“THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT MADE OUR HOME INTO HEAVEN” a true story about the miraculous transformation Christmas brought to my family as I grew up in the 1950’s PLUS A short film of the Christmas Story!
A beautiful heart warming story in our special series—DAYS OF MAGICAL and MIRACULOUS CHRISTMAS STORIES Plus Audio Podcast version narrated by the author
This is our WEEKEND edition of THE DAWNING LIGHT NEWS # 1239
Our PREMIUM version of our “Daily Journal of Transformational Writing”
CHILD PEACE STORIES Section # 31
Inspiring READ ALOUD STORIES for children of all ages…
Selected, edited and published by Chinmayan…May your Christmas be bright, loving and full of kindness and miracles of every kind as these magical stories for you and your family and everyone on earth!
All images in this story courtesy of Pixabay
ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL SERIES OF “CHILD PEACE STORIES”TO CELEBRATE THE LOVING HEART OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
To celebrate this Christmas Holiday season,
we are launching a special series of magical and miraculous stories
That are perfect for READING ALOUD to children of all ages
With the publishing of 22 “Child Peace” stories, one for
Each day until Christmas Day.
I have been collecting these stories for a long time…
all from different authors, and different times…
All stories you probably have never heard of
But which are well written, powerfully heart opening and
Inspiring stories that will move you to tears….
These special stories about amazing acts of kindness,
Caring, compassion and Love have been carefully chosen
And edited by me to help you get into the Christmas spirit…
This series of mind blowingly good stories is our
Christmas Gift to our wonderful community of readers,
Subscribers and supporters and everyone who discovers them
Here in our newsletter and labor of Love “The Dawning Light”….
During these crazy and tormented times, and with all the
Fears and uncertainties about what our future will be like,
I feel it is vitally important to tap into the true meaning
And purpose of Christmas which to my mind and heart
Always is, always has been and always will be to open
Our hearts to share Love, Caring and compassion in
Daily life now and in all the days of change and challenge ahead!
A Wonderful story in our special series…DAYS OF MAGICAL and MIRACULOUS READ ALOUD CHRISTMAS STORIES for children of all ages…
The 12th story in our special series…
One great story everyday from now until Christmas Day!
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT MADE OUR HOME INTO HEAVEN
Lovingly Written by Chinmayan…May the Christmas Spirit open everyone’s heart to loving and caring for everyone on earth!
This morning I would like to tell you a story about how I discovered the true spirit and deep meaning of the Christmas season.
As a boy, growing up during the 1950s and 60s in the Deep South, I always enjoyed and looked forward to the coming of Christmas time.
Even though my parents struggled financially, my Mom and Dad would save a little bit from each paycheck all year long so that they could give us three boys a wonderful experience.
They always made sure that we had a beautiful real pine tree put up early in December, with all the decorations and a shining angel on top. with piles of brightly wrapped gifts under it.
My mother would shop for the biggest, nicest turkey that she could find with all the trimmings.
I can still remember her singing in the kitchen, as she spent days before the big day cooking and baking a special feast of a Christmas dinner for the family.
For all of us, Christmas was a journey of ever building anticipation and excitement that lasted from the day we put up our tree, all month until the blessed arrival of Christmas morning.
We three boys were allowed to pick up the packages with our names on them and speculate on what they might contain.
My parents, and Santa Claus, had thought all year about the perfect gifts for each of us, so that when Christmas finally came, each gift was far better than even our wildest dreams.
There were no cheap plastic or glitzy gifts. Each gift was a thoughtful fulfillment of something we needed to grow at each stage of life.
I see clearly now that the big Erector Set and Lincoln Logs set that I got one Christmas, spurred me to learn how to build and design things.
As we grew up, my parents gave us gifts that opened the greater world for us.
When I was interested in science, they gave me a real telescope for studying the craters of the moon and later a real microscope set.
They gave each of us big red wagons and real metal toy trucks, tractors and airplanes when we were young, and Red Ryder BB guns and 3 speed Schwinn bicycles when we were older.
This gave us the lesson that it is good to dream and have our dreams fulfilled.
Looking back, I can see clearly that my parents enjoyed seeing our surprise and pleasure of receiving our gifts even more than we did.
