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Eggnog is one of the strangest holiday traditions we have — a creamy mix of eggs, milk, spices, and often a splash of rum. Yet people look forward to it every December. Where did this unusual drink come from, and how did it become tied so closely to Christmas? We start with the surprising history behind this centuries-old holiday concoction. Source: https://time.com/3957265/history-of-eggnog/ Chances are you have a favorite Christmas movie — White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, or one of dozens of others that seem to define the season. Film historian Jeremy Arnold, in collaboration with Turner Classic Movies, has chronicled the backstories behind 30 beloved holiday films. He joins me to reveal the little-known details, production tales, and cultural trivia that shaped some of the most iconic Christmas movies ever made. He is author of Christmas in the Movies: 30 Classics To Celebrate the Season (https://amzn.to/3GzDZ3S). If you feel stuffed-up, sneezy, or irritated during the holidays, your Christmas tree may be the culprit. Real trees can carry mold spores and other irritants that trigger allergy-like symptoms. We explore why this happens and what you can do to minimize the problem — without giving up the tree. Source: https://www.entandallergyspecialists.com/uncategorized/can-christmas-trees-cause-allergy-symptoms/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! AURA FRAMES: Visit https://AuraFrames.com and get $45 off Aura's best selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code SOMETHING at checkout. INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! DAVID GREENE IS OBSESSED: We love the "David Greene Is Obsessed" podcast! Listen at https://link.mgln.ai/SYSK or wherever you get your podcasts. QUINCE: Give and get timeless holiday staples that last this season with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! DELL: It's time for Cyber Monday at Dell Technologies. Save big on PCs like the Dell 16 Plus featuring Intel® Core™ Ultra processors. Shop now at: https://Dell.com/deals AG1: Head to https://DrinkAG1.com/SYSK to get a FREE Welcome Kit with an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3 plus K2, when you first subscribe! NOTION: Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works . It's seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use! Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at: https://notion.com/something PLANET VISIONARIES: In partnership with Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative, this… is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hawk has a disturbing story out of Baltimore about the worst paramedic in the world, Sauce rages against A Christmas Story in What Really MattersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hawk has a disturbing story out of Baltimore about the worst paramedic in the world, Sauce rages against A Christmas Story in What Really Matters
What does the Bible say about the certainty of Jesus' birth? In this message, Lead Pastor John Lindell reminds us that the Christmas story is not a myth or tradition—it is a carefully investigated, historically grounded, Spirit-inspired account pointing us to Jesus. Our prayer is that as you hear how Luke anchors the birth of Christ in real people, real places, and real purpose, your confidence in who Jesus is and what He's done for you will grow in a fresh and powerful way.
Did you know that the "Christmas story" everyone knows, with the shepherds and wise men, is actually an amalgamation of the accounts in the gospels of Luke and Matthew? Today, Dr. Bart Ehrman answers my questions about the inconsistencies in these two narratives, and whether they can be reconciled.
Today John sits down with worship scholar Dr. John Witvliet to talk about the character we almost never include in our Christmas story. This episode uncovers why the Holy Spirit is actually central to Advent and why ancient prayers, global worship traditions, and even YouTube Christmas festivals can deepen our spiritual life right now. Come ready for fresh insight, a little history, and a reminder that Advent is about longing and joy held together.
Christmas is so much more than lights and presents. It's the moment heaven came to earth. In this episode, Chad and Robert unpack the deeper meaning behind the Christmas story, the role of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation, and why the virgin birth still matters today.Subscribe to receive our latest videos!Website: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunvalleycc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunvalleycc/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunvalleyccTo support Sun Valley and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/givingGod loves you no matter who you are, what you've done, or what's been done to you. This is the vision of Sun Valley Community Church, led by Pastor Chad Moore and based in Gilbert, AZ with multiple locations throughout the Phoenix valley.Chapters:00:00 Welcoming the Christmas Season04:02 Why We Keep Talking About Christmas05:26 The Mystery of the Incarnation06:31 “The Word Became Flesh”: Why It Matters07:56 God's Presence and the Holy of Holies09:25 Why the Virgin Birth Is Essential11:19 Mary, Joseph, and Courage in the Christmas Story13:18 Jesus' Name and What It Declares15:21 The Power of the Name of Jesus15:43 The Trinity Working Together17:23 What the Trinity Means for Us Today18:38 How Chad Prays to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit19:23 Invited Into God's Family20:02 What the Holy Spirit Does at Christmas21:41 Experiencing God's Presence Today22:43 Why People Are Open to God During Christmas23:58 Inviting Others to Experience Jesus
“Christmas Movies with Shaun”It's Christmas time. Why not invite Shaun to a conversation about something we both like. Christmas movies. We randomly found a list of the top 20 of all time and went from there. Some on the list were obvious, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, A Muppet Christmas Carol, and other more recent ones didn't make the cut like, The Family Stone and The Holiday. There were the earlier ones which I look on fondly, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Not so much for Shaun. His nostalgia is for when he was growing up. Makes sense. It's like a Venn diagram. His, mine, and the ones we both like in the middle like Daddy's Home 2. Then there is the newest contender, Spirited. It's a musical with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. My bar for this was so low it was on the ground. Not sure why, no offense to either actor. Maybe it was it being yet another Christmas Carol adaptation. Turns out it was better than I expected and I really did enjoy it. Shaun hasn't seen it yet but he's added it to the list of the ones he wants to watch. And I said I'd check out the sequel to A Christmas Story. Who knows, I may add another to my annual viewing list. Thanks for being part of the UY conversation.The Unabashed You website has a page for each guest of photos, quotes and a blog with embedded audio at unabashedyou.com. You can find the show on other podcast platforms.Want to lend your support and encouragement? We invite you to follow, rate, review and share.Social media (direct links):FacebookInstagramYouTubeIf you have questions or comments email us at: unabashedyou@gmail.com.We build upon on website visits, social media and word of mouth to share these episodes. We appreciate growth knowing these conversations help you think, celebrate who you are, and move you in some way.So be encouraged and continue to listen, read and be inspired.
Join Logan Janis as he chats with Mark Bluestein from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema St. Louis about the movie releases this December 2025. From holiday classics to new blockbusters, get the inside scoop on what to watch this festive season. Plus a special preview of movies to see in 2026. Support and subscribe to this independent podcast at www.mostlysuperheroes.com/support. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction and December Movie Hits 00:00:39 - Welcoming Mark Bluestein from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema 00:01:42 - How to Check Alamo Drafthouse Titles (website and app) 00:02:03 - Current Release: Five Nights at Freddy's Discussion 00:03:10 - Rep Title: Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (4.5 hours long) 00:04:52 - Upcoming Holiday Titles Preview (The Grinch, Christmas Story, etc.) 00:05:24 - Holiday Title: Batman Returns (Alternative Christmas Movie) 00:07:49 - Batman Returns Screening Date (December 22nd) 00:08:08 - Holiday Title: A Christmas Story and its Sequel 00:10:17 - New Release: Avatar: Fire and Ash (The Big Year-Ender) 00:11:33 - Thoughts on Avatar: The Way of Water and 3D 00:12:37 - New Release: Anaconda 2025 (Paul Rudd/Jack Black Comedy Reboot) 00:14:02 - New Release: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants 00:16:20 - Ad Read: The Gramophone in the Grove 00:17:35 - Ad Read: Steve's Hot Dogs 00:18:28 - Ad Read: 4 Hands Brewing Company 00:20:01 - Ad Read: More to Say with Randi Naughton Podcast 00:20:47 - Ad Read: Team Jakey (Nonprofit for Suicide Prevention) 00:22:08 - Alamo Theme Event: Season's Bleeding (Holiday Horror Marathon) 00:25:18 - New Release: The Housemaid (Sydney Sweeney/Amanda Seyfried Thriller) 00:29:03 - Rep Titles: The Apartment and Night of the Hunter 00:29:41 - Holiday Films and Movie Parties (It's a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, Elf) 00:30:27 - Holiday Title: Love Actually 00:31:32 - Special Screening: Stranger Things Season 5 Finale (Contest) 00:34:47 - 2026 Superhero Movies Preview 00:35:53 - January 2026 Programing Teases (Sam Raimi Series, David Lynch Retrospective) 00:37:43 - 2026 Programing Teases (Twilight Series Movie Parties, Terror Tuesdays, Real Late) 00:39:03 - Closing Remarks, All In Season Pass 00:40:06 - Outro Support and subscribe to this independent podcast at www.mostlysuperheroes.com/support ©2025 Carrogan Studios
Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Rekindling Sibling Bonds in the Winter of Oslo Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-12-08-08-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Vigelandparken lå stille under snøens lune teppe.En: Vigelandparken lay still under the cozy blanket of snow.No: Det var dagen før jul, og det store familietreffet skulle finne sted.En: It was the day before Christmas, and the big family gathering was about to take place.No: Elsa sto ved inngangen og trakk pusten dypt.En: Elsa stood at the entrance and took a deep breath.No: Hun hadde ikke sett familien på mange år.En: She hadn't seen her family in many years.No: Vinden bet i dekket hennes kinn, men nervene var den virkelig bitende følelsen.En: The wind bit at her covered cheeks, but the nerves were the real biting sensation.No: Sindre var allerede der.En: Sindre was already there.No: Han hadde alltid vært den ansvarlige, den som ble igjen da Elsa forlot hjemmet for å følge drømmen om å bli kunstner.En: He had always been the responsible one, the one who stayed behind when Elsa left home to follow her dream of becoming an artist.No: Han snudde seg mot Elsa da hun nærmet seg.En: He turned toward Elsa as she approached.No: Ansiktet hans var stramt, og Elsa kjente på skyldfølelsen.En: His face was tight, and Elsa felt a pang of guilt.No: "Hei, Sindre," sa hun forsiktig.En: "Hi, Sindre," she said cautiously.No: "Hei," svarte han kort.En: "Hi," he answered briefly.No: Blikkene deres møttes kort, før han så bort.En: Their gazes met briefly before he looked away.No: Det var så mye usagt mellom dem.En: There was so much unsaid between them.No: De begynte å gå langs den snødekte stien.En: They began to walk along the snow-covered path.No: Skulpturene rundt dem sto som tause vitner til familiens historie.En: The sculptures around them stood as silent witnesses to the family's history.No: Elsa visste at hun måtte si noe, før stillheten mellom dem ble uutholdelig.En: Elsa knew she had to say something before the silence between them became unbearable.No: "Jeg vet at jeg forlot deg med mye ansvar," sa Elsa endelig.En: "I know I left you with a lot of responsibility," Elsa said finally.No: "Men det var noe jeg måtte gjøre.En: "But it was something I had to do."No: "Sindre stanset og så rett på henne.En: Sindre stopped and looked directly at her.No: "Det føltes ikke slik da.En: "It didn't feel that way then.No: Jeg følte meg forlatt.En: I felt abandoned."No: "Elsa svelget tungt.En: Elsa swallowed thickly.No: "Jeg skjønner det.En: "I understand.No: Jeg tenkte ikke hvordan det ville være for deg.En: I didn't think about how it would be for you."No: "Sindre så ut i parken, pusten hans skyet i vinterkulda.En: Sindre looked out into the park, his breath clouding in the winter cold.No: "Det var ensomt," innrømmet han.En: "It was lonely," he admitted.No: "Jeg savnet hvordan vi pleide å være.En: "I missed how we used to be."No: "Elsa visste at dette var hennes sjanse.En: Elsa knew this was her chance.No: "Jeg også," sa hun.En: "I did too," she said.No: "Jeg savner å ha en bror som jeg kan stole på.En: "I miss having a brother I can rely on."No: "De sto der en stund, bare lyden av vind som rustet i trærne.En: They stood there for a while, only the sound of the wind rustling in the trees.No: Elsa følte en ro, blandet med angst over tiden som hadde gått tapt.En: Elsa felt a calmness mixed with anxiety over the time that had been lost.No: "Kan vi starte på nytt?En: "Can we start over?"No: " spurte hun forsiktig.En: she asked cautiously.No: Sindre nikket sakte.En: Sindre nodded slowly.No: "Vi kan prøve," sa han.En: "We can try," he said.No: "Tilgi meg for å ha vært bitter.En: "Forgive me for being bitter."No: "Elsa smilte svakt.En: Elsa smiled faintly.No: "Jeg vil gjerne prøve å forstå deg.En: "I'd like to try to understand you."No: "De begynte å gå igjen, side om side.En: They began walking again, side by side.No: Vigelandparkens ro omfavnet dem, akkurat som den friske snøen.En: The tranquility of Vigelandparken embraced them, just like the fresh snow.No: Julen var en tid for forsoning, og selv under den kalde, mørke vinteren i Oslo, føltes det som om noe nytt våknet mellom dem.En: Christmas was a time for reconciliation, and even during the cold, dark winter in Oslo, it felt like something new was awakening between them. Vocabulary Words:cozy: luneblanket: teppegathering: familiietreffetbreath: pustennerves: nerveneapproached: nærmettight: stramtguilty: skyldfølelsebriefly: kortunsaid: usagtwitnesses: vitnerbearable: utholdeligresponsibility: ansvarabandoned: forlattswallowed: svelgetclouding: skyetlonely: ensomtmiss: savnetrely: stolerustling: rustetcalmness: roanxiety: angstforgiveness: tilgifaintly: svakttranquility: roembraced: omfavnetreconciliation: forsoningawakening: våknetbitten: bitendestruggle: kamp
Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Heart-Wrapped Gifts: A Christmas Tale of Generosity Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2025-12-08-08-38-20-hu Story Transcript:Hu: A tél már beköszöntött, Esztergom városát hó borította be.En: Winter had already arrived, covering the city of Esztergom with snow.Hu: Az emberek vastag kabátokban sétálgattak az ünnepi piacon, mely a nagy és fenséges Esztergomi Bazilika lábánál terült el.En: People strolled in thick coats through the holiday market, which sprawled at the foot of the grand and majestic Esztergomi Bazilika.Hu: A dóm fényárban úszott, és barátságos, meleg ragyogást árasztott a forgatag felett.En: The dome was bathed in light and emitted a friendly, warm glow over the bustling crowd.Hu: Mindenütt fenyőillat terjengett, és az emberek karácsonyi dalokat dúdoltak boldogan.En: The scent of pine was everywhere, and people hummed Christmas carols happily.Hu: Ákos lassan lépdelt, bánatosan nézelődött a standok között.En: Ákos walked slowly, looking sadly among the stands.Hu: Az ünnepi piac zsúfolt volt, sok árus kínálta portékáját.En: The holiday market was crowded, with many vendors offering their goods.Hu: Ákos szerette volna meglepni a párját egy különleges ajándékkal, de minden, amit talált, már valaki más kezében landolt, vagy nem volt eléggé egyedi.En: Ákos wanted to surprise his partner with a special gift, but everything he found either ended up in someone else's hands or wasn't unique enough.Hu: Zsuzsa és László is vele tartottak.En: Zsuzsa and László were also with him.Hu: Zsuzsa lelkesen nézegette a kézműves termékeket, László pedig gyors, hatékony vásárlást javasolt.En: Zsuzsa enthusiastically looked at the handmade products, while László suggested a quick, efficient shopping trip.Hu: Ákos azonban nem akart elkapkodni semmit, inkább gondosan keresgélt.En: However, Ákos didn't want to rush anything; instead, he searched carefully.Hu: "Szeretnék valamit, ami igazán különleges," mondta Ákos zavartan.En: "I'd like something truly special," said Ákos hesitantly.Hu: "Valami, amiből érezheti, hogy mennyire fontos nekem.En: "Something that makes her feel how important she is to me."Hu: "A piac végén rábukkant egy standra, ahol kézzel készített díszek és személyre szabott könyvek sorakoztak.En: At the end of the market, he stumbled upon a stand with handmade ornaments and personalized books lined up.Hu: Két tárgy keltette fel Ákos figyelmét: egy gyönyörű, faragott karácsonyi dísz és egy verseskötet, ahol egyéni üzeneteket lehetett kérni.En: Two items caught Ákos's attention: a beautiful, carved Christmas ornament and a poetry book where individual messages could be requested.Hu: Ákos fantáziája szárnyalni kezdett.En: Ákos's imagination began to soar.Hu: A dísz csodaszép volt, aprólékos munkával, de ugyanakkor a könyv ötlete is megfogta.En: The ornament was stunning, intricately crafted, but he was also captivated by the idea of the book.Hu: Eközben hirtelen más is megállt a dísz előtt.En: Meanwhile, someone else suddenly stopped in front of the ornament.Hu: Egy középkorú hölgy, ugyanúgy lenyűgözve, a díszért nyúlt.En: A middle-aged woman, equally captivated, reached for the ornament.Hu: Elsőre csalódás futott át Ákos arcán, de aztán eszébe jutott valami.En: At first, disappointment washed over Ákos's face, but then he remembered something.Hu: "Tessék, öné lehet," mondta mosolyogva a hölgynek.En: "Here, it's yours," he said, smiling at the woman.Hu: "Biztosan találok valami más szépet.En: "I'm sure I'll find something else beautiful."Hu: "A hölgy hálásan köszönte meg, és Ákos elégedetten bólogatott.En: The woman thanked him gratefully, and Ákos nodded contentedly.Hu: Ő inkább a könyv mellett döntött, és megbeszélte az eladóval, hogy egyedi verseket és üzenetet illesszen bele, melyek kifejezik érzéseit.En: He decided on the book instead and arranged with the vendor to include custom poems and messages that would express his feelings.Hu: Ahogy Zsuzsa és László csatlakoztak hozzá, Zsuzsa megjegyezte, "Bárcsak mindenki meglátná, hogy az ajándék mögötti gondolat mennyire fontos.En: As Zsuzsa and László joined him, Zsuzsa remarked, "I wish everyone could see how important the thought behind the gift is."Hu: "Ákos elmosolyodott, és már nem is bánkódott a karácsonyi dísz miatt.En: Ákos smiled, no longer upset about the Christmas ornament.Hu: "Igen, a legfontosabb a szív és a szeretet, amit az ajándékba csomagolsz.En: "Yes, the most important thing is the heart and love that you wrap in the gift."Hu: "A három barát elégedetten indult haza, a bazilika pedig még mindig meleg fénnyel őrködött az ünnepi varázslat felett.En: The three friends set off home contentedly, while the bazilika still watched over the holiday magic with its warm light.Hu: Együttlélegzéssel és mosollyal zárták az estét, az időjárás fagyos volt, de a szívük nem.En: They ended the evening with shared breaths and smiles; the weather was frigid, but their hearts were not. Vocabulary Words:strolled: sétálgattakmajestic: fenségesbathed: úszottemitted: árasztottscent: illatcarols: dalokatstumbled: rábukkantornaments: díszekpoetry: verseskötetcaptivated: lenyűgöztedisappointment: csalódásgratefully: hálásancustom: személyre szabottcontentedly: elégedettenfrigid: fagyosglow: ragyogásthummed: dúdoltakunique: egyedienthusiastically: lelkesenefficient: hatékonyhesitantly: zavartanintricately: apróékosanimagination: fantáziabreathed: lélegzettstands: standokvendors: áruscarefully: gondosanwrapped: csomagolszfoot: lábánálpartners: párját
Zzz . . . Sleep soundly to this early holiday reading – "The Little City of Hope: A Christmas Story" by F. Marion Crawford zzz For an ad-free version of Sleepy, go to patreon.com/sleepyradio and donate $2! Or click the blue Sleepy logo on the banner of this Spotify page. Awesome Sleepy sponsor deals: Quince: Go to Quince.com/sleepy for free shipping and 365-day returns BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/SLEEPY today to get 10% off your first month. GreenChef: GreenChef.com/50SLEEPY and use code "50SLEEPY" to get 50% percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. ButcherBox: Sign up at butcherbox.com/sleepy and use code "sleepy" OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SLEEPY at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod GhostBed: Go to GhostBed.com/sleepy and use promo code “SLEEPY” at checkout for 50% off! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/otis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 267-Vote for Gun Lawyer Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode 267 Transcript SUMMARY KEYWORDS Gun Lawyer, podcast of the year, Gundies awards, Second Amendment, New Jersey gun laws, assault firearms, registration, inheritance, gun rights, Supreme Court, firearms instructor, tactical rabbi, gun rights oppression, voting prizes, gun lawyer nomination. SPEAKERS Evan Nappen, Speaker 2, Teddy Nappen Evan Nappen 00:16 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:17 And I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:19 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. Well, folks, I’m proud to say that Gun Lawyer has been nominated for Podcast of the Year by The Gundies. And The Gundies, it’s a really cool awards program in which they look to honor various voices and those who are influencers and writers regarding our precious Second Amendment rights. This is an honor, and I’m very proud to be nominated. And what I’m doing now is I am shamelessly asking for your vote, because with The Gundies, it’s you who vote. If you go to thegundies.com, www.TheGundies.com, thegundies.com, you’ll see there are 19 different categories for different things — influencer, writer, all kinds of stuff. And on there is Podcast of the Year. Please go there and vote for Gun Lawyer for Podcast of the Year. Evan Nappen 01:42 And by doing that, not only will you help promote the show, but because we focus on these horrible problems, particularly with a centered focus on New Jersey, because New Jersey is just where the brunt of the Second Amendment oppression takes place. This will help bring greater awareness nationally to our cause, to our fight against gun rights oppression. So, we can win Podcast of the Year nationally and more people will pay attention to New Jersey and what Gun Lawyer has to say. And if you vote, you can actually win prizes. They give prizes to folks, you know, randomly, who vote. Voting closes December 15. Okay? You can vote one vote per category every day. So, vote for Gun Lawyer every day. Okay? You can do it once a day. Evan Nappen 02:47 If you vote in all 19 categories, if you pick in all 19 categories, and it’s all free, by the way, and if you watch a video at the bottom of the page, you earn an extra vote for every category that day. There are prizes. Every time you vote, you’re automatically entered to win. And the grand prize is an all expense paid trip to The Gundy Awards, which takes place in Las Vegas. And in each category, there are Page – 1 – of 11 sponsors that have prizes. So, this is exciting and fun, and, you know, it would mean something to me and Teddy, if you would be so kind as to jump on thegundies.com and vote for Gun Lawyer. Evan Nappen 03:31 I would also highly recommend our good friend, John Petrolino, for top 2A writer. You know, John is just great, and man, does he cover New Jersey and so many other things as well. He’s such an in-depth great reporter, and he’s brought so many of these great issues to the forefront. You know, we’ve talked about a lot of the great work that John has done. So, give John a vote in the top 2A writer category. And, of course, our good friends at WeShoot, they were also put out there for Firearms Instructor of the Year. And I would ask you to consider the Tactical Rabbi, that’s right, Tactical Rabbi for Firearms Instructor of the Year, and Bul Armory for the Most Innovative Brand of the Year. So, there’s four of the categories with some suggestions. And so, if you’re inclined to do so, please jump on this. We have till December 15, and hopefully this will be successful. It will be a lot of fun for you, and maybe you’ll even win some prizes by doing it. Teddy Nappen 04:49 I will also say to everyone voting for us, for Gun Lawyer, it is critical, because we need to give national awareness. I don’t think people outside of New Jersey realize the damage that the Gun Owner Gulag has created, and New Jersey is the petri dish. This is where they test all their crazy nonsense. Evan Nappen 05:13 New Jersey is a gun owners hell. Teddy Nappen 05:14 Correct. Evan Nappen 05:15 New Jersey is a gun owners hell. I wish The Gundy’s had an award for, you know, worst state. You know, greatest gun owner hell. New Jersey would win that every year. Teddy Nappen 05:26 Anti-gunner of the year. Anti-gunner. Evan Nappen 05:28 No. Gun rights oppressionists award. The Top Gun Rights oppressionist state. It is crazy, but this is actually a positive award. So, they look to get the voices and the folks out there that are all going to bat for our rights. And everybody who’s nominated, I want to congratulate all the nominees across the board. They’re all out there, spreading the word, fighting the lame-stream media, and trying to get past the agenda that the anti-gunners try to control and