by Jill Pearson
Much of the magic of Christmas comes in the form of traditions passed through families and of long-told stories, including the Greatest Story, that bring bouts of nostalgia. In the Pearson family, a little German dress elicits the warm fuzzy feelings in me. I was born in Germany on a U.S. military base, and when my grandparents came to visit, they bought a little red and black knit dress for me. My mom preserved it and my little girls each took turns wearing it at Christmas. Now it awaits my future (hopefully!) granddaughters. When my daughter Grace wore it during a Calvary Christmas performance, a Pearson classic Christmas poem about a booger was born!
This month, we share a reading of that “classic” poem, along with tales of Christmases past from four generations of Calvary women. Ginger Boyce shares her winsome and moving salvation testimony about finding Jesus through some “holy rollers” in college, and Melissa Meyers shares the tradition and steps to create an advent wreath for your family. We meet Merry Beth Gay and Jill Clarke in Faces of Calvary, and Vicki Tierney recommends the reading of a Christmas classic, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. And you won’t want to miss Karyn Grenz’s recipe for rocky road fudge!
The editors of The Stir hope that your Advent season is full of wonder, warmth, nostalgia, and the joy of a baby in a manger come to save the world.
Jill Pearson is co-editor of The Stir, wife to Dave, and mom to three young adults who have flown the nest but are easily lured back with an offer of dinner. She owns and operates Riverwood Studio, an art education business, and finds creative ways to serve at Calvary.