Pour a cup of hot chocolate, turn on the tree, and enjoy some sweet and some nutty Christmas poetry and prose. Then visit our Twelve Sites of Christmas.
Christmas at Macy's
Christ walked into Macy's on Christmas Eve.
His eyes blinked in amazement as He
wandered though the silver evergreens,
while red, yellow, and blue stars blinked
above His head.
Surely, this was not the way He had remembered it
at that glorious time of creation.
Relief filled His heart as He glimpsed familiar shepherds,
But they were lifeless, hard and hollow;
not anything like His Father had made.
They bowed before the silent angels revolving
on steel wires above their heads.
It was all so cold and heartless.
Plastic shells of humanity.
I came to give life, to give it abundantly, He pondered
as electronic ornaments beeped "Joy
to the World."
"Don't you want life?"
He called out to the villagers.
But they just smiled with their hand-painted
expressions as they hurriedly shopped
for more
plastic and vinyl
and stared past the life lying in the manger.
Copyright © 1976 James N. Watkins
Christmas
at K-mart
ATTENTION SHOPPERS.
Now for the next three minutes, at the flashing blue light, we have on
sale this beautiful hand-crafted teak wood nativity set. Each figure is
elegantly clothed in beautiful satin and . . .
. . . she
brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
While you're
there, be sure to see our three-foot weather-proof hand-painted plastic
nativity figures. They'll look perfect on your front lawn. Plus they come
complete with 100-watt bulbs and . . .
. . . there
were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
In our hardware
department burglar alarms and security lights are on sale this week only.
And in our sporting department, check out the low prices on our rifles,
shotguns, and . . .
. . . and
the angel said to the, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto us is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
. . . And don't forget to stop by our Entertainment Center for the latest Christmas hits
including "Rudolph the Redneck Reindeer," "Rappin? Around the Christmas Tree," and . . .
. . . suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
to men.
And don't forget,
Santa Claus will be arriving in just a few moments. The first ten boys
and girls will receive a special gift from Santa and . . .
. . . they
came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
We hope you've
found everything on your list, to make this a joyful Christmas. Please
come again, and . . .
. . . the
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen.
Copyright © 1983 James N. Watkins
Christmas presents
Direct from my home office, here are top ten signs you've spent too much money on Christmas presents
10. Your letter carrier develops a hernia delivering your MasterCard bill.
9. Your new computer has more RAM than Microsoft headquarters.
8. The Federal government is offering you a bailout.
7. You've taken out a second mortgage to pay for the "Nuclear-powered 3-D Brain Blaster" video game system.
6. A guy named "Nick the Kneecap" keeps calling you at 3 a.m.
5. You spend all your time away from the office or assembly line asking, "Do you want fries with that?"
4. You use cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, and computer manuals to heat your home.
3. The Ghost of Christmas Future reveals your family living at a homeless shelter, but—hey—you're the best dressed people there.
2. You're receiving money for food and medicine from a Russian orphan.
1. You've forgotten the true reason for the season.
Wishing you and your family a generous Christmas!
© Copyright 1997, 2008 James N. Watkins
Mystery (of
Nativity)
Holy God of life
and light,
In a stable in the dead of night,
It's a myst'ry of Nativity.
Maker of all human flesh,
Nursing at a virgin's breast,
It's a myst'ry of Nativity.
That God would become Man
To die and live again,
That humanity might know Divinity.
Ruler of the wide cosmos,
Bound and tied in swaddling clothes,
It's a myst'ry of Nativity.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
Bound and nailed on two rough boards,
It's a myst'ry of Nativity.
That God would become Man
To die and live again,
That humanity might know Divinity.
Copyright © 1993 James N. Watkins
The Fragrance of Christmas
Evergreen boughs. Fruitbreads. Wassail. Fresh- baked cookies. Frosty winter air. Bayberry candles. The festive fragrances reminded our family that this was Christmas Eve as we visited my wife's mother in Wisconsin.
"Dad, can we go down to the barn and see the kittens?" Faith and Paul asked. We bundled up and trudged through the snow to the barn.
As we opened the door, the smell of urine burned our eyes and nostrils. Steam from the cattle's body heat carried the scent of fresh manure throughout the barn.
"Let's see the kittens and then get out of here," my teen-aged daughter urged. "My hair is going to smell just terrible after being here!"
We did carry the odor of the barn's manure, old wooden beams, grain, and fresh straw back to the house with us.
"This smells better," Paul announced as the aroma of roasting turkey greeted us at the door.
But the true scent of the season clung to our clothes. The holy and pure God had chosen to
arrive on earth, not between scented candles in a tabernacle of cedar paneling, but in the stench and filth of a
stable. And in his sacrificial acts, he offered us the "fragrance of life" (2 Corinthians 2:16).
© Copyright 1988 James N. Watkins
Have a meaningful holiday!
Visit The Twelve Sites of Christmas
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