By Ron Hutchcraft

King George and his army must have had a really good laugh. George Washington and his Continental Army had been whipped in battle after battle in their campaign to become independent from Britain. British troops had driven the Americans out of New York City, across the Hudson River, across New Jersey, and finally into Pennsylvania. Then came the winter of 1777, at a place outside of Philadelphia called Valley Forge.

It was like a dream come true. It was right after Christmas. And I was in Manger Square in Bethlehem! Near the entrance to the Church of the Nativity, built over the cave believed to be the birthplace of the Son of God.

It felt like the whole town was a celebration. Festive lights lining the streets. Caroling choirs. A parade. And a dazzling Christmas tree on the square.

Not this Christmas. The birthplace of Christmas will be dark and deserted this Christmas.

How to Help Someone Do Christmas with Christ in Their Heart

The song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." It really is - for telling people about Jesus. God has divinely positioned you in the lives of some folks who don't belong to Jesus so they can have a chance to belong to Him. You are their chance, and Christmastime is the best time to tell them about the "Savior who is born to you" (Luke 2:8).

By Brad Hutchcraft

There are toys, and then there are trains. Toys are fun, but trains bring out something else. Maybe it's the feeling of nostalgia, or maybe it's the delusional thinking that I could just step on a locomotive and successfully operate it. Either way, one of my favorite moments each Christmas is when we pull out the Lionel O-Gauge and set it up under the tree.

I guess some might call me a news junkie. Not so much anymore. There's just so much junk in the news.

Breaking news is so often heartbreaking news. Unspeakable cruelty. Mutual destruction politics. Mass shootings. A ticking time bomb world.

And then there's Christmas.

Millions of Americans are on the move right now. It's part of the annual Thanksgiving migration. They'll get to experience turkey on the table and turkeys in those traffic jams! And the President pardons two.

A friend said they’ve baked ten pies. Tons of folks will watch Macy's big balloons - and then later feel like one of those balloons after pigging out. And the day after, stores will be stormed with people that camped out in parking lots just so they could get that coveted Black Friday bargain.

By Doug Hutchcraft

Eighteen years ago, several medical professionals advised my wife and me to terminate the little boy that Anna was carrying. This was suggested to us as early as Anna's first ultrasound, and by other medical professionals along the way.

Imaging and other tests showed that his heart was failing, his brain was hemorrhaging, and he was missing part of a chromosome. We were told that to "go to term" with him was to ask for a life of unending hardship for him and heartbreak for us. He would probably not even make it out of the birth canal alive. If he did, we could expect severe physical handicaps and a life of him being fed through tubes. And because of how they would have to deliver him, Anna was also at risk.

Six weeks post surgery! I can drive... lift my arm... have more mobility... and can hug with two arms!

Incredibly thankful I finally had courage and time to face getting the help I needed for my shoulder. I kicked it down the road for years.

Makes me think of how we often put off dealing with the hard things in life - mentally, emotionally, healing, dealing with past trauma, walking through grief...

By Brad Hutchcraft

We have a tree in our yard that is one of my favorite things. Sure, a tree might be no big deal to some, but it means a lot to me. I have always loved the changing of seasons, especially seeing the leaves change color each autumn. I think it started with the story my mom and dad would tell me growing up. They would tell us that the angels came out to paint the leaves at night when the weather got cooler. That was always such a cool picture to me. It didn't help me ace my science exams, but still a memorable story from my childhood.

It was fall, and my wife and I headed to see the leaves in northwest New Jersey. We had cider and donuts, and our eyes were filled with God's great autumn art show. We were headed home, when I crested a hill and saw a long traffic jam. What was this bumper-to-bumper doing in my country paradise?