Free Republic

LONGVIEW, Wash. – Breyanna Lea Siebert noticed something was missing when she looked at the Christmas decorations in Longview this year.  The nativity scene was gone from R A Long Square.  “Don’t get me wrong. I love snowmen, candy canes, snowflakes and all kinds of Christmassy things,” said Siebert.A nativity scene, Siebert’s favorite Christmas decoration, had been a part of the park decorations as long as she could remember. So the 13-year-old wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper to let everyone know how she felt about this year’s omission.  “It would be nice if everybody...

When I was a kid growing up in Detroit and Boston, there were multiple Christmas celebrations in public school. Everyone participated in the celebrations, including the Jews and the many individuals of Middle Eastern descent. Christmas carols were sung, presents were exchanged and food was consumed in a partylike atmosphere. There were very few people stoking the fires of sensitivity or trying to make everyone feel different. There’s nothing wrong with diversity, but there is also nothing wrong with unity and enjoying overarching fun and good will. When someone said “Merry Christmas,” it was regarded as a salutation of good...

Some of you may not know that Cooking With the Troops has a deeply personal stake in this war. Our own President, otherwise known as Dear Chadwick, is deployed to Afghanistan. Tonight Chad sent a note from the front. I share it here, with his permission. Take it away, Chad: My dearest friends and family, Greetings from Afghanistan! I want to wish you all a blessed and joy filled Merry Christmas!!! Tonight we celebrate the night where hope gave birth to faith! I will never forget my first Christmas away from home. It was Baghdad 2009, where the main hall...

I post occasionally, but mostly lurk, enjoying the variety of articles and comments Free Republic offers. Below is a link to a song my band and I recorded. It is the way we have honored our Lord this season. With music. Merry Christmas and may be have a happy, free New Year.

For those tired of hearing the same Christmas songs by the same artists over and over again I have a suggestion.Paul McCartney's music publishing company maintains a free multi-channel online radio that features Christmas music by many artists performing traditional and not-so-traditional songs. What they have in common is the publishing rights are owned by MPL Communications and are offered for licensing with the click of a button.Clicking the source link should take you directly to the Happy Holidays station. Other stations available are the Macca Mix (McCartney solo catalogue), 30s Hits, Rock Classics and Bert Berns. In the past...

Boys and girls at Grace Academy in Prosper, Tex., spent most of last Friday making homemade Christmas cards for bedridden veterans at the VA hospital in Dallas. Fourth-grader Gracie Brown was especially proud of her card, hoping it would “make their day because their family might live far away, and they might not have somebody to celebrate Christmas with.” “I’d like them to know they’ve not been forgotten and somebody wanted to say thank you,” Gracie told MyFoxDFW.com. Gracie’s card read, “Merry Christmas. Thank you for your service.” It also included an American flag. But the bedridden veterans at the...

For the American servicemen and –women on the front lines – those who will be spending the winter at remote outposts or on patrol in places like Afghanistan – “home for the holidays” is just a dream. That’s why a special military lab has stepped up to give them a little taste of home: A holiday dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet-potato casserole, and green beans. Hot sauce? That too.

Matthew 1 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 and Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 and Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of...

Once again, All Classical broadcasts A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, recorded in the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge. The worship service was first introduced in 1918 and is broadcast to millions around the world. Tune in promptly so you don’t miss the opening carol, Once in Royal David’s City. The program airs at 7 a.m. Pacific, 10 a.m. Eastern on December 24.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oW44aeioio

With the Christmas shopping orgy well under way, never forget that the ultimate gifts that keep on giving throughout life for young and old are guns. For the young boys and girls, cap guns and holsters, nerf guns, toy bows and arrows with the suction cup arrows and other assorted toy guns and associated accessories are the obvious choice. Whatever you do, don’t forget to teach your rootin’ tootin’ boys and girls how to quick draw their cap guns and how to twirl them on one finger Roy Rogers style.

MURRIETA (CBSLA.com) — It’s the time of the year when Christmas decorations adorn houses for blocks in communities throughout the Southland. But one entry in the Annual Holiday Home Decorating Contest in Murrieta that features a mythical creature from European folklore has sparked complaints from residents. The house in the 37000 block of Floral Creek Circle features a large handcrafted Krampus, who is sometimes referred to as “evil Santa” or the “Christmas devil” and dates back to pre-Christian Germanic traditions. With a doll on its back and a broomstick in its hand, the clawed black creature is perched on the...

Today, the Senate is set to pass the new U.S. budget deal in all its spend-tastic glory. Lawmakers have hemmed and hawed about making any cuts to spending, despite countless examples of ridiculous decisions that have wasted taxpayers’ money. So it’s timely that the office of Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) released its 2013 “Wastebook” yesterday, listing 100 examples it deems wasteful spending this year. In our infographic below, we’ve picked just a few of the highlights of your tax dollars at work.

War on Christmas? Not in the House, where members can now include holiday greetings in their constituent communications. This is a reversal of previous policy, in which "any form of a holiday greeting was banned," House Administration Committee Chairman Candice Miller, R-Mich.,

The GOP’s 2008 nominee for vice president will be at the Mall of America on Friday signing copies of her new book, “Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of America.”

A major U.S. retailer has decided to have a heart for Christmas after a five-year campaign by the American Family Association.About eight years ago, roughly 80 percent of the nation's retailers ignored the theme of Christmas in their stores and in advertising, choosing instead to use the politically correct terms "Happy Holidays" or "Holiday Sales." According to Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the American Family Association, while there has been a major turnaround among the companies, there have been some holdouts."One particularly is GAP, which owns the GAP stores and Old Navy stores all across the nation," he...

  State lawmakers in Texas have passed legislation that permits public schools to display nativity scenes, menorahs, or Christmas trees, and allows students and school district staff to use greetings such as, “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah,” and “Happy Holidays.” According to Fox News in Austin, the legislation (HB 308), introduced by Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) and dubbed “The Merry Christmas Bill,” received overwhelming approval in the state house, by a margin of 145-2, and was passed unanimously in the state senate, 29-0. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Rick Perry (R) for his signature. “I was a...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our FReeper FRiends!! God bless, Jim, Sheila, John and Chris

Luke 2:1-21 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was,...