Welcome to our virtual Christmas home. We're so glad you stopped by. Please do come in out of the cold, kick your shoes off, get comfy, and make yourselves at home!

The kids are home from school, and the house is alive with the sounds of chatter and laughter as friends come and go.

Mom is busy making snacks and goodies for all to enjoy, the radio is playing the old familiar songs of the season, the standard sentimental movies shown this time of year is on TV, the tree is aglow with lights, and a steady fire brings warmth to the house as Mother Nature lays her blanket of glistening snow outside.

It's Christmas!

So, curl up in front of the hearth, relax and stay as long as you want. We're truly happy to have you here. It's time to listen to the traditional reading of the Christmas Story.

It was about 3 months before the birth of John the Baptist that the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and appeared before the virgin Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendent of David. The angel said to Mary, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women."

Mary was greatly troubled by the angel's words, and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But Gabriel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

Then said Mary unto the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And the angel Gabriel departed from her.

When Joseph became aware that his betrothed was with child, he had decided to divorce her secretly, as he was a just man and did not want to make Mary a public example. But as he was thinking on these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had told him and took Mary unto his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

A decree was issued by Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman empire, and that all its citizens should be taxed. Everyone was to go to their own city according to birthright. Because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David, he and Mary left Nazareth and went to a little town in Judea called Bethlehem to be counted and taxed. Mary was great with child by this time, and the time was drawing close for the child to be born. There was no room available at the town's inn, so the only shelter they could find was an empty stable with hay and a manger.

When Mary delivered her firstborn son, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger. There were shepherds out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." 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 toward men."

When the angels descended into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. After seeing the child, they went about the city spreading the word about the angelic vision they had received and the child lying in the manger. They returned to the stable, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

Soon after Jesus was born, three wise men, called Magi, came from the East to Jerusalem asking, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." When Herod the king heard of these things, he was troubled. He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together and demanded to know where Christ should be born. They said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, and though Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel."

Then Herod sent for the Magi secretly, and asked them at what time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." The Magi departed; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they entered the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Then, having been warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him." When he arose from his sleep, he took Mary and Jesus and departed into Egypt by night, escaping the wrath of King Herod.