December 5, 2010 - The Christmas Story - This evening at church, the kids participated in the "homeade" Christmas pagaent. All the costumes are supposed to be made from things you find around the house. Haden was a cow in the manger and Hadley was an angel. The Christmas Story as told by the children.
One day an angel appeared to Mary. The angel said, "you shall have a son, whom you shall name Jesus. He shall be called the Son of God, and his kingdom shall never end."

Mary married a good man named Joseph, who was a carpenter by trade. Joseph had to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay his taxes. Mary went went him and it was a long and weary journey.

When they reached Bethlehem, all the inns were crowded. Every innkeeper turned them away. At last one innkeeper, seeing Mary's weariness and need, showed them to a stable full of warm sweet hay.

The manger was full of animals. In this manger, Mary brought forth her son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger since there was no room for them in the inn.

There were in that same country shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them in shining glory and they were all afraid.

But the angel said to them, "Fear not, I come to bring you news of great joy which shall come to all people. For a child is born this day in Bethlehem - a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."

"And this shall be a sign to you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

Suddenly, the sky was full of angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth good will toward men."

When the angels disappeared into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us." They hurried to the town and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger.

Three wise men were sent off to Bethlehem. Behold, the star which they had seen in the East before them, till it stood over the place where the child lay. When they saw the star, the wise men rejoiced and were glad.

When they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and bowed down and worshiped him. The opened their treasures and laid before him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh.

The child was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was born. And the child grew and became strong in spirit and full of wisdom. And the grace of God was upon him.

Merry Christmas! May the blessings of the Lord be with you and your family this Christmas season!