Maker, Pastor Bradford had made the nativity set by hand.

“Peter always used to pack up the outdoor nativity last,” she had sighed. “It’s sort of like a tradition. Every year, we retold the nativity story before we packed up everything.”

When Pastor Newman had asked if she wanted to put up a security system, which was being offered for free by one of the local organizations, around her husband’s nativity set, she had firmly refused.

“Jesus is for everyone, Steven, even the thieves and troublemakers!” she had exclaimed.

Now, Pastor Newman set down his daughter and helped the other men carry the huge boxes filled with packing peanuts to the front lawn. Several people had to leave, but most stayed with peaceful faces all aglow with joy.

Steven opened his Bible and read the nativity story with a strong voice. Ashleigh stood there with a look of wonder and she flitted about like a little fairy as she pointed to each figurine as her father mentioned them.

“Mommy, what’s wrong with Jesus?” Ashleigh asked after they were done retelling the Christmas story and after everyone had waved goodbye to head to their cars. She skipped over to the manger and peered down into his face. Connie and Richard joined her with puzzled expressions on their faces. “Why does he look so sad?” She gently touched his face. His arms were reaching up, as if to catch the great star that hung high above him. His face was so perfectly painted that he almost looked like a real infant, but one thing was different. Instead of eyes full of wonder and joy, his eyes looked sad almost sorrowful.

Connie sipped her Starbucks coffee and put a hand on Ashleigh’s head, straightening some stray locks of hair. “Well, I don’t know, honey,” she replied.

Mrs. Bradford gently picked him up and settled him in Ashleigh’s arms as if he was a real baby. She smiled angelically and cooed to him as she rocked him back and forth. As she was, a slip of paper fluttered and fell to the ground. Richard picked it up.

“A letter?” He cocked his head and handed it over to Steven, shaking his head. “I can’t make it out.”

Steven squinted at it for a moment. “You’re right. It’s a letter.”

The two adults crowded around Steven, trying to read the scrawled words.

Dear Pastor,

My name is Kelly, but that isn’t too important. You met me during the holidays and took me inside your church, gave me a warm meal, and talked to me about the little babe in the straw that grew up to be the man who died for everything wrong I did and every right I didn’t do. But before I came to the front steps of the church to find out more about the baby in the straw, I had planned to take it and burn it in a bonfire in front of the church.

You see, I’ve been going down the wrong road for some time. I started off with a great, high standing job, a beautiful family, and a gorgeous house. But things happened. My family had left me because of my addiction to alcohol and I had lost all of my money from my ugly habit. I was mad at the world, and I was infuriated with God. Whenever I thought of Christians I thought of stuck-up people who sat on their high horse and criticized those around them all while doing bad things behind our backs.

So at around nine on the night of Christmas Eve, I sneaked up to your church. With a dim flashlight in hand, I glared at the little baby in the straw, but he didn’t glare at me. He looked at me with sad, understanding eyes as if he knew what was wrong, but loved me anyways. He looked as if he knew my pain. I couldn’t burn him.

I had to find out about this child in the straw, so I came to look for you. Thank you so much for giving me hope, Pastor and for not looking down on me like so many others have. I’m sorry for not telling you before about what I had planned to do when I met you. I was still a bit apprehensive, but that is no excuse. This is why I’m writing you a letter now.

I read the Bible you gave me, and I’ve decided to turn my life around. I’ve asked Jesus to come into my heart, and now I’m going to work hard to get the respect of others and myself back. It will be hard, but I know God will help me. I humbly ask that you pray for me and my family as I try to reconcile.Thank you again, Pastor.

Respectively,

Kelly

Pastor Newman stared at the letter with a small smile. “I remember Kelly.”

Connie put a hand on his shoulder and softly said, “I do too.”

Small snowflakes started falling to add to the white blanket of snow already on the ground. He knelt next to Ashleigh and hugged her close.

“Here, Daddy,” she said seriously, as she moved to put baby Jesus into his arms. He set the little babe into the straw and glanced back at the letter.

“I pray you never forget about that baby in the straw, Kelly. Never forget about this little child who grew up to be your Savior.”

Mrs. Bradford sniffed and wiped away a tear. “I wonder if Peter knew.”

Connie walked over to the elderly woman and hugged her. “I bet he was celebrating with the angels as they rejoiced because another lost lamb has finally found him.”

Richard looked at the faces around him from little Ashleigh’s to Mrs. Bradford’s. “I vote that we keep the nativity set out for a week more.”

Connie nodded. “I’d like that.”

Everyone agreed, and as they headed inside for some hot chocolate, Pastor Newman couldn’t help but look back one more time.

“That’s what Christmas is all about. That little babe in the straw; the most highest of kings born in the humblest of places, declaring that He is for all mankind.”

The wind picked up and the snow swirled around him. Pastor Steven looked up at the clouds with joyous tears in his eyes.

“He’s truly for all mankind.”

*See Matthew 25:34-40

God Bless,

A Little Bit of Biblical Humor to Brighten Up Your Day

I got this in an e-mail today.

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.


Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds.

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. Who was the great est female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q.. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.


Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan The banks were always overflowing.



Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.


Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark ?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. (Groan...)



God Bless,