Chameleon

Grandson, Dallin, redeemed a 3 1/2-year-old coupon to have me make this chameleon for his school teacher for Christmas. He loves to draw chameleons and drew a picture for me to use to make a pattern. I think it turned out really well!

Christmas Cone

The Legend of the Magic Christmas Cone

Long ago in a land far away there lived a little boy named Granther. Granther was a good boy deep down inside, but on the outside, he was not so good because he loved to hide in the bushes beside the road and throw sticks and stones at the people who passed by on their way into town. Sometimes people got angry and chased after him, but instead of making him afraid to do it anymore, he just learned how to hide better. One day, just two weeks before Christmas, a very angry man pounded on Granther’s cottage door. “This has got to stop!” he yelled at Granther’s mother, showing her a handful of rocks. He shook his fist at Granther as he stormed out the door. Granther’s mother started to cry, she had tried everything to get him to stop, all to no avail. “Give me your rocks,” she said sadly, “I know you are a good boy deep inside; one day you will understand.” Granther emptied out his pockets into his mother’s hands—all but one smooth stone the size of a robin’s egg. He slipped it into the manger of the nativity scene for safe-keeping, thinking he could come back and get it later.

That night Granther had a very unusual dream. He dreamed he was in a stable. It was Christmas night and he saw the baby Jesus in the manger, with his mother and Joseph there. He saw the shepherds and all the animals. It was a beautiful sight. Suddenly a rock fell on baby Jesus, then another and another. The baby started to cry. Mary and Joseph tried to protect the baby, but the rocks kept coming, landing harder and faster. Granther looked around in despair; where were they coming from? Who was doing this? Why, why, why? He noticed someone in the shadows and raced to stop the evil-doer. Granther knocked him down and wrestled him until a stream of moonlight fell across them and he stopped cold, for he saw that he was wrestling himself! Tears began flowing freely, tears of compassion for the baby Jesus, tears of anger at what had been done, and also tears of sorrow to realize who had done it.

He woke with a start to find his heart racing and his pillow wet with his tears. It was before dawn but he raced to the manger to retrieve his rock and throw it one last time, far into the forest. He knelt before the manger and said a prayer, “Please forgive me, I will never throw sticks and stones at people again. I will try to be kind and loving, and treat others as I would wish for the Christ child.” He searched in the tiny manger, but instead of his rock, he found a jewel.

Some say that that the miracle came from Elfin magic. But I believe that it was a miracle of love, the love for a Christ child, born of a sincere desire to replace sticks and stones with kindness.

You may try it for yourself. Two weeks before Christmas, hang a Christmas Cone on your Christmas tree. Each day until Christmas Eve, try to be kind and loving all day long. Then each night before you go to bed, place a stick or stone in the Christmas Cone as a token of your commitment to treat others as you would treat the Christ child. Perhaps your offering will turn into a treasure!