The Shoes

4 Kids

Hi! First, I want to wish you a very merry Christmas. Kids call me PG. That stands for Pastor Gruber. When I was a children's pastor in Minnesota, two girls started calling me PG as a joke. Others picked it up and I have been called that ever since. I wear red Chuck Taylor high tops everywhere I go. I do have other colors that I wear, but most people know me for the red ones.

My office is even decorated with high tops. I am pretty sure someone will get me a new pair for Christmas.

So now you know, I am PG and I wear red shoes. These are both ways you can identify me. Another way is that I love Jesus and live for Him. I trust that at this Christmas time, you will be identified as a believer in Jesus. Sure, people identify you by your name or the kind of shoes you wear, but wouldn't it be nice if they also knew you were a Christian? Show that you love Jesus by serving others, obeying your parents, and playing nice. Some kids only do those kinds of things in order to get better presents on Christmas day. I know that you can live right just because you love Jesus.

4 Others

This year, at our faculty Christmas dinner, our college president and his dear wife gave everybody a high top Christmas ornament. (Each year they give us an ornament representing a place they have visited or something special that has happened at the school that year.) The high top was to remind everybody that our first Master's degree was awarded this year. Why the high top? Because I was the student that earned that degree. How cool is that? We all have a cute little high top as a memorial to this achievement. I am blessed.

The ornaments given each year have become a tradition among our faculty and staff. Christmas is a time when families, churches, and businesses practice a variety of traditions. Everything from sleigh rides to bonuses to acting out the Christmas story before opening presents is represented in these traditions. Before you get wrapped up in the tinsel of the day, stop and think about your traditions. Perhaps this is a good year to start a new one. Or maybe you should just reinforce the value of the long-standing ones. God bless you and your family this Christmas.

A shout out to Miss Maggie who is home from Africa for Christmas. God bless.

PG