Before Christmas, my parents gave each of us boys a few dollars, took us to the Five and Dime store, and allowed us to take our time finding our own secret gifts for each other.
At home, my Mom would provide wrapping paper and tape so that we could wrap our carefully selected presents ourselves and place them among the pile under our tree.
This gave us the sweet experience of thinking about what others would like and enjoying see their pleasure when they opened our offerings on Christmas morning.
This gave us a lesson in learning to give and share and care for each other.
What I did not realize until much later, when I became a father myself, was the remarkable transformation that happened to my Dad each year.
For the rest of the year, my dad was a strict disciplinarian who was the swift and sure dispenser of punishment for any infractions of the family rules or bad behavior by us boys.
When we did something wrong or raucous while my Dad was at work, my Mom would give us time outs in a corner to think about it, but would invariably say “Just wait til your Dad gets home from work and hears about this!”
My Dad had a temper, and so we would spend the rest of the day in fearful anticipation of what would happen when he came home.
Suffice it to say, my Dad, like many generations of fathers in our family before him, believed wholeheartedly in the old adage “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”
No amount of boyish pleading, crying or explaining would cause him to spare the punishment that he believed must be dispensed.
Of course, we loved both parents, but for us, my Mom was the sweet angel of mercy, whereas my Dad was the feared dispenser of wrathful retribution.
But every year, as the Christmas season advanced day by day, my Dad would go through a gradual and amazing transformation.
He would become a completely different person as his stern demeanor disappeared and be replaced with genuine softness and caring.
My dad would tell jokes and his laughter filled our house. He would even often say “You know, son, I am very proud of you and I love you with all my heart.”
Even though my Dad’s job of being a State Park Ranger was very demanding and stressful, he would make sure he got home early enough to spend time with us boys, playing ball or going for walks or just sitting with us to ask about our days at school.
Gone was the stressed and strict man whose voice could be like lightning and thunder, who would punish us verbally and physically in ways that chastised and almost crushed our boyish spirits.
He became tender, gentle, loving and grateful for his family. The man he was the rest of the year was gone.
I still remember the absolute delight of sitting in his lap, hugging him and being told I was a good boy or our family sitting around the dinner table as he told us stories of his own boyhood Christmases.
I can see clearly now that this transformation was brought about by the irresistible influence of the Christmas spirit, which is a real force of love and light that grows stronger, brighter and more pervasive as each day goes by.
My own Dad, who was a tough guy the rest of the year, was touched by it so much that his true nature came out and created such a space of love in our family that all of us had a transcendental experience which is so sweet in memory.
In all the years of my life since, my understanding and experience of the power of the Christmas Spirit to touch and transform each of us into the highest expressions of our true selves has grown deeper and clearer.
Because of the blessings of my boyhood Christmases, I always knew that the season is a precious opportunity that comes once a year to help us learn to love each other and the world in an unconditional and pure way.
But there are more amazing and abundant blessings which become available to each of us during this season as the Christmas Spirit grows stronger and brighter on Earth.
I now know with absolute certainty that the real reason we are all born and our real purpose and meaning of every one of our lives is Love.
We came to earth to learn how to Love ever more deeply…for only Love can heal and transform us…only Love can release us from our lower self centered delusions that are the cause of so much suffering and separation…..so that we can become the great and beautiful loving person that we are destined and need to be.
This and every Christmas is our special opportunity to light up our hearts with Love and caring so powerfully that we become the force of love in this world we came here to be…as the power of the Christmas spirit grows day by day and we all are swept up by the rising tide of Love…
“Wise men still seek Him!”
It is important and enlightening to remember that Christmas is our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ…
You can read the amazingly beautiful story about the Birth of Jesus in the Bible in MATTHEW 1:18-2:23 and LUKE 1:26 -2:40
A BEAUTIFUL and INSPIRING ANIMATED FILM OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Here is a short and moving animated film that tells the story of Jesus’s birth in a sweet and simple way that reminds us of the “reason for this season.” It is perfect for children but will touch every “grown ups” heart as well. Rejoice!
Our Christmas tree here on Still Mountain…. Photo by Chinmayan
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“Let’s celebrate Christmas in our hearts by choosing to live the way of Love all year long!” —Yeshe Gyamtso
a beautiful and heart-felt post - I am glad to know of your happiness