their lies that they put out to get us disenfranchised of our rights. It really is a battle that we’re in, and this is yet another tool in that battle. So, go to TheGundies.com and give us your vote. Make your voice heard. Page – 2 – of 11 Evan Nappen 06:23 Say, you know, one of the things I wanted to talk about, and it’s something that comes up a lot. And every once in a while, I think it really pays to do this. I want to talk about the so-called intrinsically evil “assault firearms”. That’s right, you know, New Jersey has had a ban on so-called “assault firearms”, and that in its current form, it was enacted back in May of 1990 and became effective in 1991. During that one year period of time, they allowed you to render inoperable your so-called “assault firearms”, but if you did that, you had to file a Certificate of Inoperability. If you just rendered them inoperable and didn’t file the paperwork, it’s no good. It’s the same as having an actual “assault firearm”. They did allow registration of a handful of guns, which they called registration, where you could keep them. This included the AR-15 and the M1A and the M1 Carbine, but you had to pay $50 and register it. If you actually have a registered assault firearm, it allowed you to keep so-called large capacity magazines with that gun, as long as you use that gun in competition in the DCM (Director of Civilian Marksmanship), which no longer exists, by the way. It’s now the CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program). Evan Nappen 07:55 Now, very few did that. But, of course, if you did register one of those guns, I want you to be aware of something. If back in 1990 to 91 you registered an “assault firearm”, registered “assault firearms” in New Jersey are not inheritable. Firearms normally are inheritable in New Jersey, and they pass to your heirs without any paper registration or license. But registered “assault firearms” are not inheritable. So, if you have a registered “assault firearm” and you don’t want to just lose it to the State, you may want to think about disposing of it sooner rather than later. So that it is something that is just not a loss to the estate. Now, if you have an unregistered “assault firearm”, well that is inheritable. Believe it or not, only registered assault firearms are not inheritable. Evan Nappen 08:18 Of course, you may say, well, how can a unregistered “assault firearm” be legal for inheritance? Well, first of all, if you rendered it inoperable, that’s not registration. So, those guns are inheritable. And if you stored your “assault firearm” outside of New Jersey and didn’t register it, then it can be inherited by your heirs. Now, they can’t bring it into New Jersey either, but they can, in fact, inherit it. So, it’s only registered “assault firearms” that are not inheritable. The “assault firearm” law is just full of quirky, bizarre garbage like this. And it is insanity. As far as a law being written, its one of the worst-written criminal laws ever written. Absolutely. It is essentially beyond complete comprehension. Evan Nappen 09:51 It is a very complicated and often contradictory, five-part definition of what is supposedly an “assault firearm”. And the reason it’s so complicated is that they really can’t be defined, because “assault firearm” is just a pejorative term. The original assault rifle, if you will, the assault rifle, you know, is the German Sturmgewehr. And that assault rifle was full automatic fire and semi auto. So, it was a select- fire weapon. So, assault firearms are not assault rifles and assault weapons, which you may have heard that term assault weapon, is what the Federal law at one point banned back in 1994. But that law went away in 2004, and it hasn’t come back. So, the Federal assault weapon ban has been DOA since 2004. New Jersey still has an assault firearm law, and neither of those are assault rifles, of which the traditional classic Sturmgeweher, a medium caliber firearm that would be select fire. Page – 3 – of 11 Evan Nappen 11:09 So, what New Jersey did was contrive this definition with this complicated five parts. The first part is a laundry list of about 67 named guns. Now, of these named guns, some of them I’ve never even encountered in the wild. Okay? I’ve never even seen some of these that are on this list, and some, I think, are just made up. Maybe they like read it on the internet somewhere and thought it qualified as an “assault firearm”. But if your gun is a named gun on the list, then it becomes banned by name. Then if it’s not on the list or it’s not exactly as named on the list, then the other part of the law identified any firearm manufactured under any designation which is substantially identical to any of the firearms on the list. Evan Nappen 12:07 So, the question became, well, what does “substantially identical” mean? I mean, even think about those two words for a minute – substantially identical. Well, identical means exact. Substantial means almost. How could something be almost exact? It’s like being a little bit pregnant. I mean, you are or you’re not. I mean, this is ridiculous. You now have to guess, when this law came out, is my gun substantially identical to a gun on the list? What does that even mean? I brought a challenge to that. It was in the case of State v. Merrill, and I won. It was on an MAK 90, where the judge tossed the assault farm law in the trial court. It was Judge Farren in Monmouth County in State v. Merrill. He tossed the law as being unconstitutional, not because of the Second Amendment, but tossed it because of being vague, unconstitutionally vague. A person could not understand from the law what’s banned. In order for a law to be valid criminally, you have to understand how to conform your behavior, and under this law, you couldn’t. Because no one could tell what “substantially identical” meant. Evan Nappen 13:13 Then along came a Federal lawsuit, after I won it in State court, trying to knock out the law. And in that case, the Attorney General named in the lawsuit filed the Attorney General Guidelines to save the law by defining what “substantially identical” meant in that part of the definition. He defined substantially identical as the 1994 Federal Crime Bill definition of a assault firearm that was feature specific, even though New Jersey didn’t have a feature specific ban. The ’94 Crime Bill is what became essentially New Jersey’s list of compliant guns or not, and that is what we’re still using to this day. Those guidelines from the Attorney General. So, when you talk about whether a gun is compliant or not, and you go to those guidelines, that’s where the substantially identical comes in. Evan Nappen 14:16 So, when you look at the list of guns, it says on there Colt AR-15 and CAR-15. And let’s say you have a Bush Master, you know, XM 15, or you have Davis, or whatever. It doesn’t matter is, but it’s like an AR- type platform. Is it substantially identical or not to this? How do we know? Well, that’s where the Attorney General Guidelines came in to save what was otherwise an unconstitutional law, which itself is questionable whether this. But the court upheld it based on this. Even though the question is, how did our legislators in 1990 know that their unconstitutional law that had a vague definition would be saved by a Federal bill passed in 1994, four years later? That’s pretty amazing. Their crystal ball there to know that, isn’t it? But somehow, that’s been what we’ve been living under. Page – 4 – of 11 Evan Nappen 15:12 Under the guidelines of the Attorney General, substantially identical gets defined as any semi-automatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least two of the following features. You have to have two. And that would be a folding or telescoping stock, a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon, a bayonet mount, a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor and a grenade launcher. Now, I know a lot of you, you know, go out grenade launching on the weekend. So, beware of that one in there. If you look at these features that make a gun substantially identical or not, I mean, a bayonet mount? What the hell does a bayonet mount have to do at all with any of this? I mean, was it because of all the drive by bayonetings? It’s, it’s nuts, but this is what we live under. But the reason we have those guidelines is not because you find them in the law. You find those guidelines, saving the law’s ass, if you will, by defining the term “substantially identical” that I had gotten knocked out as unconstitutional in that State v. Merrill case. Evan Nappen 16:25 Additional definitions for assault firearm include a semi-automatic shotgun with either a magazine capacity exceeding six rounds, a pistol grip or folding stock. So, if you have a semi-automatic shotgun and it holds over six rounds. And let me just tell you, this is a great example of just how stupid the Attorney General Guidelines are. Because the Attorney General Guidelines, incorporating the Federal ’94 bill says about shotguns that it can’t exceed five rounds. Well, that’s crap. Completely wrong. New Jersey law says it can hold six. Can’t be over six. The guidelines say five but that’s because they didn’t know what they were doing when they passed the guidelines. It contradicts New Jersey’s law, okay? But with shotguns that are semi-automatic, all it takes is one feature. It’s not two. So, if you have a semi-automatic shotgun with a pistol grip, it’s an assault firearm. If you have a semi-automatic shotgun with a folding stock, it’s an assault firearm. If you have a semi-automatic shotgun that holds over six rounds, then it’s an assault firearm. Okay? It’s a one-feature deal on shotguns. Evan Nappen 17:38 Now, if you have a pump action shotgun, if you have a wonderful Mossberg 590 or a tactical Remington 870 or any other pump shotgun, you can have any damn feature you want on it. You can have a bayonet mount. You can have folding stock. You can have a magazine capacity of a tube that holds nine rounds. No problem. You can have a shroud on it. You can whatever you want on a pump shotgun. No problem. Pumps are not covered by this at all. So, trick out your pump shotgun to your heart’s desire, but be very careful when it comes to your semi-automatic shotgun. Evan Nappen 18:24 It also prohibited, under another section, a semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding 10 rounds. However, the original definition in 1990 set a semi-automatic firearm with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding 15 rounds, and this included tube-fed .22s, your classic Marlin Model 60, and you know your Remingtons and Winchesters that were semi-auto and held over 15 rounds in the mag tube. But what happened was they became a laughing stock, New Jersey, over their ban on .22s, and it became detrimental to them trying to oppress our rights so badly that they actually amended New Jersey’s assault firearm law to exclude tube-fed .22s. So, if you now have a semi-automatic .22 rifle that has a fixed tubular magazine and holds over 10 rounds, it is not an assault firearm. It’s legal. Your Page – 5 – of 11 tube-fed, semi-auto .22 can hold as many rounds as the tube wishes, and is possible to hold. Not a problem. So, that’s how that works. Evan Nappen 19:45 And then finally, they throw in this ridiculous part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into an assault firearm. Don’t you love when the definition uses its own words to define itself? Say, that isn’t vague or confusing, is it? Or any combination of parts in which an assault fire may be readily assembled if all those parts are in the possession or under control of the same person. So, you have that catch all of parts nonsense as well. So that is New Jersey’s assault firearm definition. Evan Nappen 20:18 Possession of an assault farm is extremely serious in New Jersey. It’s a crime of the second degree. It carries up to 10 years in State Prison, and it has a minimum mandatory of three and a half years, no chance of parole. If you get convicted of possession of an assault firearm, you’re looking at the judge’s hands being tied, and you will have to do a minimum of three and a half years with no parole in State Prison. Additionally, if you’re charged with assault firearm, you will be thrown in the Gulag, and there’s a presumption against you getting bail if you’re charged, not even convicted, just charged with possession of an assault firearm. New Jersey has lost its mind when it comes to this and so many other gun laws, but it’s always worth a review. I want to make it clear to my listeners just how bad it is, so that you don’t end up a GOFU on New Jersey’s idiotic assault firearm ban. Evan Nappen 21:20 Hey, let me mention our good friends at WeShoot. Of course, WeShoot is the range where Teddy and I shoot. They have great training and a beautiful range, right there in Lakewood, New Jersey, centrally located. They’re a great resource. You can get your CCARE certificate there so you can get your carry, ad you can get all kinds of training. They offer other training for a carry license from other states. They can offer you