By Norma Dowless

One Sunday morning during worship Pastor Dan was talking about Christmas Carols.  How most people look forward to hearing them every year, but after a couple of weeks they are thinking….when is the New Year? 

I grew up in a musical family.  We had music going all the time.  Saturday nights in my childhood home were filled with my Mama sitting at the piano playing and all of us standing around her singing.  She even typed up “Song Books” for us, the old fashion way with carbon paper!

For 10 months of the year we would sing “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”  to the “Battle of 1814”!  But come November 1st we would pull out the “Christmas Song Books”  and we would sing Christmas Songs from November until the end of January.  “ Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snow Man, Santa Claus is Coming Tonight” and all the popular songs.  After all the “silly” songs were finished we would sing the Christmas Hymns and that is when it was beautiful.  My Daddy singing “We Three Kings” in his deep base voice, my Uncle Lenny singing harmony in his light tenor voice, Mama singing and playing the piano and enjoying every minute of it and my aunt, my cousins and friends all singing and laughing.  Mama played by “ear”, if she heard a song she could play it.  Amazing gift! 

To me I could sing Christmas Carols and Hymns all year.  They remind me of a simpler time in my life and a time of great joy!  I will never forget the first year Jimmie was included in the circle.  It was so exciting to have him singing the songs I love with all the people I love. 

Times change, friends move away, my parents died and life is not the same anymore.  I have a wonderful life and am blessed beyond my wildest dreams…..but every year when I hear the first Christmas Carol I smile and remember signing around the piano.   I can hear all of our voices as we sang “Silent Night” and know that Christmas lives in our hearts and in our memories. 

So this Christmas join the angels in their heavenly chorus and sing with your family for all the world to hear:

“Silent Night, Holy Night, wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King, Christ the Savior in born, Christ the Savior is Born!”

By Dan Hester

Our first ever Community Christmas Tree Lighting was a blast. The weather was wonderful. The turnout was terrific. And the sense of it was something of a street fair. 

Several aspects of the event made it memorable for me. To start, so many people involved themselves in the event. Seeing so many people working on making their corner of the event work; seeing so many people do their part so that the whole came together gave me a feeling of joy. 

The animals were worth every rental penny we paid. The children were mesmerized by the animals. As soon as the trailer arrived, children literally jumped on the trailer and couldn't wait to see the animals. I think the adults liked them too, just not as many of them posed for cute pictures. Even the llama who was loosed at the end (thanks Facebook pictures) added a great story for those of us who were there to tell those who couldn't be there. 

But, by far my favorite part occurred just before we lit the tree. I was blabbing on a bit providing anticipation and ceremony to the actual lighting when something unscripted came out of my mouth. I said a word of appreciation for our neighbors who were in attendance because they were the ones for whom we were doing all of this. As soon as I said it, the church members present broke into applause. That heartfelt and spontaneous gesture of hospitality by our congregation was my early Christmas present. Thank you.