I found this little story years ago
A Tennessee Tale
A Seminary professor was vacationing with his wifein Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One morning, they were having breakfast in a little restaurant. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, "I hope he doesn't come over here." But sure enough, the man did come over to their table. "Where are you folks from?" he asked in a friendly voice. "Oklahoma," they answered. "Great to have you here in Tennessee," the strangersaid. "What do you do for a living?" "I teach at a seminary," the man replied. "Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a good story for you." And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at their table. The professor groaned and thought to himself, "Great, just what I need--another preacher story!" The man began, "See that mountain over there?"pointing out the window. "Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every placehe went, he was always asked the same question. "Hey boy, who's your daddy?" Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question. "Who's your daddy?" He would hide at recess and lunchtime from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt himso much. When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher cameto his church. The boy would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, "Who's your daddy?" But one day, the new preacher said the benedictionso fast, he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, "Son, who's your daddy?" The whole church got very quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know theanswer to the dreaded question, "Who's your daddy?" The new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give,said the following to the scared little boy:"Wait a minute!" he said. "I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God." With that, he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, "Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it." With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, "Who's your Daddy?" he'd just tell them, "I'm a child of God." The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, "Now, isn't that a great story?" The professor responded that it certainly was. As the man turned to leave, he said, "You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably would never have amounted to anything!" And he walked away. The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over and asked her, "Do youknow that man who just left that was sitting at our table?" The waitress smiled and said, "Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's the former governor ofTennessee!"
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Memories of Christmas in Germany |
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Christmas Traditions in Germany German families prepare for Christmas throughout cold December. Four Sundays before Christmas, they make an Advent wreath of fir or pine branches with four colored candles. They light a candle on the wreath each Sunday, sing Christmas songs, and eat Christmas cookies. The children count the days until Christmas with an Advent calendar. Each day, they open a little numbered flap on the calendar to see the Christmas picture hidden there.In the weeks leading up to Christmas, homes are filled with the delightful smells of baking loaves of sweet bread, cakes filled with candied fruits, and spicy cookies called lebkuchen.
Many German children write letters to St. Nicholas asking for presents. St. Nicholas Day is December 6. Other German children write their letters to the Christ Child. In some areas, the Christ Child brings gifts to children on St. Nicholas Eve and in other areas on Christmas Eve. He is dressed all in white, with golden wings and a golden crown. Christmas Eve is the most important time of the Christmas season for families. Some even say it is a magical night when animals can speak. The wonderful tradition of the Christmas tree, which started in Germany, is the heart of the celebration. Grown-ups decorate the evergreen tree with beautiful ornaments of colored glass and carved wood, silver stars, and strings of lights. A golden angel is placed at the very top of the tree. Under the Christmas tree, the family arranges a manger scene to depict the stable that Jesus was born in. Parents may also pile presents from the Christ Child beneath the Christmas tree's richly decorated boughs. Just after dark, a bell rings, and the excited children run into the room to see the beautiful lighted tree in all its glory. The family members exchange gifts, recite poems, and sing Christmas carols. "Silent Night, Holy Night" is an old German favorite. Then everyone enjoys a Christmas feast of roast goose, turkey, or duck. In some parts of Germany, families still follow an old tradition. The children leave their shoes outside the front door. These shoes are filled with carrots and hay to feed St. Nicholas' horse as he rides by. If the children were good all year, St. Nicholas leaves apples, nuts, and candy for them. On Christmas Day the white candle of the Advent wreath is lit. This day is quietly focused on family. They attend church together, and then they eat a delicious Christmas dinner together. But for the following Twelve Days of Christmas, people in some parts of Germany beat drums to drive off spirits. On Twelfth Night, or Epiphany, on January 6, boys dress up like the Three Kings who visited Baby Jesus in the manger so long ago. They carry a star on a pole and go through the town singing Christmas carols. Then the family puts away its Christmas decorations for another year, until December comes around again. |
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