advanced training, great range, so you can hone your skills and stay on target. WeShoot. You go to weshootusa.com. Beautiful photographs. They’ve got the WeShoot girls there posing with great guns. You’ll love looking at that. And you can check out their pro shop where they have great deals. Great gear, great guns, and great folks at WeShoot, weshootusa.com. It’s a great place. We love it, and I know you will, too. Evan Nappen 22:21 Aso in this battle, this entire time, it’s been the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC). The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs are in the courts right now battling the assault firearm law. I’m feeling more and more hopeful, folks that we’re going to see the Supreme Court take up assault firearms and large capacity magazine cases. New Jersey’s fighting it out. It may, in fact, be the New Jersey case that the Supreme Court hears down the road, maybe others. They’re proceeding pretty rapidly to the Supreme Court. We’re getting mixed decisions in the different jurisdictions, which also leads to the Supreme Court wanting to take the cases. It is really important that we finally get a case from the Supreme Court where they look at items that get banned. Page – 6 – of 11 Evan Nappen 23:11 The Supreme Court does have two cases this session that they’ve picked looking at the “sensitive places”, which is really important, because that will help fight New Jersey’s Carry Killer bill. It goes at one of the laws that New Jersey, in fact, has regarding property, private property, and whether or not it can be banned. They’re also looking at whether marijuana can be a disqualifier or not, whether that’s a lawful disqualifier that can take away your Second Amendment rights. They may finally eliminate Bang or Bong. You can’t have both. So, these cases will be very interesting, and they also can have much more far reaching consequences and help us in our battle to fight the gun rights oppression. So, these are things to look forward to. And your State Association, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, is there fighting these issues out and filing amicus briefs in other cases, and also in the legislature with our paid lobbyists full time. Keeping an eye on the shenanigans going on down there. So, make sure you join the Association so you can stay updated and you can take action as you get those email alerts. It’s very important. So, join anjrpc.org today. Evan Nappen 24:36 And let me also mention my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It’s the Bible of Jersey gun law. It’ll help you stay legal in New Jersey and not fall into these traps and these things that we talk about, like the whole understanding of assault firearms. If you’re confused by what I said, you can read it slowly, carefully in my book, under the chapter assault farms. I put it in question and answer so anyone can understand it. I want you to understand it. I want my fellow gun owners not to be turned into criminals and to lose their gun rights. It’s why I wrote the book. So, get your copy today. Go to EvanNappen.com, EvanNappen.com, and get my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It makes a great holiday gift. Check it out, the 25th Anniversary Edition. And when you get the book, scan the front cover, the QR code right there, and you will get our link right to my archive, where you can download the 2025 Comprehensive Update. Of course, I’ll be doing updates for the new year, and you’ll want to get them. You’ll get notified of that and any other crazy changes that take place in New Jersey. We have to be eternally vigilant. Teddy, what do you have for us this week? Teddy Nappen 25:53 Well, as you know, Press Checks are always free. And this is something that you know when you see it, you have to think, what would the Left do if they had unfettered power? If they, you know, added more states and packed the court and made every illegal a voter? If they had unfettered power, what does that lead to? Well, I was flipping through Bearing Arms, and sure enough, a British man was arrested for a picture of himself posing with a shotgun. This is an article by Tom Knighton. (https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2025/12/01/british-man-arrested-for-picture-of-him-shooting- shotgun-n1230765) Evan Nappen 26:34 He was posing with the shotgun. Where? Teddy Nappen 26:37 Correct. In the United States! Yeah, of course, they got arrest the man for posing with something that’s across the entire continent. The British IT consultant was arrested after posting a photograph of himself holding a gun during the holidays in the United States. The case drew sharp criticism from Elon Musk Page – 7 – of 11 everybody as West Yorkshire. He was shocked after police visited then detained him over the image, which he says was taken legally on private property in Florida. Evan Nappen 27:05 Wait, there’s guns in Florida? Teddy Nappen 27:16 I know – shocker. The West Yorkshire Police later visited his home and advised him to be careful about what he posts online. Evan Nappen 27:27 What’s all this, then? What’s all this then? Teddy Nappen 27:33 Right! Yeah, and the officers did not ask to see any proof that he had taken the photograph in the U.S. as they then returned to his home at 10 pm and promptly arrested him. The bail documents referred showed there were allegations of possessing a firearm with a cause, with intent to cause fear of violence, as well as separate allegations of stalking linked to another photo. Evan Nappen 28:04 Are you sure this wasn’t a Monty Python episode? I mean, it’s unbelievable. Teddy Nappen 28:09 Yeah, and he was held overnight before being interviewed. So, they locked him up and said, all right, we’re gonna get you in the morning. Evan Nappen 28:17 They jailed him over it even. Good grief. Teddy Nappen 28:19 They dropped the charges. But then said, you better not lead any more incitement as you posted a photo. Evan Nappen 28:25 Oh, God, you can’t. Teddy Nappen 28:28 You can’t get any more Orwellian than that. Being arrested over a photograph. Not even possession of firearms, because they can’t do that in England. A photograph. Evan Nappen 28:41 Well, you know, I had a case similar, Teddy. Not quite that, but close, you know. When I had a case with a guy whose son had passed the New Jersey Hunter and was a New Jersey Hunter. He was posing with his gun. He just had a picture with his firearm. Nothing bad. No threats, nothing. And they Page – 8 – of 11 went and tried to cause a huge problem for him and his family. It was outrageous over just a picture of his son legally with a gun. And that was New Jersey. Now, luckily, he didn’t get arrested and criminally charged and thrown in jail. But still, you know, these things can happen even in New Jersey, and it’s getting worse and worse. So, we have to be very vigilant of this. And it shows you. I mean, the U.K. is just the, I would call them, the formerly Great Britain. Formerly Great Britain. Teddy Nappen 29:47 I just call it hell. Because what they are looking to do now, I just. I like to highlight these stories that have come up in the past, because unfortunately, the Left are very good at memory holing the utter insanity they pull. For instance, in the U.K., and this is from The Mirror by Kelly-Anne Mills. (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/autistic-girl-who-told-cop-30673891) Remember the autistic girl who got arrested for using “homophobic language” for calling the cop, oh, you’re my lesbian Nana. They dragged her to the police and promptly arrested her. Arresting an autistic girl, 16 years old, for saying she looks like my lesbian Nana, who she did have. Evan Nappen 30:34 She didn’t say it in a bad way. Teddy Nappen 30:36 No, she just said you look like my Nana. Evan Nappen 30:40 Yeah. Teddy Nappen 30:41 And it showed her being dragged out, which, or if you they go into like, for autistic people, can’t, they freak out if you even touch them. But the dragging her through in the massive footage, which, it’s just such an embarrassment. By the way, it was the West Yorkshire Police. I’m noticing a pattern being the Orwellian thought crime police. They outdid themselves with this one, which this came up recently. Do you remember that woman who was arrested for silent prayer? Evan Nappen 31:11 Oh, a thought crime. Thought crime, that’s good. Yeah, great. Teddy Nappen 31:15 Yeah, well, finally it came due where the West Midland Police were forced to pay 13,000 pounds to the woman for falsely arresting her. Teddy Nappen 31:27 For silently praying outside an abortion clinic. But take this as you will. She was still arrested for thought crime. This is coming right from the ADF International U.K. Utter insanity. (https://adfinternational.org/en-gb/news/silent-prayer-arrest-payout) And when I look at this, I see this is what the Left wants. They want you and I, Dad, to be dragged out and arrested for our speech, Page – 9 – of 11 because that’s the only way they can win. They can’t win in the battlegrounds of ideology. Showed that by them killing Charlie Kirk. Now they want to go for arresting you for your ideas. That is their goal. Evan Nappen 31:27 Good. Evan Nappen 32:03 We couldn’t do the Gun Lawyer show in the U.K. We’d be raided, jailed, and forget it. Yeah. I mean, you know, we still have a First Amendment here, and we love the entire Constitution, not just the Second Amendment. But we’re facing oppression of all our Constitutional rights, but at least we still have them. It’s really sad about how the formerly Great Britain has been just turned into a laughing stock and a place that I wouldn’t even want to step foot in. I mean, at one point I would have loved to have gone there. But nope, not anymore, man. Not a chance. They are just nuts, and their suppression of so many rights and what they’ve let happen to their country is just sad, very sad. Evan Nappen 32:57 Hey, let me tell you about this week’s GOFU. This week’s GOFU is an important GOFU because we have the holidays coming up. And, you know, we all, I’m sure, love to watch A Christmas Story, right? A Christmas Story is a classic with Ralphie. But the star of A Christmas Story, not just Ralphie, is the Daisy BB gun, right? The Daisy BB gun. And I’m sure many of you have fond memories if you were fortunate enough as a kid to have a Daisy BB gun. But I’ve got to tell you, BB guns in New Jersey are firearms, folks. Keep that in mind. A BB gun is defined as a firearm in New Jersey. You cannot just give a BB gun to your child, to your son or to your daughter. You cannot do that. It’s the same as if you just gave them a gun. Evan Nappen 34:01 If you buy a BB gun, it’s your BB gun. If you want to shoot the BB gun with your child, you need to be with them in the same way as if it is a modern cartridge firearm. You can’t just give them that BB gun to keep in their room, to go out in the woods alone and play with it and have fun like we did in the old days. You cannot do that. It is a firearm. You can lose your gun rights and even face criminal charges. And so can your child. So, the GOFU is, remember, air guns are firearms in New Jersey. Treat them the same as firearms in any way that you would want to give a firearm, okay? Gifting a firearm in New Jersey itself is not permitted without proper paperwork. So, you can’t buy any gun for anyone and just give it to them. They’re going to have to have a transfer done with paper, with a pistol purchase permit for handguns and a firearm ID card for long arms. And if they’re not immediate family, it has to go through a dealer. The only way you gift a gun in New Jersey is with full paperwork. So, that’s the GOFU. Keep it in mind during this holiday season. Evan Nappen 35:33 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Page – 10 – of 11 Speaker 2 35:44 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Page – 11 – of 11 Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S3 E267_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America. Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL. Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits. Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";
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How to Live Out the Christmas Story by Chaplain Braswell
The Christmas Story as only W. Cleon Skousen can tell so beautifully and personally. Experience the birth of Christ as a living, human story from the hush of a temple's incense in Jerusalem to the bright surprise of angelic visitations, weaving the lives of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph into a vivid journey toward Bethlehem. Witness the shock of sudden revelation, the breaking and healing of Joseph's heart, the humble stable, the wonder of shepherds under a bursting sky, and the quiet courage of a family pursued by a jealous king — all brought to life with intimate details and the music of the season. More than history, this episode becomes a reflection on sacrifice and mercy, drawing threads from scripture and memory into a narrative that invites listeners to experience the birth of our Savior, the Christ child.
Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: A Christmas Market Miracle: A Gift From the Heart Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-12-07-23-34-02-no Story Transcript:No: Bergen glitret under de tusen julelysene.En: Bergen glittered under the thousand Christmas lights.No: Det var kaldt, men folk gikk smilende rundt på det festlige markedet.En: It was cold, but people walked around the festive market smiling.No: Overalt duftet det av ristede kastanjer, og lyden av julesanger varme hjertet.En: Everywhere, there was the scent of roasted chestnuts, and the sound of Christmas carols warmed the heart.No: Sindre vandret forsiktig langs bodene.En: Sindre walked carefully along the stalls.No: Han tenkte på Lene og ønsket å gi henne en gave som viste hvor mye han brydde seg.En: He thought about Lene and wanted to give her a gift that showed how much he cared.No: Han så en vakker glassfigur i en av bodene.En: He saw a beautiful glass figure in one of the stalls.No: Den var delikat, skinnende, noe spesielt.En: It was delicate, shiny, something special.No: Hjertet hans hoppet da han skjønte at den var laget av Lene selv.En: His heart leapt when he realized that it was made by Lene herself.No: Men prisen var for høy.En: But the price was too high.No: Han kunne aldri ha råd til det.En: He could never afford it.No: Mikkel, Sindres venn, var allerede også der og så på den samme figuren.En: Mikkel, Sindre's friend, was also already there looking at the same figure.No: Mikkel snakket om å gi Lene noe ekstraordinært.En: Mikkel talked about giving Lene something extraordinary.No: Sindre følte seg usynlig ved siden av ham.En: Sindre felt invisible next to him.No: «Jeg kan la Mikkel kjøpe det,» tenkte Sindre for seg selv.En: "I can let Mikkel buy it," thought Sindre to himself.No: Men en indre stemme sa han ikke skulle gi opp.En: But an inner voice told him not to give up.No: Han ville vise Lene hvem han virkelig var.En: He wanted to show Lene who he really was.No: Sindre så seg rundt.En: Sindre looked around.No: Han så muligheter.En: He saw possibilities.No: Fra en annen bod, fant han noen enkle materialer.En: From another stall, he found some simple materials.No: I løpet av de neste timene bygde han en liten scene, med lys og små dekorasjoner, alt satt sammen med hender fulle av skaperglede.En: Over the next few hours, he built a small scene with lights and little decorations, all put together with hands full of creative joy.No: Folket begynte å samle seg rundt hans lille kunstverk.En: People began to gather around his little artwork.No: Der ble det klart at Sindre hadde et talent for å skape.En: It became clear that Sindre had a talent for creating.No: Lene kom bort, øynene vide av overraskelse.En: Lene came over, her eyes wide with surprise.No: «Dette er fantastisk, Sindre,» sa hun forsiktig, imponert over hans arbeid.En: "This is amazing, Sindre," she said softly, impressed by his work.No: Hun forstod hans oppriktighet.En: She understood his sincerity.No: Lene rakte ham glassfiguren.En: Lene handed him the glass figure.No: «Denne er til deg,» sa hun smilende.En: "This is for you," she said, smiling.No: «Din gave har allerede rørt meg.En: "Your gift has already touched me."No: »Mikkel kom bort til dem.En: Mikkel came over to them.No: Han lo, men det var en vennlig latter.En: He laughed, but it was a friendly laugh.No: «Jeg ser hvorfor du liker ham, Lene.En: "I see why you like him, Lene.No: Han har virkelig noe spesielt.En: He truly has something special."No: »Sindre, Lene, og Mikkel lo sammen.En: Sindre, Lene, and Mikkel laughed together.No: Vennskapet var styrket, og Sindre fant tryggheten i å være seg selv.En: The friendship was strengthened, and Sindre found confidence in being himself.No: Markedets lys glinset rundt dem.En: The market's lights glistened around them.No: Vinden bar med seg lyden av julesanger, og alt kjentes perfekt mens vennskapet deres sto sterkere enn før i den kalde, men varme kvelden i Bergen.En: The wind carried the sound of Christmas carols, and everything felt perfect while their friendship stood stronger than before on the cold, yet warm evening in Bergen. Vocabulary Words:glittered: glitretfestive: festligeroasted: ristedecarols: julesangercarefully: forsiktigstalls: bodenedelicate: delikatafford: ha råd tilextraordinary: ekstraordinærtinvisible: usynligpossibilities: muligheterscene: scenedecorations: dekorasjonercreating: skapesincerity: oppriktighetimpressed: imponertinner: indretalent: talentartwork: kunstverktouched: rørtstrengthened: styrketglistened: glinsetwarmed: varmetwind: vindenconfidence: trygghetengift: gavejoy: skapergledelaughter: latterown: seg selvsurprise: overraskelse
Welcome back our listeners, thank you for worshiping with us today! Today Pastor Josh has part two in his Christmas message series he will be sharing with us. We're very glad you're here to join us! We believe God is calling us to engage and inspire all people to share God's love, grow in faith, and serve as disciples. New Podcast every Sunday RIGHT HERE @ 10am. (CT) Check out our website and subscribe with us on YouTube and instagram
The Shepherds in the Christmas Story received a marvelous message from the Angels. These hard-working men's night was interrupted with an important message from God. These Shepherds respond immediately in an excellent display of belief. #fsbccoalinga #coalinga #fsbcsermon Contact us at TheWordInfusion@gmail.com with your comments, questions or praises. Let us know how our podcast has blessed, encouraged or helped you. Join us on our Facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/fsbccoalinga & http://www.facebook.com/.. Help us to grow a community that infuses the Word of God into their lives each day. Follow us on Twitter @TheWordInfusion or @fsbccoalinga . To support this ministry click on: https://giving.myamplify.io//app/giving/fsbccoalinga or copy and paste it into your web browser.
December 7, 2025Oscar NavarroAdvent: PeaceHow to Find Peace in the Christmas Story
Weekend Edition for December 6-7, 2025 Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education A Very CHA Christmas Apple Music playlist A Very CHA Advent What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).
Today, we're diving into a fun festive story packed with snowflakes, silliness, and one very fluffy troublemaker: George! You might know George from Koala Moon, and Barnaby too—the owl who never says no to an adventure. But today, they're swapping nighttime exploring for a chilly Christmas escapade, complete with snow, singing, and a cracked old tea tray that might be the wonkiest sled ever. So get cozy… and let the Christmas adventure begin!
Join Pastor Anthony as he shares the Christmas Story!
Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Finding Calm Amidst the Christmas Chaos: Sigrid's Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-12-06-08-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Det var en stille lørdag formiddag ved Aker Brygge.En: It was a quiet Saturday morning at Aker Brygge.No: Vinterluften var frisk, og julelysene glitret i takt med bølgene fra Oslofjorden.En: The winter air was fresh, and the Christmas lights glittered in sync with the waves from the Oslofjorden.No: Folk hastet rundt med handleposene fylt av julegaver.En: People hurried around with shopping bags filled with Christmas presents.No: Midt i denne juletravle stemningen går Sigrid, en ung kvinne med mye på hjertet.En: Amidst this bustling Christmas atmosphere walks Sigrid, a young woman with a lot on her mind.No: Hun er kreativ og uavhengig, men julen bærer med seg en tyngde av forventninger. Forventninger om perfekte gavetilbud og familiær tilstedeværelse.En: She is creative and independent, but the holiday season carries with it a weight of expectations—expectations of perfect gift deals and familial presence.No: Sigrid prøver å balansere arbeidet som frilanser, med ønsket om å gi de rette gavene til familien.En: Sigrid tries to balance freelancing with the desire to give the right gifts to her family.No: Hun rusler fra butikk til butikk og kjenner presset stige.En: She strolls from store to store, feeling the pressure rise.No: Det er kaldt i luften, men i butikkene er det varmt.En: It's cold outside, but inside the stores, it's warm.No: Duften av gløgg og gran fyller rommet, men Sigrid føler likevel at noe ikke stemmer.En: The scent of gløgg and pine fills the room, yet Sigrid feels like something is not quite right.No: Hun stopper foran en butikkvindu og lener seg litt mot glasset.En: She stops in front of a store window and leans a little against the glass.No: Hun tenker på listen over gjøremål hun har hjemme på pulten sin.En: She thinks about the to-do list she has at home on her desk.No: Hodet snurrer, og alt blir litt uklart.En: Her head spins, and everything becomes a bit blurry.No: "Bare litt til," sier hun til seg selv, pressende videre.En: "Just a little more," she says to herself, pressing on.No: Hun lar vognen rulle litt videre da hun plutselig kjenner bena svikte under seg.En: She lets the cart roll a little further when suddenly she feels her legs give way beneath her.No: Alt blir mørkt.En: Everything goes dark.No: Når Sigrid våkner, ser hun store, urolige øyne over seg.En: When Sigrid wakes up, she sees large, worried eyes above her.No: Ole, en jovial og vennlig fremmed, stirrer ned på henne.En: Ole, a jovial and friendly stranger, gazes down at her.No: Hun er på gulvet med hodet hvilende i hendene hans.En: She is on the floor with her head resting in his hands.No: "Hei, går det bra med deg?" spør han bekymret.En: "Hi, are you okay?" he asks worriedly.No: Ved siden av står Astrid, en av butikkmedarbeiderne.En: Next to him stands Astrid, one of the store employees.No: Hun har passet på at folk gir dem rom og tilbyr en flaske vann til Sigrid mens hun finner pusten igjen.En: She has ensured that people give them space and offers a bottle of water to Sigrid as she catches her breath.No: Mens Sigrid sitter på en benk ute i kulden, innpakket i et teppe, begynner hun å tenke.En: As Sigrid sits on a bench outside in the cold, wrapped in a blanket, she begins to think.No: Ole og Astrid sitter på hver sin side av henne, beroligende og vennlige.En: Ole and Astrid sit on either side of her, calming and friendly.No: "Du trenger å ta det med ro," sier Astrid, "Det er lett å miste balansen når man glemmer seg selv."En: "You need to take it easy," says Astrid, "It's easy to lose balance when you forget yourself."No: Sigrid nikker sakte.En: Sigrid nods slowly.No: Ole ser klokt på henne og sier: "Det er viktig å ta vare på seg selv, spesielt i julens travelhet."En: Ole looks at her wisely and says, "It's important to take care of yourself, especially during the hustle and bustle of Christmas."No: Denne hendelsen blir en vekker for Sigrid.En: This event becomes a wake-up call for Sigrid.No: Hun innser nå at det er umulig å tilfredsstille alle forventninger, og det er viktig å lytte til kroppen sin.En: She now realizes that it's impossible to meet all expectations, and it's important to listen to her body.No: Hun bestemmer seg for å ta turen hjem, med løftet om å gjøre julen enklere og mer avslappet.En: She decides to head home, with a promise to make Christmas simpler and more relaxed.No: Kanskje hjemmelagde gaver, kanskje en roligere jul med mindre stress.En: Maybe homemade gifts, maybe a calmer Christmas with less stress.No: Sigrid smiler svakt, fyller lungene med kald vinterluft og takker Ole og Astrid for hjelpen.En: Sigrid smiles faintly, fills her lungs with cold winter air, and thanks Ole and Astrid for their help.No: Ved Aker Brygge legger hun nå merke til den blendende skjønnheten i vinterlandskapet rundt seg.En: At Aker Brygge, she now notices the dazzling beauty of the winter landscape around her.No: Det er tid for å slippe løs noen av kravene hun har satt opp for seg selv.En: It's time to let go of some of the demands she's set for herself.No: Det er tid for å bare være – med seg selv og de hun er glad i.En: It's time to just be—with herself and those she loves.No: Og med det, går hun hjem, med ny ro i hjertet og en klarere forståelse av hva som virkelig betyr noe i juleferien.En: And with that, she goes home, with a new calm in her heart and a clearer understanding of what truly matters during the holiday season. Vocabulary Words:quiet: stilleglittered: glitretsync: taktbustling: travleatmosphere: stemningexpectations: forventningerindependent: uavhengigbalance: balanserefreelancing: frilanserstrolls: ruslerpressure: pressetscent: duftenblurry: uklartpressing: pressendewakes up: våknerjovial: jovialstranger: fremmedworriedly: bekymretensure: passertbench: benkwrapped: innpakkethustle: travelhetwake-up call: vekkerdecides: bestemmerhomemade: hjemmelagdenotices: legger merkedazzling: blendendelet go: slippe løsdemands: kraveneclearer: klarere
Week 2 of Advent, Luke 1:39-45
Every December, the same Christmas classics return on repeat — “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “A Christmas Story,” “It's a Wonderful Life.” But longtime Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman says some of the season's richest films are the ones most people have never heard of. From forgotten Thanksgiving dramas to animated immigrant tales, from World War I truces to bittersweet family reunions, Toppman opens up a deeper, more surprising cinematic world behind the holidays.In this special episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we bring you a live recording of Toppman's December 1, 2025 talk at The Sharon at SouthPark Retirement Community, where he shares his favorite under-the-radar holiday films — and a few spicy opinions about the ones everyone already knows.Toppman shares his curated list spanning Día de los Muertos, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. Whether you're looking for something touching, funny, unusual, or decidedly not cheerful, this list has a film to surprise you.We hope you enjoy the conversation with Lawrence Toppman.Today's episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is sponsored by Child Care Search, a service of Child Care Resources Inc. Looking for child care? Our team provides guidance every step of the way! Search online at www.FindChildCareNC.org or call 1-888-600-1685 for live assistance and free, customized referrals.For more information on The Charlotte Ledger, visit TheCharlotteLedger.com. This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe
