"Whoever did it must’ve really planned this out, you know like a bank robbery," said homeowner Candy Konczos. The "Messiahnappers" left a ransom note demanding $800 "if you ever wanna see your baby Jesus again." The doll was bought from Sears and worth about $69.

A police spokesman said the case "does smack of kids playing a prank," but the ransom note is "kind of unsettling." The note was signed "Me, him and the other kid who was really scared and didn’t want to take your baby Jesus and the whole time all he did was say stuff like you’re going to hell."

SOURCE: This is True, Dec. 22, 2002. (Trenton Trentonian)

An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas day. "The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for each other," she said.

When Christmas day came, the boy brought the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. "Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?" the teacher asked.

The youth told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found. When he named the place, a certain bay several miles away, the teacher was left speechless. "Why ... why, it’s gorgeous ... wonderful, but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get the gift for me."

His eyes brightening, the boy answered, "Long walk part of gift."

God came from heaven to a manger, from a manger to a cross, from a cross to the grave and from a grave back to heaven. And we ask, "Why all this trouble, God?"

And God would say to us, "Long walk part of gift."

SOURCE: Sharon Jaynes, Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas

Contributed by: Dana Chau

Before the birth of Christ, no royalty would ever show their humility. That would be too human, too common. Kings have parades & entourages to draw the focus toward them.
When Queen Elizabeth last visited America, she brought with her the following items
• 4000 pounds of luggage – 4 outfits for everyday she was in America
• 40 pints of plasma
• Her own hairdresser
• Two valets
• An official photographer
• Two personal secretaries
• THE COST OF HER TRIP TO AMERICA WAS 20 MILLION DOLLARS
In meek contrast, God’s visit to earth took place in an animal stable, no attendants were present, there was no place for the baby to lay down except in a feeding trough known as a manger. In fact, the event, which divided history and our calendars, went by unnoticed except for a few shepherds who came by for a visit."

Contributed by: Alan Tison

Throughout the story, the children listened in amazement. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. As a follow-up activity to the story, each child was given three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manager. Each child was also given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins that the children tore into strips, and then carefully laid in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel from a discarded nightgown were used for the baby’s blanket. Pieces of tan felt were used for the doll-like baby.

As they made their way around the room to observe the children, one of the Americans noted, “All went well until I got to one table where 6-year-old Misha sat. He appeared to have finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see, not one, but two, babies in the manger! Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger.”

The observer goes on to note that Misha very accurately recalled the story that had been told until he came to the part where Mary put Jesus in the manger. “Misha then started to ad lib his own ending,” recalls the observer.

“And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no momma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did.

I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. So I asked Jesus, if I kept Him warm, would that be a good enough gift? And Jesus told me, ‘If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.’ So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and told me I could stay with him – for always!”

As Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon or abuse him, someone who would stay with him – for always!

Contributed by: Jim Kane