Let me take this moment to wish you a warm and meaningful Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I really look forward to this time of year because, at our house, we try to have lots of folks over for Thanksgiving dinner and during the Christmas season as well. There’s always a mad scramble to borrow extra tables and chairs, but in the end, we all enjoy the laughter, warmth, and good food everyone brings to share.
Last year I talked about a couple of traditions we enjoy, especially during the Christmas season. Reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Pennsylvania author Barb Robinson still makes me laugh out loud every year when my wife reads it to us. Another great book we try to read every year, but especially when our kids were younger, is One Wintry Night written by Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham. This book has beautiful artwork and an engaging story about all the events leading up to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Grab a mug of hot cocoa and snuggle on the couch with a grandchild and read this book!
We’ve also enjoyed going to see a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens. It is always amazing to see how this one man “becomes” all the characters of the story.
One more tradition (and a money-saving tip) we have at Christmas and all year is giving each member of the family an inexpensive journal. Instead of buying or making cards for each other for birthdays or Christmas or Valentine’s Day, we each take turns writing special wishes in these journals. Then, we enjoy these books over and over again for years to come. Cards are expensive and usually get thrown away. These journals have already served a great purpose for our family over the years.
Lastly, let me leave you with my prayer that your holidays (no matter which ones you cherish and celebrate) will be blessed.
With gratitude,
Mark Kemp & Family