MUSICGuns N' Roses released a couple new songs yesterday. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/guns-n-roses-nothin-listen/ Original KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss are in Washington, D.C. to receive the Kennedy Center Honors from President Trump on Saturday, followed by a ceremony on Sunday at the Kennedy Center. https://www.instagram.com/p/DP4x74HDkRj/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=075f7f51-fc02-4cc0-86e5-43c02df4e841 George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, have never fought during their 10-year relationship, he shared during his appearance on the New Heights podcast. https://people.com/travis-kelce-never-once-argument-with-taylor-swift-11860997 Let's be honest: Taylor Swift can buy anything she wants . . . including a wedding date. https://pagesix.com/2025/12/04/entertainment/taylor-swift-cut-hefty-check-to-snag-brides-wedding-date-at-posh-rhode-island-venue/ · ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante spoke about the band's upcoming record on a recent podcast, mentioning the mixing sessions at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 and working with producer Jay Ruston. https://blabbermouth.net/news/charlie-benante-says-anthrax-pushed-the-envelope-on-upcoming-album-i-think-people-will-really-be-surprised NEW ALBUM RELEASES:Infinite Coles – Sweetface Killah Depeche Mode – M (CD/DVD and CD/Blu-Ray sets), Memento Mori: Mexico City (2 CD/2 LP) Sam Fender – People Watching: Deluxe Verson Freddie Mercury – Mr. Bad Guy (vinyl reissue) Scorpions – Coming Home Live Soundtrack – Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere TV"The Masked Singer" returns for a 14th season next month, so of course that means 18 NEW costumes. These include an EGGPLANT, Pugcasso, Queen Corgi, Scarab, and The Croissants. https://ew.com/the-masked-singer-season-14-reveals-ozzy-osbourne-tribute-11861596 Choose your own nightmare … A new film called Slay Day is set to hit screens in fall 2026 -- but it isn't just a movie. It's being described as an interactive slasher film where viewers get to influence what happens next. The audience doesn't just sit back. They choose. And the horror unfolds in front of them. After a run in theaters, the plan is to release it on both traditional streaming services and gaming platforms like PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. If this thing works, it could blur the line between film and gaming -- and become a whole new sub-genre of storytelling. https://variety.com/2025/film/news/slay-day-interactive-slasher-movie-fall-2026-release-1236598489/ Ric Flair admitted he got "bad information" when he alleged that "street drugs" were responsible for Hulk Hogan's death. https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/ric-flair-admits-he-got-bad-information-about-hulk-hogans-death/ MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:IN THEATERS:"Five Nights at Freddy's 2" (PG-13) This movie takes place a year after the first film, where we learned that the animatronic mascots were all possessed by the souls of murdered children. In this one, we're introduced to a major antagonist from the video games called The Marionette after Josh Hutherson's little sister answers a call for help and attempts to reunite with her animatronic friends. "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair" (R) Quentin Tarantino's extended cut merges Volumes 1 and 2, and adds another 25 minutes of material for a total runtime of nearly five hours. (281 minutes) The movie originally came out over 20 years ago, in 2003 and 2004. It stars Uma Thurman as "The Bride", a woman seeking revenge for being attacked on her wedding day and losing her unborn child. Keith Carradine is Bill, Michael Madsen is his brother, and Bill's team of femme fatale assassins include Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, and Daryl Hannah. Jane Seymour admitted feeling nervous about topless scene with Owen Wilson in "Wedding Crashers". https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/jane-seymour-says-wedding-crashers-nude-scene-made-owen-wilson-nervous/ AND FINALLYFavorite Christmas movies by state … A new survey asked 2000 Americans what their favorite holiday flicks are and then determined which is the absolute favorite in each state. The big winner is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, which is the favorite in 31 states. A Christmas Story is the top choice in 10 states. And Home Alone claimed five states. So, what are the other four states watching? Arkansas loves How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Wyoming is all about Elf, Rhode Island's favorite is The Holiday, and Oklahoma picked The Santa Clause. https://pixlparade.com/what-is-the-most-popular-christmas-movie-by-state/ AND THAT IS YOUR CRAP ON CELEBRITIES!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get ready for leg lamps, decoder rings, and Red Ryder BB Guns - the Yule Kids Movie Club returns to revisit one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, 1983's A Christmas Story!
Ho-ho-ho we've gotten ourselves into a little predicament! Ethan and Mike have to save Santa by watching a bunch of Christmas movies! Luckily, they were planning on doing this anyway, so Santa should be good.We start with 8-bit Christmas. A movie about a boy in Chicago who wants nothing more than a Nintendo for Christmas. It's basically A Christmas Story mixed with The Goonies or Sandlot. Does it work, though or is it going to be another movie like Pixels?Don't forget to join our Discord for movie nights and additional podcast discussions!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-other-half/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Fluent Fiction - Catalan: A Christmas Eve Miracle at Barcelona's Children Hospital Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2025-12-04-23-34-02-ca Story Transcript:Ca: Des del pis 8 de l'Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, les llums de Nadal brillantaven.En: From the 8th floor of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the Christmas lights glittered.Ca: Era una nit freda d'hivern, però a dins la sala d'espera de pediatria tot intentava semblar acollidor.En: It was a cold winter night, but inside the pediatric waiting room, everything tried to seem welcoming.Ca: Núria, amb el seu somriure atent, caminava pel passadís.En: Núria, with her attentive smile, walked down the corridor.Ca: Faltaven pocs dies per Nadal i l'hospital es veia més buit amb els companys gaudint de les vacances.En: There were only a few days left until Christmas, and the hospital seemed emptier with the colleagues enjoying their holidays.Ca: Els infants, però, encara delicats, passaven el Nadal aquí.En: The children, however, still delicate, spent Christmas here.Ca: Oriol, amb només set anys, estava assegut sobre el seu llit hospitalari.En: Oriol, only seven years old, was sitting on his hospital bed.Ca: Dibuixava estrelles i arbres de Nadal amb els llapis de colors que Núria li havia portat.En: He was drawing stars and Christmas trees with the colored pencils that Núria had brought him.Ca: Havia passat per una operació i, com tots els infants, només volia tornar a casa.En: He had undergone an operation and, like all children, just wanted to go home.Ca: Sentia enyorança.En: He felt homesick.Ca: El soroll del carrer l'omplia de records d'anteriors Nadals, sempre plens d'alegria i dolços.En: The noise from the street filled him with memories of past Christmases, always full of joy and sweets.Ca: Un matí, mentre Núria portava la safata amb l'esmorzar, va veure la tristesa en els ulls d'Oriol.En: One morning, while Núria brought the breakfast tray, she saw the sadness in Oriol's eyes.Ca: "Hem de fer alguna cosa especial per ell i els altres nens," va pensar.En: "We have to do something special for him and the other children," she thought.Ca: Va decidir organitzar una festa de Nadal, però l'hospital estava sota mínims i els recursos escassejaven.En: She decided to organize a Christmas party, but the hospital was running at minimum capacity and resources were scarce.Ca: Amb determinació, Núria va parlar amb els seus col·legues.En: With determination, Núria spoke with her colleagues.Ca: Tots acordaren ajudar.En: They all agreed to help.Ca: Van decorar el passadís amb flocs de neu de paper fets a mà i un petit arbre de plàstic.En: They decorated the hallway with handmade paper snowflakes and a small plastic tree.Ca: Els voluntaris van oferir-se a preparar activitats i, fins i tot, va aconseguir una visita especial: un Pare Noel disposat a repartir somriures.En: Volunteers offered to prepare activities and she even managed to arrange a special visit: a Santa Claus willing to spread smiles.Ca: La vigília de Nadal, Oriol encara estava trist.En: On Christmas Eve, Oriol was still sad.Ca: Volia ser a casa amb la seva família.En: He wanted to be home with his family.Ca: Núria es va apropar i li va dir: "Tinc una sorpresa per a tu, Oriol.En: Núria approached him and said, "I have a surprise for you, Oriol."Ca: " Aquella tarda, mentre les llums s'apagaven al voltant de Barcelona, van obrir les portes de la sala.En: That afternoon, as the lights dimmed around Barcelona, they opened the doors to the room.Ca: Els nens van veure el Pare Noel arribar amb un sac ple de regals.En: The children saw Santa Claus arrive with a sack full of gifts.Ca: La música va començar a sonar i les rialles ompliren l'espai.En: Music started playing and laughter filled the space.Ca: Oriol va veure com els ulls de Núria brillaven quan tots van començar a cantar nadales.En: Oriol saw Núria's eyes shine when everyone began to sing Christmas carols.Ca: Aquella nit, va adonar-se que aquells a l'hospital eren ara la seva família.En: That night, he realized that those in the hospital were now his family.Ca: Envoltat de salutacions càlides i la mà de Núria estrenyent la seva, va somriure per primer cop des de feia dies.En: Surrounded by warm greetings and Núria's hand holding his, he smiled for the first time in days.Ca: El seu cor es va omplir d'alegria.En: His heart filled with joy.Ca: Amb la festa acabada, Núria sentí una pau interior.En: With the party over, Núria felt a sense of inner peace.Ca: Va veure com fer feliç els nens li retornava també felicitat.En: She saw how making the children happy also brought happiness back to her.Ca: Les parets de l'hospital, aquella nit, es van transformar en la llar més càlida del món.En: The walls of the hospital, that night, transformed into the warmest home in the world.Ca: I així, la nit de Nadal es va convertir en una vetllada màgica que Oriol recordaria per sempre.En: And thus, Christmas Eve became a magical evening that Oriol would remember forever. Vocabulary Words:the corridor: el passadísthe pediatric room: la sala d'espera de pediatriatiredness: la enyorançathe operation: la operacióhomesickness: la enyorançathe memories: els recordsthe colleagues: els col·leguesscarce resources: els recursos escassejaventhe determination: la determinacióthe smile: el somriurethe greetings: les salutacionsthe inner peace: la pau interiorthe Christmas Eve: la vigília de Nadalthe sack of gifts: el sac de regalsthe volunteers: els voluntaristhe handmade snowflakes: els flocs de neu de paper fets a màthe small plastic tree: el petit arbre de plàsticthe sadness: la tristesathe party: la festathe hospital bed: el llit hospitalarithe noise: el sorollthe past Christmases: els anteriors Nadalsthe sweets: els dolçosthe handmade decorations: les decoracions fetes a màthe greeting: la salutacióthe warmest home: la llar més càlidathe magical evening: la vetllada màgicathe breakfast tray: la safata amb l'esmorzarthe joy: l'alegriathe Christmas carols: les nadales
Isaiah 7:13-14 and 9:6-7 Welcome to our very first Christmas episode of 2025! Whether you're a long-time listener or brand-new, we're so glad you're here. Today we begin Advent, a special four-week season where Christians prepare their hearts to celebrate Jesus' birth and look forward to His promised return. We'll explore what “Advent” means, why it's important, and how this season invites us to slow down, reflect, and wait with hope. We'll also hear an incredible true story from 1947—when a young shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the oldest copies of the Bible ever found. Among them was the Book of Isaiah, matching what we read today almost word for word. This amazing discovery reminds us that God's Word has been faithfully preserved for thousands of years and that we can trust His promises. Through Isaiah's ancient prophecies, we'll see how God foretold the coming of Jesus long before He was born—and how Advent helps us celebrate that promise fulfilled. Perfect For: Kids ages 4–12 Family listening Advent devotions Homeschool or classroom Bible time Sunday school preparation
In this week's episode of The Kibbe & Friends Show, the crew kicks off the Christmas season with one of the most beloved holiday films of the modern era: Elf. Rob, Corndog, and Bernie dive deep into what makes this 2003 classic so timeless—from Jon Favreau's intentional “Rankin/Bass meets live-action” style, to the practical effects and forced-perspective tricks that give the movie its handmade, storybook charm. They break down everything from Buddy's fish-out-of-water innocence in New York, to Zooey Deschanel's vintage-inspired performance, to the behind-the-scenes choices that turned a goofy comedy script into a heartfelt family movie that has joined the ranks of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation as a true annual staple. But being K&F, the review doesn't stop at plot and characters—the guys treat Elf like a full-blown car movie. They dig into the real New York City Crown Vic taxis Buddy dodges throughout the film, talk P-codes and wheelbases, and then go full “Corndog Spec Ops” on the five different sleighs built for production—including which were stunt shells, which survived, and why the hero sleigh might secretly be Mopar-powered. If you love Christmas movies, deep-cut trivia, and automotive rabbit holes disguised as holiday cheer, this is a must-listen episode. The post K&F Show #348: Christmas Kickoff and Toys for Tots 2025!! // Christmas Car Movie Review: “Elf” (the Will Ferrell one)! first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.
