The Case for Christmas

The Case for Christmas stars Dean Cain and Rachel Blanchard.

When sporting goods manufacturer, Braxton Bennett, underhandedly plots to promote a new item, a replacement for Santa Clause, he gets a big surprise.

Bennett sues Santa Clause because he ruined Christmas by not delivering the toys he wanted for Christmas when he was a boy. Bennett hopes to damage Santa’s reputation with a class action lawsuit so much that people will want to buy his replacement item, Santana Snow.

A court messenger travels to the North Pole to attempt to deliver the court summons to Santa in order to secure the court case. Neither the toy manufacturer nor the court messenger expects to find a jolly old soul living at the North Pole who actually manufactures toys. They hope for a “no show” in court, but Santa excepts the court summons.

Santa, also known as Kris Kringle, searches for an attorney. He hires attorney Michael Sherman to represent him. Thinking the whole thing is a publicity stunt, Michael advises Kris to go home and forget the whole thing. Kris has already met Michael’s daughter, Lillie, who is already convinced that Kris is really Santa Clause. With a little prompting from Lillie, Michael agrees to help Santa.

Michael’s task is made more interesting when an elf, Charlie, shows up and informs Michael that the case needs to be solved before Christmas. The case which is damaging to Santa’s reputation is causing the Christmas spirit to decrease. Santa’s workshop is powered by the Christmas spirit so when people stop believing in Santa, his workshop suffers.

Santa isn’t the only one who is suffering. Within the last few years, Michael’s wife lost her battle with cancer. Knowing Michael’s mechanic, Lauren, has fallen in love with Michael, Santa encourages Michael to move on.

Michael must defend Santa against witnesses who testify in court with stories about how Santa ruined their lives by giving them gifts other than those they requested. Michael’s case is already suffering when Bennett’s attorney presents Michael with evidence which causes him to struggle over his decision to represent Santa.

After researching Bennett’s attorney’s findings, Michael and Santa return to court.

The idea of suing Santa and immature adult witnesses in a court room might not impress a large number of viewers, but the main idea of the film delivers pretty good Christmas entertainment.

I did enjoy the romance and the messages delivered by the film:  Triumph over tragedy and keeping the Christmas Spirit alive.

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Christmas with a Capital C

 The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

The Crippled Lamb was written by Max Lucado with Jenna, Andrea, and Sara Lucado. It was illustrated by Liz Bonham. The Crippled Lamb is a Scholastic book which was first published in 1994.

The very first page of this book captures the attention of both children and adults. Lucado introduces the reader to a little white lamb named Joshua who has “black spots, black feet, and sad eyes.” Joshua is a sad because the other lambs do not have spots. Joshua doesn’t have a mom or a dad and he has a crippled leg. He can only watch while the other lambs play.

Joshua has only one friend, a cow named Abigail. The only time Joshua doesn’t feel sad is when Abigail is near. They play together and Abigail tells Joshua stories. Still, Joshua gets sad because he is different from all the other lambs. Abigail shares a special message with Joshua. She tells him that “God has a special place for those who feel left out.”

One night a shepherd decides to lead the sheep to another meadow, but Joshua is not able to make the trip. The other lambs make fun of Joshua. A shepherd suggests Joshua spend the night in the stable. Joshua, once again, feels left out and alone. Abigail reminds him that “God has a special place for those who feel left out” and she follows Joshua to the stable. When they get to the stable, they feast on some hay and they go to sleep.

During the night, Joshua is awakened by a noise. He wakes Abigail. They find a lamp hanging on the wall and realize someone is in the stable. They are both surprised to find a baby and his mother resting in the stable. Joshua realizes the baby is cold, but there is nothing in the stable to keep him warm. Joshua lays next to the baby so that his wool coat will keep the baby warm. Mary tells the lamb that the baby’s name is Jesus and that He is God’s son who “came from heaven to teach us about God.”

Then, the same shepherds who had taken the other lambs to the new meadow come in to see the baby.

Joshua realizes why God made him different. If he had just like all the other lambs, he would not have been in the stable that night to help keep the baby warm. Joshua realizes the baby is very special and God chose Joshua for a very special purpose.

Not only is The Crippled Lamb a great Christmas story which tells about the birth of Jesus, but it is also a great story which provides an example of how God uses those who are different from others for very special purposes.

The Crippled Lamb is a highly recommended children’s book.

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The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

The Stable Where Jesus Was Born by Rhonda Gowler Green

 The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

The Stable Where Jesus Was Born was written by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by Susan Gaber. The book is a scholastic book first published in 1999.

Greene begins her story by showing the reader an illustration of a stable, one you might image is like the one where Jesus was born. She introduces the reader to a cow, a cat and her kittens, and three mice who live in the stable.

I thought the mention of the cat, kittens and mice was a nice twist to this well known story. We usually imagine animals like cows and maybe even horses, but we don’t usually think of cats and kittens in the stable where Jesus was born.  Since many children are probably more familiar with cats and kittens than livestock, this imagery helps them better relate to the story.

Greene introduces the reader to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Then, she tells the story of shepherds who came to visit the Baby Jesus and of an angel who told of His birth. Greene informs the reader that Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem which was a very full and busy city that night.

Greene tells the reader that God chose the baby for a special purpose.

Greene mentions “sweet-smelling hay” throughout the story. The mention of familiar animals and her description of the smell of hay helps children create a more vivid picture of the scene in their own creative little minds.

Greene uses rhyming words to help the story flow smoothly. Rhyming words also help young readers read more fluently.

The Stable Where Jesus Was Born is a good book for children to enjoy during the Christmas season.

To enhance the reading experience, plan a few activities for children to do after story time. Instruct the children to draw or paint a picture of what they think the stable looked like on the night Jesus was born.

Allow the children to make Christmas ornaments after reading The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

If several children are present, allow them to act out the story. You can even have one child tell the story while other children act it out. This can be amusing and role play helps children remember the events in the story.

Most of all, have fun reading and learning about Baby Jesus.

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The Story of Christmas by Vivian French and Jane Chapman