Short and Sweet #3
by Annette Dammer

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not shout, I'm telling you why, Terrorists are coming to town!

Or...'Tis the season to be shopping! Ching, cha, ching, cha, ching, cash-registers-ring!

Or...Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, a war in thee does rage!

Or...Oh, we're depressed enough already!

But the children see if differently... Praise God! My son Michael is 8. Waiting in a drive-thru line for a prescription, we listened to a Christian radio station. The news announcer said that terrorist activity in Bethlehem might cancel Christmas plans this year. Again.

"They can't cancel Christmas," Michael said, clearly worried. "Can they?" I, too, had been upset. In a snap, my stress melted into sweet serenity. He saw what I did not..."No, baby, they can't," I said, smiling. "They're not that powerful. Only God could cancel Christmas. And He'd never do such a stupid thing!"

We changed the station - literally and figuratively - and put on some Christmas carols. Why not? We need to be informed - but we need balance, too. Christ came into this world just fine - without CNN, cable or email! Listen to the little ones this season. Maybe THEY are OUR angels - heralding a Saviour Who is above it all...

What do the kids know? What do you learn? Write it down, share it with friends, then polish it - and FILE IT!  Create a file folder on your computer desktop. Call it TO PUBLISH. Save your writing there.... Name it CHRISTMAS as an extra prod. Now, print out a copy and put in a folder on your desk. Same procedure - on paper. And, of course, put it on your calendar... for May, 2003. and November, 2003.

Then, in May, send it to your favorite magazine!  And send it again in November (checking what rights you've sold, of course!) to those great storytelling contests that come out in your local newspaper every Thanksgiving. Share God's true message. From the mouths of babes...Isn't THAT the TRUE reason for the season?

Let us know what you find... or what you're writing!

MERRY Christmas!

Let us know what you find... publisher@teenlight or visit us at www.teenlight.org or
www.writershelper.org

Copyright 2002 Annette Dammer

--Teen Light - www.teenlight.org
--Journalism Online: www.writershelper.org/tour.htm/
--Ready, Set, GO! due out Spring, 2003 by Baker Books