Why does it feel like stress always has the loudest voice during “busy” seasons? We want everyone in our family to get along, enjoy the holidays, and be truly present. Yet, it seems we all too often end up bickering, overwhelmed, and somehow wishing it could be different.Good news! Your family doesn't have to succumb to the stress. You can find “the good!” In this episode, we walk through 5 ways to find “the good,” not just at Christmastime, but in any busy season you find yourself in. Time Stamps:0:00 Introduction1:22 “Experiencing” Advent as a family5:42 Make quick decisions11:20 Get off screens15:00 Say yes, to the hard, but good thing18:50 Say no to what feels disconnecting22:02 pursue relationships24:47 The faces of those under your roof Show Notes: Get 25 Days of the Christmas Story! https://amzn.to/49kHiO1Buy 25 Days of the Christmas Story in bulk: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/25-days-of-the-christmas-story-P005829480Register for Tender & Fierce 2026! https://www.famousathome.com/tenderandfierceSign up for our email list and Famous at Home Starter Bundle: https://www.famousathome.com/newsletter Want a marriage you love? Fill out this form: https://www.famousathome.com/loveyourmarriage Download NONAH's single Find My Way Home by clicking here: https://bellpartners.ffm.to/findmywayhome
This week on Glamour Farms: The Podcast, host Haley Klockenga sits down with bestselling author and artist Korie Herold to talk all things Christmas joy, family traditions, and meaningful holiday memories. Korie shares the heart behind her beloved keepsake book, Our Christmas Story, and offers simple, intentional ways to slow down, avoid holiday overwhelm, and create traditions that last for generations. From Korie's everyday memory-making (like keeping Christmas music playing throughout her home) to Haley's fun family tradition of “Grinch Night,” this episode is packed with Christmas inspiration, holiday ideas for all ages, and practical tips for bringing more peace, joy, and magic into your season. If you're looking to make this year's Christmas more meaningful, memorable, and joy-filled, you won't want to miss this conversation!
The historical story of Christmas is likely one of the most important stories ever told. It's one of the most beautiful examples of God's sovereignty as every detail prophesied thousands of years earlier came true in the little story we tend to revisit during this time of year. However, it's easy to take this story for granted and to not stop and meditate on the significance of the events of Christmas. Additionally, many of the aspects we know and love about Christmas may not actually be as biblically accurate as you may have thought. As tends to happen with many things in society, this holiday has morphed into something that isn't always an accurate reflection of what we as followers of Christ are celebrating. Did Mary and Joseph really ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Were Mary and Joseph turned away from the inn? What prompted the wisemen's appearance"?All these topics and more are talked about on this podcast episode!Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this episode will be an eyeopening one for you as you consider and appreciate the details of Christ's birth. Know someone who would enjoy listening to this episode? You should share it! Get full access to The Well Said Podcast at wellsaidpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
Fluent Fiction - Danish: Gifts from the Heart: A Copenhagen Christmas Story Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/da/episode/2025-12-03-08-38-20-da Story Transcript:Da: Sneen dalede blidt over København, og Tivoli Gardens lyste op som et magisk landskab med tusindvis af funklende lys.En: The snow fell gently over København, and Tivoli Gardens lit up like a magical landscape with thousands of sparkling lights.Da: Luften var fyldt med duften af ristede mandler og krydrede gløgg.En: The air was filled with the scent of roasted almonds and spiced gløgg.Da: Mikkel gik gennem de travle gader i Tivoli sammen med sin ven Jonas.En: Mikkel walked through the busy streets of Tivoli with his friend Jonas.Da: "Vi skal finde den perfekte gave til Emma," sagde Mikkel bestemt.En: "We need to find the perfect gift for Emma," said Mikkel determinedly.Da: Jonas nikkede.En: Jonas nodded.Da: "Det er tæt på jul nu, og butikkerne bliver hurtigt tømt."En: "It's close to Christmas now, and the shops will soon be emptied."Da: Mikkel tænkte på, hvor meget Emma betød for ham.En: Mikkel thought about how much Emma meant to him.Da: Hun var hans klippe, og han ønskede at vise hende, hvor meget han satte pris på hende.En: She was his rock, and he wanted to show her how much he appreciated her.Da: Men hver butik de besøgte havde enten for dyre eller ikke-personlige gaver.En: But every store they visited had either too expensive or impersonal gifts.Da: Mikkel følte sig presset, da han så de lange køer og de mange mennesker, der også jagtede efter de perfekte julegaver.En: Mikkel felt pressured as he saw the long lines and the many people also hunting for the perfect Christmas gifts.Da: De nærmede sig julemarkedet, hvor små boder bød på alverdens håndværk.En: They approached the Christmas market, where small stalls offered all kinds of crafts.Da: Der var pyntegenstande, tøj og smykker.En: There were ornaments, clothing, and jewelry.Da: "Måske skal jeg købe noget dyrt," tænkte Mikkel højt.En: "Maybe I should buy something expensive," Mikkel thought out loud.Da: Men Jonas rystede på hovedet.En: But Jonas shook his head.Da: "Noget, der kommer fra hjertet, vil nok betyde mere."En: "Something that comes from the heart will probably mean more."Da: Pludselig fik en stand Mikkels øje.En: Suddenly a stand caught Mikkel's eye.Da: Den solgte håndlavede juleornamenter.En: It sold handmade Christmas ornaments.Da: Et af ornamenterne mindede ham om deres første date i Tivoli, hvor de havde spist candyfloss og set fyrværkeri.En: One of the ornaments reminded him of their first date in Tivoli, where they had eaten cotton candy and watched fireworks.Da: Den lille engel lignede en, de havde set sammen den aften.En: The little angel looked like one they had seen together that night.Da: Mikkel blev fyldt med glæde ved tanken om den aften.En: Mikkel was filled with joy at the thought of that evening.Da: Han besluttede sig.En: He decided.Da: Det skulle være denne lille engel, som symboliserede starten på deres kærlighed.En: It would be this little angel, which symbolized the start of their love.Da: Han kunne mærke, at det var det helt rigtige.En: He could feel that it was exactly the right choice.Da: Senere, da han gav Emma gaven, lyste hendes ansigt op.En: Later, when he gave Emma the gift, her face lit up.Da: "Jeg husker den aften," smilede hun.En: "I remember that evening," she smiled.Da: Mikkel følte lettelse og varme i hjertet.En: Mikkel felt relief and warmth in his heart.Da: Han forstod nu, at betydningen bag gaven var vigtigere end prisen.En: He understood now that the meaning behind the gift was more important than its price.Da: Tivolis magiske lys blinkede i baggrunden, og sneen fortsatte med at falde lige så fint som deres uforglemmelige minder sammen.En: Tivoli's magical lights twinkled in the background, and the snow continued to fall just as finely as their unforgettable memories together.Da: Mikkel vidste, at kærligheden ikke kunne måles i penge, men i de øjeblikke, man delte.En: Mikkel knew that love couldn't be measured in money, but in the moments shared. Vocabulary Words:gently: blidtlit up: lyste opmagical: magisksparkling: funklendescent: duftenroasted: ristedespiced: krydrededeterminedly: bestemtpressured: pressetapproached: nærmede sigstalls: boderornaments: pyntegenstandejewelry: smykkerhandmade: håndlavedereminded: mindedecotton candy: candyflossfireworks: fyrværkerijoy: glædesymbolized: symboliserederelief: lettelsewarmth: varmetwinkled: blinkedeunforgettable: uforglemmeligemeasured: målesmoments: øjeblikkelandscape: landskabempty: tømtrock: klippehunting: jagtedeimpressed: fascineret
It's back! In Handbid's third annual holiday episode, the Handbid Team go head-to-head in a Christmas trivia showdown. From classic movies and carols to oddball folklore and Bible deep cuts, this episode is pure festive chaos—in the best way. Play along, keep score, and steal a few trivia ideas for your own holiday party or year-end event.Who this episode is forNonprofit leaders, event planners, and Handbid friends who:Love holiday episodes and want something light, fun, and festiveWant easy, ready-made trivia ideas they can adapt for their own eventsNeed a break from planning year-end campaigns and just want to laugh alongIn this episode (highlights)Holiday trivia is back: Jeff hosts Handbid's third annual holiday episode and lays out the rules, categories, and (questionable) scoring system.Christmas movie round: Home Alone, Elf, The Santa Clause, The Grinch, A Christmas Story… the crew tests how well they really know the classics.Music & carols mayhem: From “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to record-breaking Christmas hits and hymn origins, Mark and Elise battle it out over lyrics and fun facts.Pop culture & party chaos: White elephant gifts, Chia Pets, Krampus, Montgomery Ward, NORAD Santa tracking, and Iceland's terrifying Yule Cat all make an appearance.Bible trivia gets real: Bethlehem, prophets, censuses, Old Testament prophecies, the women in Jesus' genealogy, and titles of the Messiah—all fair game in the final round.A nail-biter finish: The score stays tight, Elise N and Mark trade the lead, and it all comes down to the Bible lightning round to crown this year's holiday trivia champ.Steal this idea for your event: How a simple themed trivia game can add fun, connection, and energy to your own holiday party or year-end fundraiser.Tune in, keep score, and see if you can beat the Handbid team at their own holiday trivia game.
New Year's Eve in Times Square. Talkback Caller. Morons in the News. The People's Movie Critic. Everyone Needs a Laugh. A Christmas Story. Talkback Callers. Can You Believe This? From the Vault.
Stéphanie welcomes friend and author Cynthia Ruchti for a heartfelt conversation about an often-overlooked key Person in the Christmas story!Inspired by Cynthia's book, The Spirit of Christmas: Discovering His Presence throughout the Advent Season, Stephanie and Cynthia weave together the truths of the gospel with the unique work of the Holy Spirit through the Christmas season.Cynthia beautifully outlines how the Holy Spirit is present at every turn in the story of Christmas. From the Spirit's role in Jesus' conception to His comfort and guidance of Mary on her journey to Elizabeth, we see that God's presence is not limited to grand, miraculous moments but extends to the quiet, unseen steps we take in our lives. Cynthia also notes that even in the last moments of silence preceding Jesus' birth (the 400 years between Malachi and the Gospels), the Spirit is waiting and then speaks to unlikely people—Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth—signaling God's readiness to move.Both Stéphanie and Cynthia share an affinity for observing—paying attention to the details that God reveals. Cynthia describes herself as an “observer” who seeks to notice God at work, longing to discover and dig deeper. She invites us to do the same: to live lives marked by holy expectancy, always searching for evidence of God's presence through His Spirit. The conversation encourages listeners to be lifelong learners of the faith—not settling for what we've always known, but continually growing in our understanding of Him.Cynthia offers to expand our understanding of the gospel: it is not only about Jesus or the Father, but involves the entire Trinity. The Father sends the Son, and the Son sends the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is integral, taking the words of Jesus and illuminating them for us, deepening our comprehension far beyond what we might realize. This broadening view challenges us to recognize the Holy Spirit's involvement not just during Christmas, but throughout all of Jesus' ministry and in every aspect of our faith journey.So, Stephanie and Cynthia invite YOU to make space for the Holy Spirit during this Advent season. Cynthia suggests that we sometimes need to let go of traditions or activities that crowd out our capacity to ponder the real meaning of Christmas. The invitation is to intentionally prepare our hearts, not just our homes, so we don't end Christmas feeling empty or disappointed but deeply satisfied by God's presence.Cynthia also brings attention to the overlooked figures in the Christmas story—the innkeeper, the cloth weavers, and countless unnamed helpers. These reminders inspire us to appreciate every person's role and to look for God among the unnoticed and ordinary.Ultimately, Cynthia and Stéphanie challenge us not just to trace the Holy Spirit through Advent, but through our entire lives. Reflect on how God's Spirit has been working—generations back, in your own childhood, and through every season. The Spirit of Christmas is an invitation to continual discovery, deepened intimacy, and expectation for what God will reveal next.Get ready for Advent: As you move through Advent, intentionally seek and observe the Holy Spirit—both in the Christmas story and your daily life. What will you notice when you look?MORE ABOUT “THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS”Discover the Holy Spirit's Presence in the Christmas Story--and Why It Matters Today· A faith-building, eye-opening daily advent devotional· Discover exciting new aspects of the story you thought you knew· Prepare your heart to fully celebrate the birth of JesusWhen we think of the first Christmas, we often focus on the wide-eyed young mother and her faithful fiancé, on tattered shepherds and singing angels and road-weary wise men. But the Holy Spirit was there--and just as He hovered over the waters in the beginning, He hovers over every page of the Christmas story.This Advent, join acclaimed author Cynthia Ruchti for a faith-building, eye-opening walk with the Holy Spirit. Highlighting the power and presence of the Spirit at work in the sacred story, each entry of this 26-day devotional contains· core verses on the Spirit's role in the narrative of Scripture· devotional thoughts perfect for the whole family· often overlooked details that will change the way you see and understand the Christmas story· space for pondering and reflection· practical application with optional projects to help you prepare and celebrate· an Advent prayerBefore the babe was conceived, the Holy Spirit was already at work, setting the stage and preparing the hearts of the biblical characters we know and love. This season, let Him set the stage and prepare your heart too.MORE ABOUT CYNTHIA RUCHTICynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in Hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction, and through speaking for women's events/retreats and writers' conferences/workshops. She draws from 33 years of experience writing and producing the 15-minute daily radio broadcast, “The Heartbeat of the Home.” Her books have received recognition from RT Reviewers' Choice Book of the Year, PW Starred Reviews, Selah Awards, Christian Retailing's BEST Awards, Golden Scroll Awards and Novel of the Year, Readers' Choice Awards, The Carol Award, two Christy finalists, and more. For 12 years she served as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, and is part of the worship team at her church. She's also a Senior Literary Agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and seven grandchildren.More at https://cynthiaruchti.com/ THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!NEW!Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogWhat matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God's glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing. Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don't draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help. So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once.And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it.Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil. So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking.So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward?Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!
Today on cheat day devos, our journey through the Bible takes us to the Christmas Story!! Today, we discuss impatient angels, baby name disagreements, and the benefits of a silent husband. Follow on Instagram and TikTok @thebibleisfunny.The Bible is Funny Card Game Volume 1 and 2 available here - https://thebibleisfunny.etsy.com/Help us sponsor 100 kids in Brazil - https://compassion.com/bibleisfunny
Tap here to listen ad-free (free trial, cancel any time)While looking out on the feast of Stephen, King Wenceslas sees a poor man and decides to help him. Email: hello@funfablespodcast.comWebsite: www.funfablespodcast.com Created and produced by: Horseplay ProductionsNarrated by: The Narrator ManFor Big Bad Wolf T-shirts and FREE colouring in pictures visit www.funfablespodcast.com... And if your looking for something more relaxing at bedtime why not try Fun Fables: Sleepy time Stories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nestled on Main Street in Woodstock, Bonfire Bookstore & Yarnery radiates the cozy, community-centric charm that so many small towns crave. During this Tourism Tuesday episode on The Valley Today, host Janet Michael, Shenandoah County Tourism's Kary Haun, and owner Kara Balcerzak dive into how a lifelong love of books—and a desire to combat modern loneliness—became one of the county's newest gathering places. A Dream Shelved—Then Finally Opened Kara, a self-described lifelong reader and third-generation librarian, relocated to Woodstock in 2019. Although she always fantasized about owning a bookstore, she didn't initially know how to launch a business. However, after participating in a local leadership program, she discovered a network of small-business support. Encouraged and equipped, she went for it. Her leap of faith resulted in Bonfire Bookstore & Yarnery, which opened on June 6 and was immediately embraced by the local community. The location on Main Street, she says, has only added to its warm, inviting personality. More Than Books: A Store Built on Connection While Bonfire carries a beautifully curated selection of fiction, nonfiction, local history, and children's titles, it offers much more than traditional bookstore staples. Kara intentionally stocks puzzles, games, gifts, craft kits, and an impressive selection of yarn, all chosen with a shared mission: helping people rediscover offline joy and authentic connection. She explains that the lingering effects of COVID, paired with the omnipresence of social media, have made people lonelier than ever. "So many people want to get off their phones and do something with their hands," she notes. Yarn enthusiasts, knitters, crocheters, and crafters visit regularly—and Kara even teaches classes in-store thanks to the building's generous space. Why Yarn Belongs in a Bookstore Yarn may seem like an unexpected addition to a bookstore, but Kara makes it feel natural. She has been knitting and crocheting for over 20 years, and she quickly discovered that readers and stitchers share similar "cozy hobby" energy. Moreover, diversifying her inventory helps the shop remain sustainable in an era dominated by online megaretailers. The yarn department has since become one of the store's most vibrant community-building features, complete with beginner classes launching again in January. A Community Space, Not Just a Retail Shop Walking into Bonfire feels less like visiting a shop and more like entering a living room. Plush chairs, a welcoming sofa, a whimsically decorated fireplace, and a children's reading nook encourage visitors to linger. Kara laughs as she recounts advice from a fellow bookstore owner who warned her against offering comfortable seating—"You don't want readers; you want buyers." But Kara had a different vision. In her mind, Woodstock needs more places for people to gather, chat, read, knit, drink tea, or simply exist without pressure to spend money. She even offers a self-serve hot beverage bar where less than two dollars for a cup of tea can also buy hours of community bonding. Holiday Happenings & Gift Ideas Bonfire Bookstore & Yarnery shines especially bright during the holiday season. Kara shares several upcoming festive events: Story Time with Santa – December 20, 11 AM–12 PM Christmas Carol Sing-Along – December 21, 12:30–2 PM with local musician Angie Vann Stocking Stuffers, Local Artisan Gifts & Specialty Items – including gardening tools, planters, puzzles, locally curated reads, and yarn-lover favorites Gift Certificates Available Janet and Kary rave about the store's wide variety—everything from nonfiction to crossword books to local history, and even pizza-herb planters inspired by popular garden titles. Shopping Local in the Age of Online Giants While Bonfire doesn't yet sell merchandise directly through its website, Kara partners with Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, ensuring customers can order books and audiobooks online while still supporting an independent store. She can also special-order nearly any book in print and typically receives orders within a week to ten days. A Magical Setting for Conversation and Community As Janet and Kary continue their Tourism Tuesday tour, they settle deeper into Bonfire's cozy atmosphere—so much so that Janet jokes Kara may eventually need to kick them out. The store inspires nostalgia, curiosity, and warmth. With its children's wardrobe-themed reading nook, eclectic shelves, and handmade touches, Bonfire feels not just magical, but meaningful. It's the kind of place where time slows down, conversations come easily, and community naturally forms—exactly the vision Kara hoped for when she opened the doors. Where Stories—and Community—Come Alive Bonfire Bookstore succeeds not just because it sells books, puzzles, and yarn, but because it taps into something essential: the deep human need for connection. Kara built a place where neighbors meet, creativity flourishes, and people rediscover joy in unplugging—even for just an hour. In a world that often feels rushed and digital, Bonfire reminds us that the most magical spaces are the ones where people simply gather. A Hub for Holiday Spirit Throughout Shenandoah County After the bookstore conversation, the episode shifts to holiday happenings across the valley. Kary and Brittany Clem-Hott share a dazzling list of parades, tree lightings, markets, open houses, and theatrical productions—including Theatre Shenandoah's first-ever performance of "A Christmas Story." Meanwhile, listeners learn about dazzling new events like Christmas at the Celebration at American Celebration on Parade, multiple town-wide festive weekends, studio open houses, cookie crawls, drive-through light shows, and more. Find a full list of upcoming events on the Shenandoah County Tourism website: https://visitshenandoahcounty.com/
Today on cheat day devos, our journey through the Bible takes us to the Christmas Story!! Today, we discuss impatient angels, baby name disagreements, and the benefits of a silent husband. Follow on Instagram and TikTok @thebibleisfunny.The Bible is Funny Card Game Volume 1 and 2 available here - https://thebibleisfunny.etsy.com/Help us sponsor 100 kids in Brazil - https://compassion.com/bibleisfunny#podcast #comedy #bible
On today's PowerPoint, Pastor Jack Graham brings the message of “A Christmas Story,” as a story of lost and found. Jesus came loving us and treasuring us just like one sheep that's gone astray, one coin lost in the house or a son who has rebelled against his father. While so many struggle to “find God,” The Christmas Story tells of God coming to earth to find us, His beloved children. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/395/29?v=20251111